Does Reactive Maintenance Rule

 Does Reactive Maintenance Rule

 

Having asked myself this question many times, "Does Reactive Maintenance Rule?" Based on my experience, it does rule most your maintenance programs. It also rules production rate, cost, and safety as well, and adds undue stress in everyone's day to day life at work and at home. Typically I hear this comment, "but we are different". Got it, put it on my excuse list, I have heard all the excuses you could ever use. Let's cut to the chase, here are a few recommendations I have proven, all you can say is I do not agree with you, great continuing doing your great work, you are one of a few. Please share this experience with everyone. (I mean this honestly, please share your experience because no one has all the answers) 

"Sometimes we try to take on a multitude of steps which many times does not work out because the reactive culture will defeats you"

Let's begin the movement to attack this problem with these simple recommendations.

1. Develop one or two metrics which are measurable and verifiable to ensure everyone accepts and agrees the metric/s will help. Post these metric or metrics for all to see. 
2. Post for a week or two before telling anyone what the metric is and how it is measured. 
3. Ask your leadership group what does this metric/s tell us? 
4. Develop repeatable procedures for all maintenance work. Step by step instructions with tolerances, tools, etc. listed. If you use a procedure and a breakdown occurs afterwards the worst that could happen is you update the procedure (this is the continuous improvement process for maintenance). This is the best method for continuous improvement of equipment reliability and without it reactive maintenance will continue to manage capacity and cost at your plant. 
5. Educate yourself, maintenance staff and later the plant leadership team using the CRL (Certified Reliability Leadership) training series at ReliabilityWeb. Host this training with your team 30 minutes a week, at first you lead this training then ask each maintenance person to teach these sessions with you teaching every 3rd week (Leaders lead from the front)
6. When you are about 3 months into this program contact me for advice or share your experiences. I would like to hear the good and the bad. 
7. Ask questions of me anytime via LinkedIn. (I am retired so understand it you do not hear from me for a few days I may be hiking somewhere)

The author: Ricky Smith CMRP, CMRT, CRL

 

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