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Is Your Project Ready for Operations?

Is Your Project Ready for Operations?

Is your project ready for operations when you want to start up? Can you commission and start up with ease and expect to reach full and steady production quickly? Or is your experience with project start ups more chaotic?

Chaos is natural

Conceptually, entropy is a scientific measure that represents that natural state of everything – chaos. The more chaotic things are, the more entropy they have. We tend to prefer things orderly and predictable. To achieve that we add energy, but without it, we will have chaos. If start ups after a capital project are chaotic, it means you have missed something. Think of it as not having enough energy. That energy is fore-thought and preparation. With it, your project is ready for operations.

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Manufacturers: Stop Pushing the Easy Button

Manufacturers: Stop Pushing the Easy Button

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

I get it, we all love the “easy” button. Whether it’s ordering groceries for delivery today, household items for delivery tomorrow, or a ride to the airport via a tap on your phone, we’ve gotten used to convenience and simplicity when it comes to solving problems.

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What Are Failure Effects in RCM? Understanding the Importance

What Are Failure Effects in RCM? Understanding the Importance

In this video, I dive into the concept of Failure Effects and why they’re important to the Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) process. A Failure Effect tells the story of what would happen if we did nothing to predict or prevent each Failure Mode, allowing us to properly assess the consequences and formulate the right maintenance strategies. I break down the essential components of writing a Failure Effect, including:

  • A description of the failure process from the occurrence of the failure mode to the functional failure
  • Physical evidence that the failure has occurred
  • How it adversely affects safety and/or the environment
  • How it affects operational capability
  • Specific operating restrictions as a result of the failure
  • Secondary damage
  • What must be done and how long it takes to repair the failure.

Understanding this zero-based approach is key, even though it can feel counter-intuitive to RCM Working Group members who are used to managing equipment proactively. That’s why an experienced RCM Facilitator is essential to guide the process. I also share an example of a Failure Effect in the video—feel free to pause and read through it.

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Why Weibull? 

Why Weibull? 

What if you don’t have lifetime data??

I searched the Internet for “Why Use Weibull Reliability?” and got 196 hits “similar sites omitted”. Some hits looked like they were generated by Chat GPT. None showed data. None told how to test or use Weibull reliability estimates. Many sell Weibull software. All require lifetime data.

Assuming a continuous, parametric distribution such as Weibull conveniently extrapolates limited, censored lifetimes to estimate MTBF, even though MTBF may be far in the future. Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weibull_distribution lists many uses for Weibull distributions. A client had me use Weibull to model durations of covered calls!

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Eliminate Defects & Unlock Reliability in Your Operation

Eliminate Defects & Unlock Reliability in Your Operation

Defects slow you down, cost you money, and wreak havoc on efficiency. It’s time to change that! In this video, George Williams breaks down Defect Elimination. Defect Elimination is a building block in the Operational Reliability domain, part of the Maintenance and Reliability Best Practices Framework.

⚙️ Identify defects early

⚙️ Take swift action to remove them

⚙️ Improve product quality and plant capacity

Stop reacting. Start eliminating. Watch now and take control of your operation’s reliability! Want to implement Defect Elimination in your operation? Contact us today! Let’s work together to improve your plant capacity and efficiency: www.reliabilityx.com/contact

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RAM Analysis: The Sweet Spot of Systems Engineering

RAM Analysis: The Sweet Spot of Systems Engineering

Newton’s 3rd Law and Systems Thinking are two of the most important concepts every engineer needs to understand deeply. I hear you saying, “Come on, Ayaz, which engineer does not know about Newton’s 3rd Law?”

My response? Quite a lot.

I am not talking about memorizing the formula and applying it in a calculation. I am talking about truly understanding its philosophy. It is a philosophy that explains the nature of interrelated, complex systems. There is no absolute win in this world. We live in a complex reality where everything, literally everything, is connected.

Do you remember the concept of the Butterfly Effect? It is the idea that a small change in one place, like a butterfly flapping its wings in the Savanna, can eventually cause a tornado somewhere else. It illustrates that a change in one part of a system inevitably causes a change in another part. Good engineering is to be aware of these impacts and manage them.

Engineering works the same way. You push on one parameter, and another one reacts.

In the world of reliability and maintainability, we have a concept called RAM (Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability) analysis. It fits perfectly into the systems thinking mindset because it forces us to find a reasonable balance between competing demands.

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How to Choose Performance Indicators That Actually Drive Success

How to Choose Performance Indicators That Actually Drive Success

The idea of anything worth doing is worth measuring is a persistent one. The persistent problem is that measuring performance becomes much more difficult as we move into the realms of strategic plans, management systems, and reliability programs. In many cases, choosing performance indicators and measures is less about choosing new ones and more about realignment and refinement of old ones. However, in some cases, it’s simply better to retool. These are a few considerations for getting started. [Read more…]

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 Developing Maintenance Strategy for a Sheet of Paper 

 Developing Maintenance Strategy for a Sheet of Paper 

 How do you work-out the right life-cycle maintenance strategies? Does one strategy apply throughout an asset’s life? What influences the choices and decisions as to what maintenance to do and when it should be done? How much money and resources do you expend in the maintenance of an asset? To keep the concepts behind these important questions on maintenance strategy selection simple they are applied to a sheet of paper.

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Automating Risk Management

Automating Risk Management

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

In the last 2 years my team was involved in automating risk management part for investment decision making, vendor accreditation, market risk, tender process, treasury management, credit risk and project management. That’s 8 different software packages selected from dozens of possible options. In this article I wanted to share some important takeaways from our risk management automation.

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Do Reliability Centered Maintenance Working Groups Really Guess?

Do Reliability Centered Maintenance Working Groups Really Guess?

RCM Myth Busting: Truth Revealed!

True or False? Do Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) Working Group members guess during an RCM analysis?

In this video, I dive into a common misconception about Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) analysis. While it is often wrongly believed that RCM Working Group members take guesses, the reality is quite different. Thanks to their in-depth knowledge of the equipment and its operating environment, they are well-prepared to answer most of the questions posed by the RCM Facilitator.

But what happens when a Working Group doesn’t have all the answers? The RCM Facilitator is trained to recognize when additional information is needed. When that happens, the Failure Mode is put on hold, and an action item is raised to ensure the right data is gathered before proceeding.

Watch this video to learn how RCM analysis is designed to prioritize thoroughness, ensuring that every decision is based on solid information.

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Six Powerful Communication Resources for Reliability Engineers

Six Powerful Communication Resources for Reliability Engineers

Reliability professionals need clear communication when presenting to senior leaders. Yet as technical experts, most of us haven’t been trained for these high-stakes moments. We know our material inside and out, but struggle to make it resonate with executives who think differently. The Tackle Shop at JD Solomon Solutions offers practical resources, tools, and guidance to help bridge the communication gap and ensure your message captures the attention of senior leaders. [Read more…]