There are culture paradigms that need to be overcome in most maintenance organizations due to the 'firefighting' nature of the business.

When a Technician moves up through the ranks to a Role as Supervisor or Forman, then on to some other role on the management team, that person brings with them the desire to be the Hero and put out the fire of the day.

Many organizations struggle with changing the culture from being reactive (the 'hero culture' - saving something everyday) to having a standard, repeatable process for planning, scheduling and execution that embodies foresight.

To this end, the organization has to not only want to move forward with their process and continuous improvement initiates, but they also have to provide a framework (aided by technology) to institutionalize the desired improvement initiative. The people 'down in the trenches' need some support and ultimately more than a recommendation that they 'do more with what they have.'

Tip provided by Dave Koelzer
Dimension Technology Solutions, Inc.