Page 420 - Improving Machinery Reliability

384 Improving Machinevy Reliability

Documenting the Work Process. The second-half of the documentation process
involves writing down the process by which task-specific activities are to be accom-
plished. When it comes to a work process, there are two choices: the process by which
work gets done can be ignored and one can hope that it will achieve the desired
results, or, an effort can be made to understand and manage the work process to ensure
achievement of the desired results. For PM to be effective, it must be managed.
Work process documentation should be written in a way that reflects the day-to-
day work process. It should be considered a living document that is continuously
revised and updated to reflect changes in the information it contains. In addition to
defining who is going to complete the work and why, the work process documenta-
tion must contain everything required to ensure that the goals of a PM program are
met. As a minimum, the work process documentation should clearly define:

the scope of the work process
the goal the work process is trying to achieve
the expected benefits
the work process itself, or how things get done
the roles and responsibilities of the individuals involved in the work process
the location of procedures, standards, compliance regulations, laws, etc.

The documentation is also valuable in that it

establishes a benchmark for continuous improvement
serves as a training tool for resident workforce members
provides continuity within the maintenance function by capturing organizational
knowledge and relaying this knowledge to contract personnel and newly hired
workers.
A significant amount of understanding and eventual improvement will result from
the documentation and examination of both the equipment and task-specific informa-
tion, as well as the work process. An example of this can be seen by comparing two
versions of the lubrication program from Unit A of the XYZ company. The first ver-
sion, written in 1993, can be found in Table 10-1. The 1996 version can be found in
Table 10-2.
Improvements to the lubrication program shown in Tables 10-2 and 10-3 resulted
from continuous measurement of program effectiveness, and evaluation of the
process by which work was accomplished. The differences between the documents
reflect the ongoing learning of the organization.
It is important to keep in mind that “best practices” plants have documentation
similar to the lubrication program illustrated here. Appropriate documentation is
written for each PM program, including alignment, vibration monitoring, steam trap
and utility leak surveys, cathodic protection, and crane, hoist, and elevator inspec-
tions, etc. The PM program template (Table 10-3) is generally used for guidance.

(texr corrtirrued on page 392)