Whenever I’m at an airport, I always get nostalgic because RCM principles were first conceived in the commercial airline industry. It’s an exciting story. Join me as I recount the details! [Read more…]
A trip down memory lane with me…and RCM…
Articles
Find all articles across all article series listed in reverse chronological order.
Paul Crocker Interview
Interview of Paul Crocker from 04 May 2019. We discuss Paul’s involvement with KC SMRP chapter, his work in reliability, his journey, and his continued improvement in public speaking. [Read more…]
Using the “Five Whys”
Getting to Root Cause with “Five Whys”
There is no more important task in an FMEA than correctly identifying the “Cause.” Finding the root cause is the heart and soul of FMEA procedure. When you have the right cause, it opens the door to solutions. When you have the wrong cause, nothing gets accomplished.
By continuing to ask “why,” the team will be able to discover the progression of cause-and-effect relationships behind a problem and the root cause that is below the surface.
Wisdom begins in wonder – Socrates
Are You Selfish
People claim a trend in selfish people. But what is selfish? In work and in basketball? The answer may catch you off guard! But it has proven to be true. [Read more…]
Using CMMS to Minimize Production Losses and Maintenance Costs
In many manufacturing plants, managing equipment breakdowns and can seem like an overwhelming task. Machine failures occur without warning, production lines go down, managers and supervisors point fingers, and maintenance personnel continually chase parts and problems.
It’s often the case that these plants do not use a CMMS to gather data, plan preventative maintenance, or schedule repairs. This lack of planning contributes to a reactive maintenance environment where personnel is constantly trying to ‘keep up’ with production line problems.
Project Organizations – Harmony or Cacophony
Guest Post by Malcolm Peart (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
In a galaxy far-far-away a Jedi Knight said, “Integrated Matrix” and, with a sweeping wave of his hand, the project organisation was immediately taken from the Dark side of chaotic confusion and the Force was with them…
This could be the end to a Star Wars movie about project management (LOL). However, and with few earthbound Jedi project management practitioners, our project organisations are rarely perfect and not what they would claim to be. [Read more…]
Backlog Crew Weeks
How to calculate crew weeks of backlog to aid in determining if you have adequate staffing of maintenance technicians. [Read more…]
…“protected” on my journey
…“protected” on my journey to my favorite place on the planet…Las Vegas, Nevada!
Join me and my seat-mates, Kyle and Wesley, on Southwest Airlines as we explore one of the most important tools that Reliability Centered Maintenance has to offer! [Read more…]
Program Management and New Product Development Excellence
What does it take to be competitive in New Product Development? We have created speed records in several industries. Our research has shown where the advantages lie, and how to do it. [Read more…]
Resilience and Enterprise Risk Management
Guest Post by James Kline (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
The term resilience is used in reports and studies by numerous government agencies and international institutions. For instance, in 20014 the Organization forEconomic Cooperation and Development issued a report entitled “OECD Reviews ofRisk Management Policies: Boosting Resilience Through Innovative Risk Governance”.
In 2015, the Rand Corporation conducted a study to the UnitedStates Department of Energy. It was entitled: “Measuring the Resilience of Energy Distribution Systems”. Resilience is considered important by insurance experts. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine note the need for resilience when updating the National Highway System. This piece examines why it is important, what resilience means and its relation toEnterprise Risk Management (ERM). [Read more…]
“Springing” into action with RCM…
In this video we touch on all 7 steps of the RCM process as we introduce one of the most important aspects of the application of RCM…asking the people who really know! [Read more…]
Root Cause Analysis Basics
A fun discussion on root cause analysis and associated tools. Join us in our discussion. If you like the video, please hit the like button, subscribe and hit the notification bell. [Read more…]
What if and what else testing
How can I tell when I have a situation that could benefit from Design of Experiments? What if and what else are two phrases that indicate a need for additional information and knowledge. This video provides a simulated scenario to understand how that may happen. [Read more…]
Taking Reliability Block Diagrams to the Next Level
Using RBDs to model different systems and circumstances
In the previous post, the basics of a Reliability Block Diagram were covered using simple Series or Parallel paths. In real life, most systems or processes are not that simple and require a different level or type of models, often used in combination with other types.
So in our continued exploration of RBDs, let’s explore a few different models that may be used. [Read more…]
Build Organizational Capacity and Capability for Free
Guest Post by Joseph Paris (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
I was coaching one of the national oil companies in the Middle East, offering mentorship to the director of their operational excellence program. He was frustrated because he had invested considerable funds building a team of sixty Lean Six Sigma Black Belts over a nine-month period, and they had not yet worked on—much less completed—any project nor had they realized any benefit to the company.
Even worse, while these newly-minted Black Belts were sitting idle without the opportunity to use their new-found skillsets, some became frustrated themselves and left the company—taking the company’s investment with them. [Read more…]
