In today's volatile and competitive economy, process efficiency and equipment reliability are more important than ever. Minor changes in process efficiency or unexpected equipment failures can have a major impact on operational readiness and create market disadvantages. As a result, improved reliability is at the forefront of most operational excellence initiatives today.
While the predominant means of improving reliability are program, process and technology based, the human factor that affects overall reliability cannot be ignored. This is the one specific area that systematically ties programs, processes, technology and people together to achieve immediate impact. Developing a skilled workforce that operates, maintains and sustains critical equipment and processes is critical.
Consider these core factors to any reliability program that are impacted by human involvement:
- Operational care -- If a system of monitoring, cleaning, lubricating and making operational adjustments is not present or is ineffective, the effective lifecycle and ongoing reliability of equipment diminishes.
- Maintenance programs -- Ineffective programs to prevent and predict equipment failures lead to increased failures and downtime, as well as unnecessary and redundant maintenance tasks, creating reliability and efficiency problems.
- Design and applicability -- Misunderstanding how equipment functions within a specific application, by design and function, can lead to improper operation beyond limits, which increases failure opportunities, shortens equipment life and reduces reliability.
- Repair practices -- Misdiagnosed failures or improperly performed repairs lead to temporary remedies that address symptoms rather than causes and can lead to significant problems and greater reliability degradation.
Developing a blended workforce with the competency to perform at high levels is a critical element of each of these reliability factors. This is especially critical for the personnel responsible for operating and maintaining systems and equipment. Research shows that 80 percent of equipment failures are human-induced. It's far too common to find reliability issues in an organization that has invested heavily in programs, processes and technologies while neglecting competency development. This inattention leads to:
- Inadequate ongoing equipment care.
- Ineffective preventive and predictive maintenance.
- Improper equipment operation.
- Incorrect diagnoses and repairs.
A lack of developed competencies in the workforce leads to dysfunctional reliability programs and even catastrophic equipment failures. Implementing a maintenance and reliability strategy that includes systematic competency development and assessment will improve reliability dramatically. This is accomplished by surveying the equipment, processes and technology to determine the most valuable and appropriate competencies for job performance and then developing them in the workforce.
Competency development must be focused on the desired reliability goals, addressing required skills and knowledge to make the most effective use of programs, processes and technology, while not ignoring the higher cognitive competencies required for critical decision-making activities that rely on the human element. Consider the following when developing such a strategy:
- Surveying workforce competency requirements to establish future state goals
- Assessing current state workforce competency levels to identify competency gaps
- Conducting a job task analysis to identify key tasks performed on critical pieces of equipment with a list of supporting skills/ knowledge required to successfully perform all associated tasks
- Identifying critical equipment failures and reliability issues to prioritize the gaps identified in the assessment
- Implementing a structured training plan composed of learning activities and skill/knowledge measures that lead to competency attainment
- Tracking workforce performance metrics tied to reliability initiatives
Through implementation of a systematic competency attainment program tied to key performance indicators, reliability improvement is achieved and bottom-line returns are realized.
For more information, email Ron Faciane at rfaciane@gpstrategies.com.
