Articles

Metrics vs. KPIs: Lessons from “Alice in Wonderland”

by G. Lance Jakob and Anthony Honaker

We can learn wonderful lessons from the clever literary characters Lewis Carroll created. The exchange between Alice and the Cheshire Cat illustrates the need for purpose and context in the decision-making process. We often face pivotal decisions at work, but without empirical insight, we're left aimlessly chasing white rabbits.

Reliability Engineering for Maintenance

13 Facilities Management Conferences Worth Attending in Early 2015

The new year brings each of us an opportunity to refocus and reprioritize.

While some may interpret that as a reason to renew old gym memberships, we were actually thinking more along the lines of sales and marketing strategies for 2015. A number of important facilities management-related conferences are coming up during the first half of 2015 across North America, and now would be a good time to start making plans to attend some of these.

A Twist on Particle Evaluation: Redefining the ISO Cleanliness Code

For over 20 years, users of oil analysis have used the ISO cleanliness code to help determine solid contamination levels in both new and used oils. The current ISO standard for reporting cleanliness is ISO4406:99. Using this standard, analysts and end users alike have managed to establish cleanliness goals and develop key performance indicators (KPIs) with the expectation to allow for preemptive action to avoid early machine damage. While this has produced some success, relying specifically on the ISO code as it is currently reported has its limitations.

Leadership for Reliability

Blame Complacent Engineers for Bad Management Decisions

Author's Note: While I'm solely responsible for this article, I am also entirely indebted to a process hazard analysis and loss control engineer (PHA/LCE) at a major refinery. In his contributed material, he is not disclosing anything of a proprietary nature. Still, it's a sign of the times that he has to remain anonymous. Perhaps it's because his expressions contain a measure of mild irony as he invades the comfort zone of equipment reliability engineers (REs). He quite obviously takes issue with their custom of limiting their work to mere analysis and recommendations. The REs, he notes, then consider their job done and let managers make decisions, some right and some wrong.

Five Common Misconceptions About Cloud Platforms

Understanding a few basic misconceptions about cloud platforms can make a difference to the bottom line of your business. Why? Simply put, cloud platforms ("platform as a service," or PaaS) are cloud-based infrastructure and development environments that customers like you pay for on usage-based arrangements, and which are maintained by third-party cloud providers.

Asset Condition Management

Keep It Clean, Keep It Dry, Keep It Tight!

by George Frey

With the many types of maintenance techniques available to the industrial professional, there are many tools to provide a great deal of information on the quality and workings of electric motors and their processes. However, if maintenance basics are ignored, all the techniques are like three drops of rain in a drought - ineffective and futile. If the three basic rules for proper motor operation and upkeep are not followed, why bother investing in advanced technologies to confirm known problems? These three rules are keeping a motor clean, keeping it dry and keeping it tight. Without these rules, fancy equipment simply doesn't matter! This is perhaps the oldest maintenance story of them all.

Making Your Facility’s Plumbing More Reliable

When it comes to the reliability of the plumbing in your facility, there are several things you can do to prevent failures and downtime. Certain parts of the system will always be more prone to breakdowns than others and upgrades, while sometimes costly, actually help to save money by promoting efficient operations. With a targeted maintenance plan and scheduled upgrades, you can keep your plumbing system running smoothly.

Leadership for Reliability

Lifelong Learning: A New World for Asset Management Training

In a recent research study of the asset management landscape conducted by Reliabilityweb.com, 90 percent of survey participants communicated that their asset management strategy is directly linked to their organization's ability to achieve economic goals. Forty-four percent said they have an asset management policy they plan to implement in the next 12 months, but 40 percent said organizational culture would be a major obstacle. Finally, 43 percent told ReliabilityWeb.com that asset management training in 2014-2015 is critical to their ability to drive short-term results.

Articles

Metrics vs. KPIs: Lessons from “Alice in Wonderland”

The Importance of Single Point Lessons in the Workplace

13 Facilities Management Conferences Worth Attending in Early 2015

A Twist on Particle Evaluation: Redefining the ISO Cleanliness Code

Lubrication FMEA: The Big Picture

The Battery Revolution

A Technology Disruption, Economics and Grid Level Application Discussion with Eos Energy Storage

2015 Revisions to NFPA 70E & CSA Z462: Change: The Only Constant

Blame Complacent Engineers for Bad Management Decisions

Five Common Misconceptions About Cloud Platforms

Keep It Clean, Keep It Dry, Keep It Tight!

Making Your Facility’s Plumbing More Reliable

Lifelong Learning: A New World for Asset Management Training