Your Reliability Engineering Professional Development Site
Find all articles across all article series listed in reverse chronological order.
My first system project was a new TV design by HP. My first actions were to interview all project engineers and discuss their function in the program. I wanted to know what they were thinking and the approach they would use. From this interview process, I could start defining the Functional Architecture (Ref. REI book p 22-25) and start forming the reliability strategy. [Read more…]
Resolving a company challenge can get complicated. Could an outside resource accelerate the process? Or is it a distraction? Are there behavioral reasons we need to consider to provide a balance perspective to make the decision? This is discussed in this video. [Read more…]
The limits of my language means the limits of my world. Ludwig Wittgenstein (Austrian-British Philosopher)
As an Engineer & a Reliability Professional I believe the biggest hurdle to success of my fraternity’s ideas, initiatives, programs, suggestions; is our collective inability to properly communicate their benefits to our different audiences. Instead of pointing any blame to the other side, we need to do a little self-assessment of ourselves to see what may be our own failings. [Read more…]
RCM-R® goes beyond what RCM alone can do. The basic successful method as defined in SAE JA-1011 remains intact. RCM-R® enhances that method, linking it to international standards for risk management and adding a degree of technical rigor rarely seen outside of the military, nuclear and aircraft industries. It adds a great deal of emphasis on what it takes to implement the method successfully – not only as a project (as has so often been done with other RCM methods), but as a sustainable program, and on leveraging the analysis results to maximize value generation and align closely with the intentions and precepts of the new international standard for Asset Management, ISO 55001. [Read more…]
In several previous Risk Insights, I discussed the need to view state and local government computer network as part of the national infrastructure. This was needed because of the importance of the networks in providing and supporting basic services. Further, by viewing these networks as part of the national infrastructure they become an important part of the overall federal effort to protect and defend the nation’s computer infrastructure. This issue is so important that another paper is appropriate. This piece extends the prior two pieces. [Read more…]
I took last week off of work, not because I went on vacation, but because I needed time to take care of myself. I did fun activities, I had a few sessions with my coach, I slept as best as I could, I meditated, I did yoga and I took care of myself as best as I could. [Read more…]
In many dealings throughout my career, including myself, it seems commonplace that people do not want to admit they need help. From physically, mentally, in life, or in business, our egos seem to always keep us from reaching our full potential. [Read more…]
“Science is the process that takes us from confusion to understanding…” – B
Properly done, Process FMEAs should improve manufacturing and assembly processes and corresponding process controls. This article describes how PFMEAs can be used to improve process controls, which are embodied in the Process Control Plan (PCP).
In all production facilities, the success of most business operations is closely tied to the performance of their maintenance operations. On a busy plant floor, for example, all it takes is for a critical machine to breakdown mid-production and the ripple effects begin; from lost deadlines to stressed staff, wasted materials, and so on.
Identifying exactly when an asset will fail still remains a big priority and “tools” like the p-f curve are here to guide us in the right direction.
We all have biases impacting our ability to achieve success. We need to acknowledge them. By making personal choices, we can improve our odds. There are also team structure and ground rules to consider for providing an advantage. [Read more…]
At SDMyers, we can’t stress enough the importance of safety when testing high-voltage electric-power equipment. Our partners at IRISS share our passion for the safety of maintenance workers in the field, including our own mobile diagnostic technicians. We hope that this guest blog from them is educational. If you find value in it, please leave us a comment. And, if you enjoyed this article, then here’s information on the safest way to obtain oil samples from cabinet transformers without de-energizing them. [Read more…]
“Speak with Data!” commanded my former general manager. “Let the Data Sing” is an article I wrote long ago. We all have data, often too much data. We like to present based on what the data says. Yet, sometimes the speaking with data is not clear.
If you’ve done the data gathering, the analysis, the summary, all based on the data, how can you best reveal what the data says to enhance your results and recommendations?
Just because you can add a 3D pie chart doesn’t mean you should. Crafting meaningful charts is only one part of the puzzle. You also have to present the data in a clear and meaningful manner. Here is a set of suggestions to consider the next time you are preparing and presenting when data is involved. [Read more…]
The “Optimize Your Launch” series is a set of interviews with industry experts to help companies bring their products to market quickly, maintain quality, and create loyal satisfied customers. [Read more…]
Maintenance, is already a big enough challenge for many of us, yet beyond lies the realm of Asset Management. Back in 2004, As the second edition of Uptime was being written, the UK was introducing a specification for Asset Management and requiring network utilities to implement it. Drivers included the justification of rates charged to customers by these natural monopolies, the need to convince regulators that good asset management was indeed being practiced and to avoid failures that were increasingly becoming more serious and more publicized. The UK’s Publicly Available Specifications, PAS 55-1 and -2, were the first in this field. Those specifications underwent revision a few years later (2008) and early implementations were successful. The Institute of Asset Management (IAM) in the UK became the primary proponent of PAS 55 and the driving force behind a movement to create a new international standard. Along the way various documents were written to explain asset management and various national and international groups were formed to promote good asset management – some from national groups that were focused predominantly on maintenance. [Read more…]
Studies have shown that most project failures are due to poor management of known risks. The known risks are:
