What is the impact of energy efficiency and reliability? Efficiency testing, what can it tell us about our machines? How did that Reliability Gives Voice to Autism event turn out? Where did the newsletter disappear to for the last month? (simple, the MotorDoc having a blast!)
A few questions which will be answered in this edition. And belly dancing!
But now, on to our editorial! Over the years I have discussed such things as ‘you are only as good as your worst vendor,’ and the impact of poor quality in relation to reliability and maintenance issues. Lately, I have seen a growing number of articles with people purporting to show how and why management does not pay as much attention to reliability and maintenance. I find many of the statements interesting from many of these articles as my functions have changed from R&M consultant and practitioner to what amounts to the chief operating officer of an organization. After a year of being in this position, one that I have been in a number of times, I can provide a slightly different perspective.
For one thing, R&M is a function of the business, an important function to meet the mission of the company, but a function none-the-less. The real question is how much focus should senior management or executives give it. The prevailing maintenance organization and consulting wisdom has been that we need to ‘convince’ senior management that a robust maintenance program is a requirement for success and a priority that senior manager must focus on. I say that direction will lose almost every time as with everyone else, the workload of most senior decision makers is much higher than in the past. Combine that with training and experience, and you have a recipe for disaster! What is obvious to those on the floor is viewed differently at the senior management level, and it must be that way.
What it comes to is perspective. The perspective of someone at ‘sea level’ is going to be drastically different than someone who must see things at 30,000 feet. The WIIFM (What’s In It For Me), or drive, is different at every level. In fact, the very type of thought process is different in that senior management must think strategically and the R&M business must think tactically, and there are few who can bounce back and forth between the two.
Even in the military, the captain of a vessel on mission, or combat, needs to have an overall strategic and tactical view of the mission and a feel for the vessel. If the captain needs to be concerned about the status of maintenance of his command then the command is sick. If sick enough, the results can be terminal. The same gives for business, if the CEO, president, or VP of a company must focus on the tactical condition of maintenance, then the maintenance organization is ill, possibly fatally so.
Now, what happens if the organization is ill when the leadership provides the resources and direction to enforce a maintenance program? Or the manager requests records and there are none because it was too inconvenient for maintenance personnel to complete paperwork? Should the manager have the perspective that maintenance is important when the organization that is responsible doesn’t take it seriously? Especially if there are catastrophic failures in meeting the mission and an investigation shows no evidence of maintenance?
What happens when the senior manager of a division provides direction but the responsible junior managers decide to take direction from the financial division without informing the responsible manager? When things go wrong, who is responsible? In virtually every management style book I have been privy to, if you have an area that requires constant attention, it must be repaired or changed, if detailed direction must be given to managers (leaders) and/or personnel in the functions of their position, they are not suited for that position.
By the same token, if senior management is not ‘aware’ of the maintenance program in an organization by knowing the status of equipment availability (what equipment is functioning) and capability from the 30,000 foot level, then the senior manager does not have the required perspective of the organization. However, in the haste of some to ‘prove’ the value of their organization, incorrect or false information may be provided. The challenge usually comes to light when the need for that capability is required and it does not exist. When this happens more than once, how can the manager trust the organization?
So, what do we do? At this point we provide ‘magic numbers’ and ‘maintenance KPIs.’ These may serve the tactical component of the organization, but what about the strategic? The challenge is to understand the difference.
In our next newsletter we are going to discuss the concepts and practices associated with strategic and tactical thinking.
Howard W Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP
howard@motordoc.com
Monday, May 31, 2010
Impact of Motor Repair Practices Including Modern Standards
Electric motor repair has the potential to impact future motor life, energy efficiency and the environmental impact of the machine (electric motor, to be used interchangeably in this paper) even when meeting modern motor repair standards. In this paper we shall outline the impact of repair following repair standards versus traditional repair and relate both scenarios to Precision Motor Repair (PMR), or Reliability-Centered Motor Repair Practices (RCMRP). The outline of impacts will be based upon the allowable limits by standards, observations following traditional practices, the impacts measured through PMR, based upon three similar machines in which an IEEE 112 Method B (segregated loss) was performed. These evaluations will be based upon expectations of impact to new core steels in premium and energy efficient machines.
For more information, download the complete paper at http://www.motordiagnostics.com in the paper archives.
For more information, download the complete paper at http://www.motordiagnostics.com in the paper archives.
Report from Reliability Gives Voice to Autism at MARTs
The Reliability Gives Voice to Autism event went off extremely well on the evening of April 27, 2010 with about 100 reliability professionals, Autism Society of Illinois president and officers, and others in attendance. The SUCCESS by DESIGN event to celebrate the 2009 book awards received by Dr. Penrose (Axiom Business Book Award for ‘Physical Asset Management for the Executive,’ and the Foreword Book of the Year Award for ‘Electrical Motor Diagnostics: 2nd Edition’) was sponsored by Allied/GP Allied, Paragon Technologies, Maintenance Technology Magazine (through MARTS), and LuvBunny Confections. The reception and dinner was serenaded by the guitarists from the Guitars of Spain with sponsorship plaques being presented and a ten minute talk about his personal experience with his eight year old daughter’s autism challenge, Ken Arthur of GP Allied stirred the emotions of many in the audience.
The main speaker, Bob Miller, of IVC Technologies spoke for 45 minutes about his experience and what he learned concerning autism first hand. The presentation was illustrated by his autistic daughter. In general, the audience expressed that they learned a lot about autism and the spectrum of the affliction. Following Bob was a brief intermission as the belly dancers Gabriela Galvez, Tami Weeks-Pryor and Joanne Kucenski Wessels had a ‘wardrobe malfunction.’ Once repaired, they put on a seven minute demonstration. The video can be seen on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8XUEsIqjF4). During the break books were available with 100% of the books sales going to the Autism Society of Illinois (over $3400 in book sales was raised!).
Following the dancers came the full flamenco group, The Guitars of Spain, who put on another 45 minutes of music and entertainment. The one hour video can be downloaded (758MB: http://www.motordoc.com/autism/ReliabilityAutism.wmv) .
At the conclusion of the evening door prizes were handed out which included a blueray player donated by SUCCESS by DESIGN, a Sony video camera donated by SUCCESS by DESIGN, an Acer 120GB, 10 hr battery, Netbook by SUCCESS by DESIGN, several large candy baskets by LuvBunny Confections, and belly dance lessons from Tami Weeks Pryor.
Overall a great evening with over $7,000 raised for ASI after direct expenses. Dr. Penrose was invited to serve on the ASI Board of Directors following the success of the event and industry participants and sponsors requested that this event be tagged as a ‘first annual.’ If so, announcements will be made following the lessons learned meetings this summer. Contact Dr. Penrose at howard@motordoc.com if you are interested in participating in 2011.
The main speaker, Bob Miller, of IVC Technologies spoke for 45 minutes about his experience and what he learned concerning autism first hand. The presentation was illustrated by his autistic daughter. In general, the audience expressed that they learned a lot about autism and the spectrum of the affliction. Following Bob was a brief intermission as the belly dancers Gabriela Galvez, Tami Weeks-Pryor and Joanne Kucenski Wessels had a ‘wardrobe malfunction.’ Once repaired, they put on a seven minute demonstration. The video can be seen on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8XUEsIqjF4). During the break books were available with 100% of the books sales going to the Autism Society of Illinois (over $3400 in book sales was raised!).
Following the dancers came the full flamenco group, The Guitars of Spain, who put on another 45 minutes of music and entertainment. The one hour video can be downloaded (758MB: http://www.motordoc.com/autism/ReliabilityAutism.wmv) .
At the conclusion of the evening door prizes were handed out which included a blueray player donated by SUCCESS by DESIGN, a Sony video camera donated by SUCCESS by DESIGN, an Acer 120GB, 10 hr battery, Netbook by SUCCESS by DESIGN, several large candy baskets by LuvBunny Confections, and belly dance lessons from Tami Weeks Pryor.
Overall a great evening with over $7,000 raised for ASI after direct expenses. Dr. Penrose was invited to serve on the ASI Board of Directors following the success of the event and industry participants and sponsors requested that this event be tagged as a ‘first annual.’ If so, announcements will be made following the lessons learned meetings this summer. Contact Dr. Penrose at howard@motordoc.com if you are interested in participating in 2011.
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