All Member Open Forum

A senior engineering manager for our mining client is adamant that their precision maintenance program has been "remarkably successful". However, when conducting training on "effective maintenance principles" to the client's frontline workers, they all cite among their biggest frustrations lack of (or poor quality) spare parts, poor work planning (craft often plan their work), shortage of basic tools/no special tooling, lack of relevant training etc. They gave an illustration about how they sometimes use a steel pipe as an extension lever for a wrench to loosen or tighten nuts! 

What would be your advice to help management align asset management objectives with activities on the ground? The senior manager's views on craft training appear dismissive at best.

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Boykie Sebobi CEng MIMechE CMRP
Principal Consultant, Asset Management
Innolead Consulting
Gaborone Botswana
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If management is willing to listen to some feedback on what is going on then you have a chance.  If they are not, then there is not much you can do.

If they are willing, I have found it powerful to put together some examples showing the opportunities and shortcomings and the impact of them.  Audit some jobs showing precision detail being missed and the impact.  Also give a path out of it - training, procedures, tools, etc..  At that point, they can either act or not on the reality of the situation.  Got to put the ball back in their court.

Most places are not as good as they think they are even when precision training and efforts are completed.  

One other observation from your comments.  You can probably go into any facility and find maint complaining about spare parts.  I find some of it valid and some of it is just putting blame on someone else to get the spotlight off them.   Same thing with poor planning.  Some confuse job prep and job execution tasks with planner tasks.  Training can be another convenient excuse for performing excellent work.  I agree it can be a gray area but when I hear comments like that I sense a poor culture within the organization.   The culture starts with upper management so if they are not leading then only moderate success in these areas can be obtained.

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Randy Riddell, CMRP, PSAP, CLS
Reliability Manager
Essity
Cherokee AL
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Thank you so much Randy.

You've given some valuable information. There's always two sides to a story, and I hope I'll get an opportunity to discover the truth. You suggest very useful ways of engaging the client, laying it out there and providing proof of concept. I'll certainly engage the client further; I do appreciate your input.

Kind regards.

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Boykie Sebobi CEng MIMechE CMRP
Principal Consultant, Asset Management
Innolead Consulting
Gaborone Botswana
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Original Message:
Sent: 07-06-2023 08:28 AM
From: Randy Riddell
Subject: Precision Maintenance

If management is willing to listen to some feedback on what is going on then you have a chance.  If they are not, then there is not much you can do.

If they are willing, I have found it powerful to put together some examples showing the opportunities and shortcomings and the impact of them.  Audit some jobs showing precision detail being missed and the impact.  Also give a path out of it - training, procedures, tools, etc..  At that point, they can either act or not on the reality of the situation.  Got to put the ball back in their court.

Most places are not as good as they think they are even when precision training and efforts are completed.  

One other observation from your comments.  You can probably go into any facility and find maint complaining about spare parts.  I find some of it valid and some of it is just putting blame on someone else to get the spotlight off them.   Same thing with poor planning.  Some confuse job prep and job execution tasks with planner tasks.  Training can be another convenient excuse for performing excellent work.  I agree it can be a gray area but when I hear comments like that I sense a poor culture within the organization.   The culture starts with upper management so if they are not leading then only moderate success in these areas can be obtained.

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Randy Riddell, CMRP, PSAP, CLS
Reliability Manager
Essity
Cherokee AL
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