Page 14 - Improving Machinery Reliability

Organizational and administrative aspects of every function must be
streamlined and optimized. In the reliability area this means bringing
maintenance and operations closer together in a supportive partner rela-
tionship rather than the common adversarial hierarchical organization.
Finally, information creation and effective communications are essen-
tial to measure performance, assure conformance to enterprise objectives
and best-of-class benchmarks. Within a typical enterprise there are at
least four classifications of information. Senior executives require infor-
mation such as costs-per-unit output and production availability. At the
MRP (manufacturing resource planning) level, long-term prediction of
equipment lifetime-the ability to meet contractual obligations-is
essential. Operations must have detailed, real-time knowledge of equip-
ment condition and any immediate threats to production. At the detail
level, condition assessment, maintenance management, and information
systems must function together. Tasks include gathering and managing
data, creating and exchanging information as well as directing appropri-
ate information to other levels in the organization. Accomplishing this
ambitious, crucial objective requires generically open systems and a
common method of communications.
In many industrial enterprises, senior management appears to be grow-
ing increasingly aware that maintenance and reliability improvement, or
more broadly, lifetime asset management, is the “final frontier” of maxi-
mizing profitability. Thus far, most of the focus seems to be on reducing
costs by re-engineering the administrative process and eliminating per-
sonnel. Requirements for real SUCC~SS include awareness that mainte-
nance and reliability improvement are strategic contributors to income
and profitability. Investment to optimize reliability and reduce the need
for maintenance is imperative. From a strategic perspective, maintenance
cost reduction is a result-not an action.
Optimized practices such as pre-procurement equipment reliability
audits, installation reviews, and condition-directed or predictive mainte-
nance have been in use since the 1960s. All have proven highly effective
toward improving availability and reducing unexpected failures and
costs. Unfortunately, results have not been communicated effectively in
financial terms to senior management. As a consequence, many SUCCCSS-
ful condition-directed maintenance programs are being curtailed or, in
some cases, terminated altogether as cost cutting measures.
Are arbitrary cost reductions and changes for change sake the way to
greater maintenance efficiency? In most cases the answer is no. Arbitrary

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