Page 418 - Intro Predictive Maintenance

World-Class Maintenance 409

how much discretionary effort they contribute. It also affects the health of the
company.

Conventional practice in recent years has seen many companies restructure and down-
size their operations. Those that could not compete successfully are gone. Among
those that survived, there is a common denominator: all recognized that they must
change, and the change involved the fundamentals of the way they conducted their
businesses. In some companies, culture changed dramatically. For most, the new
culture evolved. In all, a more participative climate emerged.

Buy-in by everyone in the company is central to creating a climate for proactive main-
tenance. Each person must recognize the need for change and be dedicated to making
it happen. The need for change does not necessarily mean that the company is on the
verge of going out of business. It does mean, however, that everyone in the organi-
zation must realize that changes are necessary to maintain a competitive advantage,
to make the company—and themselves—prosper. Status quo must be seen as a sure
way to weaken the company.

There is no magic formula for making changes, but starting at the top of the organi-
zation works best. Senior management must have a contagious vision. Each company
must develop its own vision, which must be translated into strategy and tactics. Mea-
surable goals and objectives have to be developed. Buy-in and commitment must be
gained from everyone in the organization to achieve the vision and, as time goes on,
the vision will need to be adjusted to meet new challenges and opportunities. This will
cause further changes. This change continuum will become a way of life, because it
has no end.

Indicators of successful change in organizations form around certain common
characteristics. Change in this context means the company will likely succeed
in implementing a strong total productive maintenance program. Some of the
characteristics may not be possible in terms of what is practical, but collectively
they form a good starting point for understanding where the organization of a
company stands.

18.7.4 Customer Focus
The priority of everyone in the maintenance improvement program must be the inter-
nal customer. The maintenance department’s customer is the machine operator. Oper-
ators expect their equipment to be serviced and repaired regularly. The operator’s
customer is management, who is responsible for throughput rate. This group expects
equipment to have zero downtime; the manager’s customer is the company’s customer,
who expects zero-defect products quickly and at competitive cost; the final customer
is the owner/shareholder, who expects the company to be profitable and have
production-ready assets.