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My Struggle with Mental Health

My Struggle with Mental Health

I’ve had a nagging feeling that I needed to write about this topic for a while and I haven’t for fear of judgment.  In honor of a mental health campaign in Edmonton titled 11 of Us after the statistic that 11 Edmontonians that attempt or die by suicide each day) and my core values of honesty, impact and service, here it is, my struggle with mental health.

June 4th, 2010 – This day should have been the biggest moment in my life up to that point.  I walked across the stage and graduated from MIT.  Coincidentally, it was also my 22nd birthday.  I remember feeling void, questioning what’s next for me.  Up until recently, those feelings never left. [Read more…]

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Action Strategies to Reduce Detection Risk

Action Strategies to Reduce Detection Risk

“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” Sun Tzu

The Oxford English dictionary defines “detection” as “discovery (of what is unknown or hidden); finding out.”

Reference the article Understanding FMEA Detection – Part 1 which discusses how Detection is defined and applied in FMEA.

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Where to Draw the Line Between Maintenance & Physical Asset Management

Where to Draw the Line Between Maintenance & Physical Asset Management

Physical Asset Management has received a lot of attention in recent years within the asset intensive industries e.g. oil/gas, energy, utilities, process & manufacturing. On one hand, the release of PAS 55 & its subsequent follow-up by ISO 55000 has brought Physical Asset Management within limelight & on the other hand it has created an ambiguity for many Maintenance practitioners. [Read more…]

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The Conscious Asset Framework – 2

The Conscious Asset Framework – 2

Building a successful and sustained asset management program

Putting the Framework to Work

By: James Reyes-Picknell & Uri Wittenberg. In figure 2 below, it should be clear that The Conscious Asset Framework™ is general in nature. It is what we want to achieve but how do we get there?

Few of us are fans of cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all, approaches and methodologies. They just don’t work without some sort of tailoring. Some consulting firms have rigid approaches and they won’t vary from them. Others claim to have no approach, but in reality most simply haven’t taken the time to articulate one. Most, including many “experts”, do use some guiding methodology or model even if they can’t (or won’t) describe it clearly. [Read more…]

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Delegation: It’s Your Choice

Delegation: It’s Your Choice

Guest Post by Malcolm Peart (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)

We have probably all uttered (or muttered) that immortal line of “if you want something done, do it yourself’ when confronted with a less than satisfactory performance from somebody else.  The quote is attributable to Napoleon Bonaparte who, as an emperor, certainly found that this dream of doing everything yourself wasn’t really possible and, perhaps, his downfall may have been attributable to trying to live this dream rather than delegate effectively? [Read more…]

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How Can CMMS Support Your Predictive Maintenance Efforts

How Can CMMS Support Your Predictive Maintenance Efforts

With industry statistics like the one from a joint study by the Wall Street Journal and Emerson, it’s no wonder that more manufacturers are looking for ways to proactively handle unplanned machine downtime. Among several issues discussed, the study states that unplanned downtime costs manufacturers about $50 billion per year. Furthermore, it mentions that outdated maintenance programs waste resources and potentially expose staff to higher safety risks.

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Preventive Maintenance Software Essential Functions

Preventive Maintenance Software Essential Functions

Preventive maintenance software can provide a number of benefits for organizations. From increasing labor productivity to extending equipment life, these benefits can significantly impact a company’s bottom line. However, outcomes of preventive maintenance software largely depend on the software program selected. Consider these essential functions when selecting preventive maintenance software:

Streamline Scheduled Maintenance

At the heart of any computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) is the ability to schedule preventive maintenance tasks. Since preventive maintenance is essentially planning ahead, a CMMS should allow you to create a maintenance schedule for each piece of equipment. Within each schedule, a complete set of required inspections and manufacturer’s guidelines should be adhered to. Comprehensive maintenance schedules help ensure all equipment operates in peak condition and helps prevent unplanned repairs.

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The Conscious Asset Framework – 1

The Conscious Asset Framework – 1

Building a successful and sustained asset management program

Part 1 – setting up the framework

By: James Reyes-Picknell & Uri Wittenberg. Many companies struggle with improvement efforts of all sorts. The ISO standards on Asset Management have sparked a great deal of interest that goes beyond just the maintenance and engineering communities.

CFOs understand the potential benefits of good asset care and good life cycle asset decisions – they want the financial performance, improved revenues from dependable production capacity, reductions in CAPEX and OPEX from higher reliability, increased standardization and design for maintainability as well as operability. [Read more…]

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Meetings: As Certain and as Joyous as Death and Taxes

Meetings: As Certain and as Joyous as Death and Taxes

Guest Post by Joseph Paris (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)

There are very few people that actually enjoy meetings.  I have never heard anyone say, “I can’t wait for the meeting this afternoon” unless it’s followed by “I won’t have to eat at my desk.”

Certainly, the people who are called to attend a meeting largely lack enthusiasm are energetic unless they, or their project, are the reason for the meeting – and even then, only if it’s expected to be a positive experience for them.  And the person calling the meeting will not usually be enthusiastic or energetic unless the reason for the meeting is something joyous or dreadful – or unless they are an autocrat or narcissist who just wants to tell people what to do, how to do it – and otherwise ladle-on (usually unreasonable) commands and demands. [Read more…]

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FEMA’s Shift to Proactive Risk Mitigation

FEMA’s Shift to Proactive Risk Mitigation

Guest Post by James Kline (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)

The U.S. federal government is beginning a shift from a reactive approach to a risk event such as a flood or hurricane, to a proactive approach to risk management.  This can be seen clearly in the changes to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requirements as stated in the 2018 Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA) and the Draft National Mitigation Investment Strategy.  This piece looks at these changes. [Read more…]