Principal Consultant

The benefits of proactive maintenance

2020-09-122020-12-05

The benefits of proactive maintenance are the avoidance of consequences that occur when something fails. If you knew that you were going to suffer a heart attack and roughly when it would happen, wouldn’t you do something to avoid it? Or maybe you would just prepare better so the consequences of it occurring are minimized.

You can also do that with your plant, installed systems, and equipment. Being proactive is about managing risks and minimizing consequences. A good reliability program, properly executed by your maintenance department achieves that. Read more “The benefits of proactive maintenance” →

Asset Information Management

Are you informed, or data distracted? You need AIM

2020-08-302020-12-05

Asset Information is far more than just data, and it must be managed. We want to be informed, not distracted by our data. Our goal is to make “evidence-based decisions”. The “evidence” of what is going on can be very useful if it is accurate, timely, complete, and fit for its intended purpose. Increasingly, we are turning to our computers for that evidence. But do we find it? Or do we end up searching through data looking for that “needle in the haystack”? Do we spend our time making informed decisions, or seeking information from an increasingly large and confusing array of dis-organized, out-of-date, inaccurate, and incomplete data? Data must be fit for purpose.

Blog

Proactive maintenance is more Covid, how “covid” is yours?

2020-08-232020-12-05

Proactive maintenance requires fewer people and is more suited to physical distancing, yet cost-savings measures are driving more reactive work and workplace crowding than necessary. Proactive maintenance is more “Covid”. You have laid-off workers, contractors, and reduced spending on maintenance and parts. In fact, Covid-19 presented you with a great savings opportunity! Have you done anything to make sure those costs stay down though? Short term maintenance cost savings are easy to achieve. but they bite hard later! Read more “Proactive maintenance is more Covid, how “covid” is yours?” →

Assessment

Pay $3k to keep out of trouble, or more…

2020-07-212020-12-05

Pay $3k now to keep out of trouble or more to get out of jail later. Your plant asset performance is down and you know it. It’s only a matter of time before there is an accident. You need to improve but funds are limited.

The expert consultants will want to begin with some sort of an assessment. They will identify problems and offer solutions, for a price (likely $50k or more). You can’t afford it. Some consultants might even be former employees. Ask yourself, “if they worked here before, then why didn’t she/he fix what was wrong when they were here?” Consider getting a different consultant but you will still struggle with a big inconvenient truth! Read more “Pay $3k to keep out of trouble, or more to get out of jail” →

Asset Management

How to keep the boss out of jail

2020-07-162020-12-05

Here’s a case where they didn’t know how to keep the boss out of jail! In Jan 2019, a mine tailing dam (the structure used to contain waste from mining operations) collapsed. The video below shows the event. 259 people were confirmed dead and 11 declared missing. Cause – liquefaction – a commonly occurring phenomenon, and one that this particular mine had been warned about. Outcome – fatalities and associated human cost, suspended operations (for a brief period), company reputation, criminal charges (executives and engineering consultants). Risk management is an often neglected part of our job. Read more “How to keep the boss out of jail” →

Blog

Interview with MRO Magazine – part 2

2020-07-102020-12-05

TOPIC: Managing Maintenance and Reliability

The following is the second half of an interview carried out between Mario Cywinski, Editor of MRO Magazine, and James Reyes-Picknell, our Principal Consultant.

In part one, James describes maintenance management techniques, how IIOT is changing how maintenance is managed, and where it is taking predictive maintenance. Read more “Interview with MRO Magazine – part 2” →

Assessment

Business Case Estimator Insights

2020-07-092021-01-04

Our business case estimator insights show you both savings and earnings potential for improvements in maintenance and reliability. If you are reading this, you probably think there is some opportunity to improve your operational reliability and maintenance performance. You might want to create a business case for change that you can use to get senior management approval and funding. You are in the right place. Read more “Business Case Estimator Insights” →

Blog

What I’m learning about Online Training

2020-06-262020-12-05

Online training is actually a pretty good way to go! For me, that’s a revelation. The isolation and distancing measures being imposed due to the Corona Virus pandemic have been a game-changer in our business and personally. In the process of shifting training content to online formats, I’ve learned a lot.

My conclusion is that online training isn’t just an alternative to the “real thing”, it can actually be a better experience. Read more “What I’m learning about Online Training” →

Blog

The “new normal” can be much better

2020-06-192020-12-05

The “new normal” can be much better if we choose. Why go back to the same-old, same-old?

As we emerge from the 2020 pandemic and all the measures to contain it, your workforce will be returning to a “new normal”. What’s that? None of us really knows the details, but aside from being a cool phrase, it means being smarter and doing things differently with a great deal of awareness about disease transmission. Keeping our distance, wearing masks when ill, avoiding crowded venues, and patiently waiting for vaccines, will be a part of it, but what else will characterize the “new normal”? Read more “The “new normal” can be much better” →

Blog

Dealing with MRO parts

2020-06-152020-12-05

Dealing with MRO parts is an essential part of good planning and scheduling. Yes, Supply Chain takes care of it, but it will work well for us only if we help them.

Are you finding it hard to get certain parts to keep your assets operating? This situation is a familiar and ongoing issue associated with performing maintenance on systems that have been in operation for some time. Read more “Dealing with MRO parts” →

Experience, Insight, Honest Advice

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