Help! Reliability Has Been Hijacked!

In Reliabilityweb.com's Certified Reliability Leader Advanced Workshop one of the enquires we work with is "What is Reliability?"

There is broad consensus that Reliability is NOT:

*Maintenance

*Lubrication

*Vibration

*Condition Monitoring

*Laser Alignment

*Motor Testing

*CMMS

*RCM

*Maintenance Planning

But if you had a dollar for everytime a vendor called one the above "reliability" in a LinkedIn or Twitter post - you would be a multi-millionaire by now!

These vendors mean well. I certainly cannot blame them for falling in love! But I wonder if they fell in love with Reliability or the word Reliability. To they just talk the talk? Or do they actually walk the walk?

There is nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to maintenance. Maintenance makes the world go around and without it - much of what we depend on would come to a halt. Maintenance workmanship is also something to be proud of and is lacking in many organizations. (Shameless plug - visit our Reliability Partners at Henrix Precision Maintenance Training for Competency Based Learning around Maintenance Skills)

Maintenance is generally known as repair, renewal or replacement.

Formal definitions range as listed below:

The work needed to keep a road, building, machine, etc. in good condition.

Source: Cambridge English Dictionary

The work of keeping a building, machinery, etc. in a state of good repair. 

Source: Collins English Dictionary

1. Activities required or undertaken to conserve as nearly, and as long, as possible the original condition of an asset or resource while compensating for normal wear and tear.

2. Accounting: A periodic cost incurred in activities that preserve an asset's operational status without extending its life. Maintenance is an expense that, unlike capital improvement (which extends an asset's life), is not capitalized.

3. Engineering: Actions necessary for retaining or restoring a piece of equipment, machine, or system to the specified operable condition to achieve its maximum useful life.

Source: BusinessDictionary.com

Combination of all technical, administrative and managerial actions during the life cycle of an item intended to retain it in, or restore it to, a state in which it can perform the required function. 

Source: EN 13306:2010 Maintenance — Maintenance terminology

The set of actions taken to ensure that systems, equipment and components provide their intended functions when required. The primary focus of this definition is on maintaining the intended function of an item rather than its design performance.

Source: SMRP Glossary

All actions necessary for retaining an item in, or restoring it to, a specified condition.

Source: Uptime Elements Glossary

The Maintenance process is important. Clearly. An effective Maintenance process is required to achieve high levels of failure free operation (Reliability). Clearly.

So is ensuring you have a business need/requirement for the asset/system.

So is clearly specifying the requirements and function of the asset or system.

So is the design function and all the associated activities related to it.

So is the asset creation process and/or the asset acquisition process.

So is the asset/system acceptance process.

So is the asset/system commission process.

So is the asset/system operation process.

So is the spares provisioning process.

So is the spares handling and storage process.

So is the asset lubrication lifecycle process.

So is the asset lifecycle information management elements.

So is the asset condition management.

So is the automation choices.

So is the security at every layer/level of connection

So is the organizational objectives.

So is the asset management policy, strategy, and plans.

So is the business risk.

So are the people.

So is the culture.

So is the competence of the workforce.

So is safety.

So is the engagement and empowerment of the workforce.

So is management of change.

So are Capital Projects.

So is Human Capital Management.

So is Systems Thinking

So is quality

So is Information Technology (IT)

So is research and development

So is sales and marketing

So is the regulator

So is the underwriter/insurer

So is the customer

In fact as you make your journey to failure free operation (Reliability) you discover that every stakeholder and their needs are important.

Reliability is cross-functional and important at every phase of the asset lifecycle.

The maintenance path to reliability is proven to yield a high of 30% success rate.

By the sheer number of posts of LinkedIn you would think that companies are enjoying 100% pure Uptime but I can assure you that is NOT the case.

Reliabilityweb.com hosts a small community of leading practitioners who share good practices (and practices that failed) - and I can assure you the journey is long and hard and full of challenges. I can also assure you it is one of the most satisfying journey's you can ever lead.

Here is some tips you may find useful

1. Do not get to hung up chasing "best" practices. Good practices will take you a long way.
2. Learn the basics because even they are tough to implement.
3. If you can get agreement on a common framework and language - use it to save time instead of reinventing the wheel.
4. Select training that includes equal amounts of exercise, simulation and practice.
5. Change is hard. Learn change management.
6. Read books. They inspire.
7. Culture matters. Focus on human values as the cornerstone of Reliability Leadership.
8. Reliability Leadership is cross functional.
9. A diverse team goes further faster.
10. Train again!

 I hope we will see you at one of our Certified Reliability Leader Advanced Workshops based in Uptime Elements Reliability Framework and Asset Management System.

Learn more here:

Event dates and locations

Reliability Leadership

Certified Reliability Leader