The transformation of our businesses from paper to digital is nothing new. What is new is the scope of what can and should be made digital. What was not even considered a candidate for digitization five years ago is now just another record in a database waiting to be retrieved for analysis. A casual picture of a leaking valve from a smartphone texted to a supervisor is now a critical maintenance record! Whether you are being forced into it because of market or regulatory forces or it has become a way of life at your company, you must have a strategy.
Moving all or significant portions of the business from manual or paper-based data collection, to fully computerized… and the refined use of that data for decision making. The result is that XYZ is an order of magnitude better, and lots of people are doing their jobs differently.
Beneficial and measurable changes to business operations are implemented over time. Efforts are specific and run their course. Pauses are strategic to allow the impact of changes to be seen.
What are We Talking About?
Continuing to improve, aka transforming, your business requires strategically managing your people, processes, and programs (technology).
Image courtesy Total Resource Management
Taking advantage of all that “digital transformation” can bring to your business will certainly keep you on the path of continued improvement. Digital transformation is far beyond just putting stuff in a database. It involves managing the changes needed to your people, processes, and the programs they use to benefit the business.
We purposely sent technology to the back of the diagram. While important, its role is to support the other two and is the last to be considered.
In the Context of Maintenance and Reliability…
There are many approaches, software tools, and consulting firms that can help with pieces of your digital transformation. It is to your benefit to have a consistent team that will be with you from the beginning and support you well after the initial implementation. Plan for this process to take a full year to see tangible results. This is a long-term relationship. It could take less time, but it should take at most a year. Otherwise, you risk losing steam and tossing another failed project on the ash heap.
How has “Work” Transformed?
Let’s start with a little fun looking back at how work has changed over the years.
What we find interesting is that what used to be work (and necessary for survival) is now, in many cases, leisure or hobby activity.
The point? Work transformation is ongoing and rapid. What we do, who does it and the tools we use are in constant motion. We’ve gone from swinging jawbones to clicking a mouse.
Questions To Ask:
Does putting a tablet full of mobile applications into the hands of a person in the field digitally transform their job?
Unless the features/functions and how this new tool will be used have been well thought out, it will likely end up on the truck’s dash.
You might get more data, but its quality will continue to be unhelpful when making decisions.
Cool feature… not so practical. Example: Scanning barcodes in low light
Do you believe you and your team(s) are miserable failures who are not doing anything right?
Most likely, you and your team(s) are doing good work already.
Are there areas in need of improvement or transformation? Of course.
Is the “improvement roadmap” visible to everyone who is supposed to be involved?
The point? You are doing some good things. Keep those. Toss the rest. Move forward.
Do you (or your management) use available data to measure performance against goals?
Maybe. Perhaps you/they wish the data was “better.”
Some collected data might not ever be used. A waste.
Is there missing data? “If only we knew…”
The speed and volume of data collection are not nearly as important as the usefulness of the data to the business. Are you in a bad place and need to be elsewhere? You need a strategy.
You are on a path, good or bad, with activities helping you, whether in parallel or series, and some are in your way. You are trying to get to the goal of making good data-based decisions. You need a plan to keep going or make a course correction. Do you do singular process improvements or complete transformations? Will the expected results of the improvements fund the effort?
This paper presents an overview of an integrated process for system maintenance, fault diagnosis and support. The solution is based on Qualtech System, Inc.’s (QSI’s) TEAMS toolset for integrated diagnostics and involves several key innovations. As a showcase of the integrated solution, QSI, along with Antech Systems and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), have recently completed a research project for the Information Technology Branch at the Naval Air Warfare Center–Aircraft Division (NAWC-AD) in St. Inigoes, MD. The entire system, termed ADAPTS (Adaptive Diagnostic And Personalized Technical Support), provides a comprehensive solution to integrated maintenance and training.
This paper presents an overview of an integrated process for system maintenance, fault diagnosis and support. The solution is based on Qualtech System, Inc.’s (QSI’s) TEAMS toolset for integrated diagnostics and involves several key innovations. As a showcase of the integrated solution, QSI, along with Antech Systems and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), have recently completed a research project for the Information Technology Branch at the Naval Air Warfare Center–Aircraft Division (NAWC-AD) in St. Inigoes, MD. The entire system, termed ADAPTS (Adaptive Diagnostic And Personalized Technical Support), provides a comprehensive solution to integrated maintenance and training.
The need for health monitoring in industrial machines using vibration analysis for diagnosis is an ever growing requirement in all types of industries and equipment. Vibrations in machinery can take various forms, and most of the time these vibrations are unintended and undesirable. Therefore, monitoring the vibration characteristics of a machine can provide the information of its health condition, and this piece of information can be used to detect problems that might be incipient or developing.
The need for health monitoring in industrial machines using vibration analysis for diagnosis is an ever growing requirement in all types of industries and equipment. Vibrations in machinery can take various forms, and most of the time these vibrations are unintended and undesirable. Therefore, monitoring the vibration characteristics of a machine can provide the information of its health condition, and this piece of information can be used to detect problems that might be incipient or developing.
One of the primary challenges of reliably burning coal is managing the corrosion experienced by the furnace heat transfer surfaces. Fireside corrosion remains a leading cause of failure in boiler tube, in both superheater and reheater tubes. Boiler tubes affected by fireside corrosion also may lose 15 mils per year (mpy), or more in extreme cases
One of the primary challenges of reliably burning coal is managing the corrosion experienced by the furnace heat transfer surfaces. Fireside corrosion remains a leading cause of failure in boiler tube, in both superheater and reheater tubes. Boiler tubes affected by fireside corrosion also may lose 15 mils per year (mpy), or more in extreme cases
I routinely ask my consulting clients and seminar students if they have lube procedures, and they sheepishly admit that they don't. They often look embarrassed to have to admit it, but I believe these folks represent the cream of the crop. If they are attending classes on lubrication, or are having their program audited, they must have good intentions.
I routinely ask my consulting clients and seminar students if they have lube procedures, and they sheepishly admit that they don't. They often look embarrassed to have to admit it, but I believe these folks represent the cream of the crop. If they are attending classes on lubrication, or are having their program audited, they must have good intentions.
When maintenance is allowed to interact with the plant and production Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), a prosperous relationship for both parties will often ensue. This OEM partnership results in first-hand information for maintenance to set up its maintenance approach, and valuable operational and design feedback for the OEM. There are seven main circumstances in which maintenance will interact or communicate with an OEM and form an OEM partnership.
When maintenance is allowed to interact with the plant and production Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), a prosperous relationship for both parties will often ensue. This OEM partnership results in first-hand information for maintenance to set up its maintenance approach, and valuable operational and design feedback for the OEM. There are seven main circumstances in which maintenance will interact or communicate with an OEM and form an OEM partnership.
From my own RCA experiences at industrial sites and manufacturing facilities, I have found that there is little consensus regarding what constitutes an Root Cause Analysis activity, what it is supposed to accomplish, how it will be applied, who should do the activity, when it will be applied, etc. Very little agreement exists on these basic RCA points. Ask these RCA questions in your work environment and listen to the diversity of opinions you will hear in reply.
From my own RCA experiences at industrial sites and manufacturing facilities, I have found that there is little consensus regarding what constitutes an Root Cause Analysis activity, what it is supposed to accomplish, how it will be applied, who should do the activity, when it will be applied, etc. Very little agreement exists on these basic RCA points. Ask these RCA questions in your work environment and listen to the diversity of opinions you will hear in reply.
Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is a useful tool for trouble shooting breakdowns and efficiently coming to a solution. I propose the following seven points for successful implementation of RCA that will naturally result in increased profits.
Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is a useful tool for trouble shooting breakdowns and efficiently coming to a solution. I propose the following seven points for successful implementation of RCA that will naturally result in increased profits.
