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Useful Key Performance Indicators for Maintenance 

Useful Key Performance Indicators for Maintenance 

A useful Maintenance Key Performance Indicator (KPI) drives reliability growth while guiding your choices for improving maintenance effectiveness and efficiency. A useful maintenance KPI lets you identify the issues causing your maintenance effects and helps you select the right strategy to either support or correct the actions producing the results. It is important that when you select a range of maintenance KPI you pick those that let you improve both equipment reliability and maintenance performance and not simply tell you that you have problems in your business.

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Thermal HALT

Thermal HALT

A Tool for the Discovery of Signal Integrity and Software Reliability I

Abstract—Failures in the execution of software can have many different causes. Errors in coding, incorrect sequence of software execution, and other factors result in software “bugs” that, when discovered, must be corrected for reliable system operation. However, this paper focuses on another cause of software failures: those that come from variations in the many tiers of component manufacturing and system assembly. This paper shows how applying thermal HALT on electronic circuits, and systems helps skew parametric performance at the circuit board and system levels and increase the probability of discovering marginal signal quality and integrity, which can lead to software operational failures.ssues

Update as of July 15, 2025: Kirk created a technical paper based on the material originally posted below. It has been updated, includes references, and has been reviewed.

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Today’s Gremlin – Follow me blindly

Today’s Gremlin – Follow me blindly

Today’s Gremlin – “follow me blindly”, is one of the big reasons your equipment isn’t reliable. Manufacturers tell you what maintenance to perform and how to do it, then insist you follow their guidance by voiding warranties if you don’t. Those recommendations are full of inspections and replacements if you find any flaw – even normal wear and tear! They ask you to overhaul equipment, replacing all sorts of parts that you must buy from them. If you are in the parts business, as your manufacturers are, you can make a real killing! So, if I’m a manufacturer of industrial equipment, you must follow me blindly.

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Estimate Reliability Functions Without Life Data

Estimate Reliability Functions Without Life Data

ASQC Reliability Review, Vol. 13, March 1993

This paper shows how to estimate field reliability functions from ships and returns. It offers to estimate field reliability functions from your data. It suggests how you can use these estimates to improve service and inventory management. [Links to Google Sheet and user guide follow the paper.]

You can estimate field reliability functions without life data. You don’t need to know each part’s time to failure. In fact, if you don’t know times to failures, you have to estimate field reliability functions from ships and returns, unless you have a sample of times to failures, and some of the sample failed.

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Business Acumen: Driving Success in Maintenance and Reliability

Business Acumen: Driving Success in Maintenance and Reliability

In this video, we delve into the importance of business acumen for leaders at all levels. Business acumen is the ability to understand how an organization adds value, whether through its industry, structure, or processes. It’s crucial for setting direction and making informed decisions.

Learn how business acumen helps leaders articulate the nuances of their organization, navigate political and economic landscapes, and drive value in maintenance, operations, sanitation, and security. Discover how understanding your organization’s operations can lead to better business decisions and support across all levels.

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Dive into the Operating Context and Functions

Dive into the Operating Context and Functions

RCM Case Study Part 1/4

Mini RCM Case Study: Creating a Reliability Strategy from My Trip to the Dentist

Welcome to Part 1 of our four-part mini-series, where we’ll create an RCM case study inspired by a relatable scenario: a trip to the dentist! In this series, you’ll learn the fundamentals of Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) and apply them in a practical, engaging way.

In this video, we’ll cover:

1. Operating Context – Learn what it is, why it’s important, and how to draft it.

2. Functions – Discover how to define the reliability you need from your equipment by writing specific and measurable functions.

Meet Johnny Chomper—a 30-year-old professional whose teeth need to perform well to support his lifestyle. From biting and chewing to maintaining a confident smile, Johnny’s teeth are put to the test daily. We’ll draft his operating context and write a Primary Function that clearly defines the reliability required from his teeth. What You’ll Learn:

  • How to set the stage for an RCM analysis with a detailed operating context.
  • The importance of defining functions to establish reliability goals for your assets.
  • Step-by-step guidance on how to write a function that captures the desired reliability.

Stay tuned as we build this case study step-by-step, bringing RCM concepts to life in a way that’s easy to understand and apply. Don’t miss the next video, where we’ll dive into Failure Modes and Failure Effects!

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What is Design of Experiments?

What is Design of Experiments?

If you work in manufacturing, quality, or engineering, you’ve probably heard the term “Design of Experiments,” or DOE. Maybe you’ve even helped collect data for one without fully understanding what was going on behind the scenes. That’s okay. DOE is a sophisticated statistical method, but even if you’re not the one crunching the numbers, understanding the big ideas behind it can make you a more effective technician, engineer, or manager.

At its core, Design of Experiments is a structured statistical approach to testing. It helps us understand how different inputs (or factors) affect an outcome (or response). Whether you’re adjusting a process to improve tensile strength, dialing in machine settings to reduce defects, or figuring out which supplier provides the most consistent material, DOE helps answer one big question: What settings or conditions will give me the result I want?

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5 Ways Your Reliability Metrics are Fooling You

5 Ways Your Reliability Metrics are Fooling You

We measure results. We measure profit, shipments, and reliability.

The measures or metrics help us determine if we’re meeting out goals if something bad or good is happening, if we need to alter our course.

We rely on metrics to guide our business decisions.

Sometimes, our metrics obscure, confuse or distort the very signals we’re trying to comprehend.

Here are five metric based mistakes I’ve seen in various organizations. Being aware of the limitations or faults with these examples may help you improve the metrics you use on a day to day basis. I don’t always have a better option for your particular situation, yet using a metric that helps you make poor decisions, generally isn’t acceptable.

If you know of a better way to employ similar measures, please add your thoughts to the comments section below. [Read more…]

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Sample size during Design Validation (DV)

Sample size during Design Validation (DV)

The allocation of samples for different tests during the design validation stage in the automotive industry can vary depending on the specific requirements of the product and the risks associated with its failure. However, based on the general practice of using a total of 30 samples for design validation, we can provide a hypothetical allocation for the different tests. It’s important to note that these numbers are illustrative and should be adjusted based on the actual testing needs, regulatory requirements, and industry standards.

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Half Life of Careers

Half Life of Careers

Because of the nature of Moore’s law, anything that an extremely clever graphics programmer can do at one point can be replicated by a merely competent programmer some number of years later.
John Carmack – Software Engineer

A number of years ago, several of us at Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) wondered what are the people  implications of what is commonly called Moore’s Law. The 2020 edition of this book (pre-COVID) focused on AI and technology disruption.

Story: Gordon Moore was one of the founders of Intel Corporation. Moore’s Law states the number of transistors that can fit into a computer chip doubles every 18 months to two years. Moore’s Law expanded to include any tech area where the rate of change doubles in two years or costs half as much.

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ACE 3T Procedure Plummer Block Example 

ACE 3T Procedure Plummer Block Example 

An example of an Accuracy Controlled Enterprise ACE 3T (Target – Tolerance – Test) Procedure with reliability standards to install taper spherical roller bearings on adaptor sleeves in Plummer blocks with taconite seals for 30mm-250mm diameter conveyor shafts 



 Machine performance is totally dependent on human beings. To address the problem of human error causing equipment failure, an Accuracy Controlled Enterprise sets best practice quality standards and uses 3T Target-Tolerance-Test work task quality control that assures high quality workmanship for high reliability results. Their work procedures are standardised so everyone follows the same methods to produce the same results, their training teaches people how to do craftsmanship work that creates outstandingly reliable plant and machinery. They create the reliability they want and as a result achieve operational excellence.

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How to Set CBM Task Intervals

How to Set CBM Task Intervals

Understanding the P-F Interval

How do you determine the right interval for a Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) task? It all comes down to the P-F Interval—the time between when a Potential Failure Condition is detectable to when the failure occurs.

In this video, I break down how to set CBM task intervals correctly using a simple example. The Failure Mode is: “Filter clogs due to normal use.” I’ll explain that CBM task intervals aren’t based on Criticality, MTBF, or the Useful Life, but instead on how quickly failure occurs once a Potential Failure Condition is detectable.

Learn how to properly identify and set your CBM task intervals to keep your equipment running reliably

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