It has now been roughly 20 years and four months since I met with the reliability team of a Well-Known Petrochemical Company—let’s call it “WKPC”—to discuss ways to improve the organization’s reliability performance. During about four hours of discussion, we reviewed a reasonably accurate list of how best-of-class performers achieve their often-envied standing and what might be the underlying factors that caused WKPC to fall short of meeting reasonable expectations.
By way of summary, we considered the fact that top-quartile companies pay much attention to the often overlooked, generally “unglamorous” basics. We made the point that these high performers emphasize the need to understand when, where, and how appropriate work practices and upgrade measures make economic sense.
I attempted to express the belief that WKPC would get more rapid, readily quantified results from the near-term strategy of identifying and picking the “ripe, low-hanging fruit” before embarking on the definition, selection, and implementation of plant-wide TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) or similar “packaged” programs.
WKPC elected not to go that route. Instead, the company engaged the services of a maintenance-management firm that did what maintenance-management firms did: work on the maintenance process, but not on the reliability process.
Subsequently, as a person who had these business dealings with WKPC, I received, in August of 2001, a note from the bankruptcy court advising me that the company was reorganizing and, alas, seeking court protection from the demands of its creditors.
Choose The Right Priorities And Methods
It has been my experience that the most successful companies have followed the priority path of identifying the ripe, low-hanging fruit. These successful companies have found this path to accomplish, first, an upgrading of the knowledge base of the maintenance-reliability functions in an industrial facility. Next, this type of educational up-lift inevitably facilitates the initial acceptance and ultimate success of TPM or well-focused RCM (Reliability-Centered Maintenance) efforts. We have often expressed the fear that many purveyors of “magic bullet” work processes are themselves not sufficiently familiar with what basics we are referring to here, nor do they have a grasp of the financial loss that accrues from the lost opportunities.
So, going forward, each day and on each project in which you are involved, be sure to ask yourself this question: “Am I using the best approach?”TRR
EDITOR’S NOTE:
For sources of suggested reading on
reliability topics and best practices,
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for a list of Heinz Bloch’s 22 books.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Heinz Bloch’s long professional career included assignments as Exxon Chemical’s Regional Machinery Specialist for the United States. A recognized subject-matter-expert on plant equipment and failure avoidance, he is the author of numerous books and articles, and continues to present at technical conferences around the world. Bloch holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and is an ASME Life Fellow. These days, he’s based near Houston, TX. Email him directly at [email protected].
Tags: reliability, availability, maintenance, professional development
