Starting Your In-House Self-Performed Condition Monitoring Program Before You Have the Expertise

TRC-2019 Learning Session 47:54

by Garey Bryan, Barilla America and Jim Carrel, Forum Reliability

Going through the procurement process of selecting providers to perform aspects of a plant’s outsourced asset condition monitoring program can be difficult, especially for those with little experience in the condition monitoring disciplines. And, as difficult as it may be, it’s still simpler than developing an effective in-house, self-performed program. But simpler may not translate into better. Starting the in-house condition monitoring development with the assistance of a qualified vendor is helpful, because the plant can begin with the benefits of a fully-developed program hitting the ground running from the beginning. Over time, the selected in-house technicians can be trained and begin the assume early responsibilities commensurate to their developing abilities. As the program matures (typically about two years), the in-house technicians manage and perform the lion’s share of data collection, analysis, and reporting internally. The out-sourced organization may remain connected, but in a consultant role only.

Barilla America, in Ames, IA, is part of an Italian-owned pasta company and determined to begin their reliability journey. The Barilla maintenance staff wanted to develop an in-house condition monitoring program. They secured the executive sponsorship and, with Jim Carrel and Reliability Management Strategies’ (RMS) assistance, Barilla selected highly-qualified initial providers, and entered into declining services agreements that would allow them to experience the benefits of a fully functioning program while their own technicians became trained. This presentation will review the sourcing standards Barilla used to select vendors and the challenges and successes they experienced along the way.