We might be doing a Shallow Cause Analysis (SCA) if … [Read more…]
The Top 11 Signs of a Shallow Cause Analysis (SCA)
Is SPC Part of the Reliability Toolkit?
Statistical process control, SPC, is a set of tools to enable monitoring the stability of a process. SPC is also the first step to checking process capability with measures such as Cpk. Many consider SPC a quality or manufacturing tool. Yet, having and maintaining a stable process is also essential to creating a reliable product. Let me explain why. [Read more…]
Continuous Training Strengthens your Asset Reliability Program
By Guest Blogger Traci Hopkins, senior training & education advisor, SDMyers
Whatever style of workforce training your organization practices—on-the-job training, trade school, equipment-specific skills courses, internships, or external technical training—there is one thing that can amplify that training’s effectiveness and increase retention significantly: continuity. [Read more…]
The Importance of a Learning Culture
Ensuring Performance and Long Term Sustainability of Your Maintenance & Reliability Program
Imagine working in an organization that does not provide training or has zero tolerance to taking a risk, trying something new and failing. Or it is expected that you have all of the answers and do not need any assistance ever. Sound familiar? If it does, how is the performance of your plant? Chances are it is not as good as it could be. This example is great at illustrating what a learning culture does not look like.
“A learning culture is a set of organizational values, conventions, processes, and practices that encourage individuals—and the organization as a whole—to increase knowledge, competence, and performance.” A learning culture is vital to the long-term sustainability of any maintenance & reliability program and improving plant performance.
If you don’t have an organization that believes in training, or risk taking or learning from failure, what do you do? You can take steps to build a learning culture. The first step is to recognize the concern. The concern could be around cost, past returns on training, or experience that says the employee will leave after receiving the training. Whichever it is, it must be addressed.
Also, any organization can start to develop a learning culture by doing the following;
- Formalize training and development plans for each individual. These plans should include all mandatory training as well as specific training that will allow each person to grow in their current and future positions
- Give recognition to learning by promoting and celebrating those that learn new skills and gain new knowledge. As recognition is given to those with new skills, other will want to participate.
- Get feedback on the type, quality, and applicability of the training. This will ensure that relevant and effective training is being provided.
- Promote from within. This creates a willingness and desire to learn as the staff knows they have an opportunity to grow within the organization.
- Develop a knowledge management process. It should be a formal process with participation required by all.
I recently had the opportunity to work with two great organizations. Both organizations had recognized the need for assistance. They were looking to make improvements in areas in which they had no experience, but they had a willingness to learn. They did not want a “turn key” solution but instead wanted to build the capability of their internal team, let them develop the solution and implement the solution.
There was and will be some follow-up support, but here are two organizations that are not only investing in their people with training but allowing them to take the risk, learn and grow. Talk about ownership; these were some of the most passionate people that I have had the pleasure to work with. It is always a pleasure to work with organizations such as this, and I am truly enjoying watching the team come together and grow.
People are the heart of any improvement, so make sure you invest in them and create a learning culture. In closing, I ask you to think about the following, “What if we train the staff and leave?”, but the better question is “What if we don’t train them and they stay?”
Remember, to find success; you must first solve the problem, then achieve the implementation of the solution, and finally sustain winning results.
I’m James Kovacevic
Eruditio, LLC
Where Education Meets Application
Follow @EruditioLLC
References
Common Mistakes in a Capital Equipment Justification
Return on Investment Analysis (ROIA), sometimes referred to as Capital Equipment Justification, is the process of building and analyzing a financial model for the purpose of determining the net financial contribution of obtaining a major investment like a factory building or piece of production equipment.
ROIA is the link that connect the brilliant ideas of makers–the engineers, designers and builders—to the goals of the managers who hold organization’s purse strings. When thoroughly conducted, ROIA aligns the best estimates of the revenues and expenses related to a potential purchase with the years in which they will occur.
Making Risk Management More Effective, Relevant, and Value Adding
Guest Post by Patrick Ow (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
This is where the achievement of objectives must be translated into tangible successes that are linked to positive outcomes.
Growth for growth’s sake is meaningless. Achieving objectives for the sake of it is meaningless unless you want to game the system and get your financial bonuses by meeting some meaningless performance targets. It becomes a meaningless compliance exercise. [Read more…]
Corporate Counter-Dependency
Some organizations are poor or marginal performers, some high, and some truly great. Jim Collins, in “Good to Great” (2001) describes the differences among the latter two. Much of the difference boils down to people and the culture that is fostered within the organization. They foster learning in all forms, including learning from mistakes. They are typically “humble” and accept helpful input from outside, admitting when and where they need to improve. [Read more…]
What is Inherent Reliability?
There are three important things we can learn about Inherent Reliability…from a cotton field! Watch as I explain what Inherent Reliability is. And, I discuss two important points any responsible custodian needs to know to achieve the Reliability that’s required from an asset. [Read more…]
Single Sample Z-test Hypothesis Testing for Mean with Known Variance
In the situation where you have a sample and would like to know if the population represented by the sample has a mean different than some specification, then this is the test for you. Oh, you also know, which is actually rather rare in practice, the actual variance of the population you drew the sample. [Read more…]
Reliability Questions and Decisions
Very few reliability decisions are made by reliability engineers. Yet, reliability engineers are asked many questions concerning reliability. How reliable will this design be for customers? How will the system likely fail? How many failures should we expect next month?
How you answer these and the many other questions received does impact the reliability of your product or system. The information provided those that ask reliability related questions, with useful and practical information, can make better decisions which improves reliability performance.
Equipment Risk
Equipment risk is a reality of every oil or gas well completion, but is this risk the exclusive responsibility of the equipment manufacturer (OEM)? To answer this question, let’s examine the major aspects of equipment risk in more detail. [Read more…]
Understanding the Principles of Reliability
The Reliability Approach… “Something understood and practiced by engineers and highly specialized technicians,” is apt to be the first reaction of the line supervisor, “certainly not an area where I can be expected to become involved.” Although this reaction is understandable; nothing is farther from reality. Let’s explore why in this paper. Please read until the surprising end (I know it is lengthy) and you will find that these Reliability Principles apply to any industry, any where at any time! [Read more…]
Top 10 Reasons Your Planning & Scheduling Program Is Failing
How to see if your Planning & Scheduling program is failing to return value to the organization
Maintenance Planning & Scheduling is one of the most important processes in the maintenance function. Without it, work will not be completed on time, nor will it be efficient. So why, is the maintenance planning & scheduling process often ignored, or not implemented successfully? [Read more…]
It’s All About Jobs!
Guest Post by John Ayers (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
COVID 19 throws a curve ball in the path of life and job security. If you compare life as a walk through a forest, then COVID-19 is a high stone wall (curve ball) along the path of life. Do you stop and retreat or go over or around it and continue your journey? I think you get through the pandemic and continue along the path back to job security and low unemployment. [Read more…]
Maintenance and finance – partners
CFO – you need to know that maintenance can help you be very strategic in achieving greater outputs, at low cost, and for a minimal investment. Maintenance and Asset Management managers, you need to enlist Finance as your ally. Both Finance and Maintenance / AM are after the same results. Understanding this is key to becoming partners in sustaining our businesses. After all, we both have the same goals in mind.
