by James Reyes-Picknell Leave a Comment

Myth Busting 14: Integrating systems

In theory, integrated computer systems enable multiple uses for any single piece of data that is input only once. Data becomes available wherever it needs to be in whatever business process is integrated into the whole. In a sense it is like our brains – information and experience is registered once and available for access whenever needed for any purpose. Integrated systems should make our lives at work easier, but they seldom do that. Integrated business computer systems are very complex and can be very difficult to use. Imagine that they must support many separate business processes and departments, all of whom have different “languages” and ways of doing things. [Read more…]

by Ray Harkins Leave a Comment

What is the difference between a CAR and a PAR?

One of the more confusing distinctions for quality professionals, especially those working within one of the quality management standards such as IATF 16949 or ISO 13485, is the difference between a Corrective Action Request (CAR) and a Preventive Action Request (PAR). [Read more…]

by Bryan Christiansen Leave a Comment

Combining CMMS with Remote Asset Monitoring for World-class Maintenance

The biggest change in asset management practices and maintenance models in the coming years will be the shift from corrective and preventive to predictive and condition-based maintenance that is built on real-time as well as historical data.

With emerging new technologies like IoT (Internet of Things) and easy access to the Internet and cloud storage capabilities, accessibility to information and remote monitoring of assets can be done anytime and from any location and device. This calls for a reliable remote monitoring setup accompanied by a robust and proven management system to track and manage all that data. And it is this combination precisely that can elevate your business to a world-class maintenance program.

[Read more…]

by Perry Parendo Leave a Comment

Data Quality

As organizations focus more on data, the quality of data is important. But what does it mean? How do we know if we have it? This video provides some insights for understanding your data situation. [Read more…]

by Adam Bahret Leave a Comment

Faith

Sometimes I see images that speak strongly to how reliability engineering affects us everyday. Think of how many items you own or use systems that you wouldn’t touch/interact with if you couldn’t be absolutely sure they would work as expected. I wouldn’t use my microwave if I thought there was a 1/1000 chance it would catch fire. The amount of faith I have in traffic lights working correctly is astounding. If they malfunction it could be fatal.

[Read more…]

by Carl Carlson Leave a Comment

DFMEAs can Identify Special Product Characteristics

Using Design FMEAs to Identify Special Product Characteristics

One of the most important principles in reliability engineering and management is the differentiation between the vital few and the trivial many. The application of special product characteristics uses that principle.

“The whole of science is nothing more than the refinement of thinking.” – Albert Einstein

[Read more…]

by James Reyes-Picknell Leave a Comment

Myth Busting 13: We need our old data

You’ve acquired and are now implementing a new CMMS / EAM (Computerized Maintenance Management System / Enterprise Asset Management) computer software program to help you manage maintenance. It may be a simple functional system that only looks after maintenance and likely Maintenance, Repair and Operating (MRO) spares, or it may be part of a much bigger enterprise system that handles many business functions. Regardless, one question almost always arises when converting from one to another system – what should we do about our old data? [Read more…]

by Greg Hutchins Leave a Comment

How Effective Project Risk Management Improves Quality

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

What is quality? In a manufacturing or heavy industry, it is to minimize the defects and errors. Today it emphasizes customer satisfaction as well. It means quality is achieved if in the end the customer or user can effectively use the product. High quality is important to project success. Poor quality has a cost. [Read more…]

by Perry Parendo Leave a Comment

Modeling in Chaotic Environments

Design of Experiments is a great approach for confident modeling of systems. It does have limitations. What are the limits? How can those be dealt with? How important is it for practical systems? [Read more…]

by Gina Tabasso Leave a Comment

Why Don’t They Care?

by Alan Ross

“Why don’t they care?”

“About what?”

“About electrical system reliability?”

“Who says they don’t care?”

“You do. Quite often, as a matter of fact.” [Read more…]

by James Kovacevic Leave a Comment

The Moving Target of Excellence

Why the End of the Maintenance & Reliability Journey Is Never Over

dartboard target aim goal achievement concept

I am often asked, what is the benchmark for a particular KPI. At first, I would quickly answer the target from the SMRP Best Practices Guide. Depending on the organization and the maturity, I would either see their faces light up or see them shut down. If they shut down, what momentum was present, quickly vanished. If they were meeting the target (and the KPI and supporting data checked out), the momentum would fade a bit, as they were hitting the target.

[Read more…]

by Bryan Christiansen Leave a Comment

How to Streamline Emergency Maintenance with a CMMS

Emergency maintenance is the maintenance required when an asset suffers an unexpected functional failure. Typically, such failures can halt production lines and disrupt business operations until fixed.

Emergencies almost always happen without prior warning, and hence emergency maintenance is not one that can be preemptively scheduled – but it can definitely be planned for and efforts made to reduce its business impact when they do occur.

[Read more…]

by James Reyes-Picknell 2 Comments

Myth Busting 12: CMMS is the Silver Bullet

Technology provides us with some fantastic tools to help us work better, smarter, faster and more efficiently. BUT, it doesn’t help us think any better. We can actually get too dependent on it and our thinking is weakened. If you don’t believe that, just watch what happens when you try to buy something and the computerized cash register goes down. Can they actually take payment? And if you use cash, can the clerk make proper change without looking at the cash register to tell them how much to give you. [Read more…]

by Greg Hutchins Leave a Comment

Prima Donnas and Ivory Towers – Conveniently Avoiding Risks

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

We rely upon skilled, able and talented individuals to assist in the successful delivery projects and improve businesses. They are gifted in their niche areas of expertise and without their stellar performances, where would we be? They are akin to the Prima Donna of an operatic performance and they are respected for their superior skills and ability. But when respect turns to reverence the lesser mortals around them may flail in the wake of the rising star. Such reverence may well inflate egos and a “Prima Donna” in the derogatory sense of the term may well emerge. As their egos grow their belief in their own abilities increases and they begin to ignore reality, make facts fit their needs, and take refuge in an ivory tower from where they may look down from on-high with their heads shrouded in the clouds of sanctimony. [Read more…]

by Ray Harkins Leave a Comment

The Concentration Diagram: From Cholera to Quality

Metropolises in 2020, like New York and Shanghai, disconcertingly resembled London in 1831, in that a strange new disease passed through the population leaving in its wake confusion, grief and death. 2020 was beginning of Covid-19; 1831, Cholera. [Read more…]

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Myth Busting 14: Integrating systems

What is the difference between a CAR and a PAR?

Data Quality

Using Design FMEAs to Identify Special Product Characteristics

Myth Busting 13: We need our old data

How Effective Project Risk Management Improves Quality

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

Modeling in Chaotic Environments

Why Don’t They Care?

Why the End of the Maintenance & Reliability Journey Is Never Over

Myth Busting 12: CMMS is the Silver Bullet

Prima Donnas and Ivory Towers – Conveniently Avoiding Risks

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

The Concentration Diagram: From Cholera to Quality