The RCA

I tend to write about all things Root Cause Analysis (RCA). I come from a background that engrained a holistic view of Reliability Engineering into me. This involved equipment, process and human Reliability. I write about the following types of RCA topics:

1. The Definition of ‘RCA’ and Why I Think the Current Term is Useless

2. When Should RCA’s be Conducted? Addressing the Application of RCA Proactively versus Reactively

3. What’s the Difference Between Root Cause Analysis and Shallow Cause Analysis? Why Do ‘RCA’ Efforts Fail

4. The Critical Task of Evidence Collection and Preservation to an Effective RCA

5. The Correlation Between Reliability/RCA and Safety, Does Such a Correlation Exist?

7. The Measurement of an RCA System’s Effectiveness

8. The Creation of an RCA Knowledge Base and its Sustained Growth to Store ‘Corporate Memory’ and Leverage Using AI

by JD Solomon Leave a Comment

Avoid These 6 Deadly Net Present Value (NPV) Pitfalls

Net Present Value is the workhorse of capital budgeting. It distills a project’s future cash flows into a single figure expressed in today’s dollars. For all its usefulness, NPV is not a perfect decision tool. Leaders who rely on it without understanding its constraints risk misallocating capital or overlooking strategic opportunities. NPV should inform decisions, not dictate them.

From the Real World

“We looked at 13 alternatives for the new reservoir,” stated the consultant. “And this one came out the best.”

My best you mean the one with the best Net Present Value,” I retorted. “And it’s really Net Present Cost, with a 50-year analysis period, and an 8 percent discount rate. Does any of that bother you?”

GE APM – Query Tips – Using Case Statement

This video is for all the GE APM users who want to get the most from the APM investment. Queries are a critical part of the GE APM solution and mastering query building will help you get the most out of the solution. This video will focus on a great query function that allows users to use if-then logic in their queries.

Essentials Elements of RCA

IS ALL RCA CREATED EQUAL? In this short ‘Getting Back to Basics’ video, Bob Latino attempts to breakdown what the term ‘RCA’ actually means to those who implement it. He will strip away the RCA marketing labels and focus on the elements/functions of an effective approach to analyzing undesirable outcomes. In end, viewers will reflect if their approach is consistent with ‘Root Cause Analysis’ or ‘Shallow Cause Analysis’.

What do you see, in practice, as the difference between RCA and Shallow Cause Analysis?

Remember PROACT V1

A little bit of nostalgia over a long weekend. Ken Latino reminisces a bit about the start of PROACT software. Learn a little about how it all started and how far reliability software has come over the past 30 years.

Asset Risk Analyzer

In this episode, we will demonstrate a free tool that can be used to help with bad actor analysis. ITUS Digital offers a free (limited version) tool to help get started with determining opportunities for equipment improvement. www.assetriskanalyzer.com

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by Ramesh Gulati Leave a Comment

Data Collection Techniques for Failure Analysis

In this edition of the Prelical Video Podcast, we will be exploring techniques for data collection when performing failure analysis. You can learn more from our book on Root Cause Analysis entitled Root Cause Analysis – Improving Performance for Bottom-Line Results.

Determining Your Bad Actors

In this episode we will discuss the two main types of failures and how to go about developing a bad actor equipment list.

Using your most valuable resource: Your People

This episode speaks to the need to engage our field people to drive defect elimination at your site.

by Ken Latino

What Interests My Boss Fascinates Me

In this episode, we will discuss tips for applying leadership support to promote a reliability culture in your plant.

by Ken Latino

Charles Latino Legacy Video

In 1951, Charles Latino graduated from NYU as a Chemical Engineer, and joined Allied Chemical & Dye Corporation as an entry level engineer in Chesterfield, VA. He soon found himself in the Maintenance Department, trying to get the significant number of ‘bugs’ out of the plant equipment and processes. He couldn’t understand why their equipment and processes broke down so much. He often mentioned, “If airplanes were maintained that poorly, nobody would fly them”. It is at that point that Charles decided it was time to make his plant ‘fly’. In the 1950’s, he referred to this effort as ‘increasing uptime’.

Keys to Reliability: Priority, Proaction and Focus

Anyone who knows me may also know about my father, Charles Latino, and his lifelong contribution to the field of reliability. My father was one of the pioneers of reliability in the 1950’s when nobody even knew what reliability really was. He pioneered and championed technologies like vibration analysis, infrared thermography and many others working for a Fortune 100 chemical company. Later he focused his attention on the cultural aspects of reliability and how organizations need to behave to make it all work.

The Power of Purpose – Exploring Transactions Versus Relationship

co-author Ron Butcher

Abstract: With nearly four (4) decades of experience in Reliability, Maintenance and Safety in my rear-view mirror now, I’ve gotten to pondering about what have I actually learned? What has been my purpose? For those who don’t know me you can learn more about my career pathway by visiting my LinkedIn Profile. In short, I’ve been a practitioner, consultant, educator, author, businessman, mentor and thought-influencer (don’t like the term ‘Leader’, sounds too cocky).

Given all this ‘wisdom’ (polite term for dues paid in years or the state of being ‘old-er’), what have I really learned?

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by Robert (Bob) J. Latino 1 Comment

RCA: Going From Good to Great

I’ve been in the Reliability and RCA space now for 38 years now (yes, I’m old 😊), but recently I’ve had a major change in perspective. For 37 of those years my family owned and ran a business (Reliability Center, Inc) that offered training, consulting, and software in the Root Cause Analysis (RCA) space. We developed and created the PROACT® RCA Methodology & Software which has been adopted by many Fortune 500 and Global 1000 companies. However, in 2019, we enacted succession plans as we (my brothers, sisters, and I) approached retirement ages. We sold RCI in 2019.

NOW comes the perspective change, I am not an RCA provider anymore who is beholden to a proprietary brand, but I’m now an RCA consumer with deep domain knowledge of what the core principles of effective RCA are. In this paper, I would like to remove the RCA provider brand labels, and delve into ‘What makes any RCA effort, good versus great?” When we remove the labels and look at any investigative occupation, all the steps are basically the same. So, let’s explore together!

Determining Annual Maintenance Spend

Many people often ask, “how do I know if I have the proper annual maintenance spend for my plant?”. This short video will provide some concrete answers to measure how your maintenance spend compares to best practices.

This short video covers a simple formula to help you determine if your annual maintenance spend if reasonable.

/more

by Robert (Bob) J. Latino Leave a Comment

Prelical Practical Reliability Overview

This video provides a summary of the Prelical Solution’s Practical Reliability process. For more information, contact us at info@prelical.com or visit our website at prelical.com.

This video will provide a practical framework for implementing a reliability process at your company. Tips on how to develop an effective asset strategy, execution of that strategy and how to evaluate the results of the strategy in the field.

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