CONNECT Conversations
Ten Things I Can Do as a Reliability Engineer
Over the next several weeks, we’ll be going through a series of “10 Things” that people in various functions can do to improve reliability. While these will mostly be actions that maintenance personnel can take, we’ll touch on operations in a couple. We’ll begin with actions a reliability engineer can take.
- Ron Moore
- RELIABILITY CONNECT
Design and Capital Projects Practices – Self-Assessment
In this session we’ll be taking participants through a “self-assessment” of their design and capital projects practices with a particular focus on designing for plant reliability. What we’ve observed is that most organizations do not use a life cycle cost approach in their capital projects, but rather lowest installed cost. This results in lower reliability, and generally poorer performance.
- Ron Moore
- RELIABILITY CONNECT
Stores-Purchasing Practices – Self-Assessment
In this session we’ll be taking participants through a “self-assessment” of their current stores and purchasing practices. What we’ve observed is that there is often a disconnect, even conflict, in objectives between stores (minimize working capital) and maintenance (minimize unavailability of spare parts. Both are admirable, but in conflict, so the key is to balance those competing interests for the greater good of the business.
- Ron Moore
- RELIABILITY CONNECT
Maintenance Practices – Self-Assessment
In this session we’ll be taking participants through a “self-assessment” of their current maintenance practices. What we’ve observed is that maintenance typically directly controls only about 10% of most losses from ideal production, and at most 30%. That said, excellence in maintenance practices is essential for a reliable plant.
- Ron Moore
- RELIABILITY CONNECT
Operating Practices – Self-Assessment
In this session we’ll be taking participants through a “self-assessment” of their current operating practices. What we’ve observed is that most losses from ideal production are related to production practices, not the equipment. Thus, operating practices become paramount in operating a reliable production process.
- Ron Moore
- RELIABILITY CONNECT
Plant Leadership, Culture and Teamwork
In this session we’ll be taking participants through a “self-assessment” of their current plant leadership, culture, alignment, and teamwork – the soft stuff, which is the hard stuff. The assessment consists of ten questions regarding management support, collaboration across functional boundaries, shop floor engagement, conflict resolution, and general alignment of the organization.
- Ron Moore
- RELIABILITY CONNECT
Industry 4.0, Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
In this session, we’ll discuss Industry 4.0, which includes IoT and AI, along with a host of other tools and techniques. All these provide for, or at least promise, greater interconnectivity, ease of data collection and analysis, and overall improved productivity and competitiveness in the workforce.
- Ron Moore
- RELIABILITY CONNECT
Expectations, Execution and Engagement
In this podcast we will look at the importance of 1) setting high, but realistic expectations, 2) executing your strategy and plan effectively, and 3) engaging the shop floor in supporting meeting these expectations through their effective engagement in executing the strategy.
- Ron Moore
- RELIABILITY CONNECT
Making the Most of Conferences – CONNECT Conversations
In this podcast, we’ll discuss how to make the most of conferences. In most conferences there are far more presentations, and far more exhibitors than anyone can attend. We’ll offer some guidelines on selecting the presentations, getting the most from exhibits, and generally getting high value from your attendance.
- Ron Moore
- RELIABILITY CONNECT