James Reyes-Picknell — Active Contributor

Author of Conscious Asset articles and multiple books.

This author's archive lists contributions of articles and episodes.

Increase Productivity and Competitiveness with MRO Technology – Part 1

In search of excellence in MRO Materials Management (indirect materials / spare parts), I have noticed two curious facts.

First, even in developed countries, industrial companies and providers of ERPs (enterprise management systems) are technologically very backward in this specialty.

Second, those very little companies or experts who developed differentiated technology keep it safe guarded as a trade secret.

This exposure results in considerable accumulation of knowledge and expertise, and a unique set of observations and conclusions which certainly could not fail to be shared with the concerned community. [Read more…]

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Linking RCM Facilitation with Effective Maintenance Program Implementation

Most of us would agree that there is a new global economy being forged right now in the manufacturing sector.

Inevitably, this translates to a renewed focus on transferring more business value to the customer. Central to this will be linking RCM (Reliability Centered Maintenance) facilitation with effective maintenance program implementations.

In short, the difference between what we, as RCM Facilitators, have been doing in the past and what we will be doing from now on is: a strong emphasis on what tactics are required in order to achieve the failure management strategies an RCM Team defines.

That is, we will conduct the decisions phase of the analysis somewhat differently. (i.e. The 3rd pass through when walking-the-dog in an RCM analysis) [Read more…]

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Searching for Quick Fixes Now Leads to Problems Down the Road

I want it now and I want it cheap! Oh – and I don’t want to do any work for it.

When it comes to information, entertainment, finding your way around and communications these days, we more or less literally have it all at our fingertips and available to us just about anywhere.

We can even order and pay for coffee to pick up on our way from the commuter train to the office – no lineups for delays. We can book hotels, airlines and rental cars at the touch of our fingers with apps that show us the cheapest options.

We live in a world where instant gratification is a reality in many aspects of our private lives.

Consumer electronics has transformed a great deal of business – basically, anything where there is a service or goods that a consumer might buy on their own, we can get it easily and immediately.

We’ve grown used to instant gratification in much [Read more…]

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Cost Control or Value Generation?

If you can’t sell all you can produce, then reducing costs is often the only way to improve margins, but that simplistic accounting perspective is not always the case.

Cost control is often thought to be key to attaining profitability but it the case of maintenance it can get you into trouble.

Cost control can have a big opportunity cost if you don’t take advantage of the opportunities you have. [Read more…]

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The Need for Maintenance Management Assessments

Conventional consulting approaches begin with assessments to determine your current state of affairs, judge what’s good and bad about it, give it a score, provide a long list of recommendations and then build an improvement strategy based on the outcome.

Strategy development is normally carried out by a select leadership team and then the change is rolled out to lower levels in the organization. This approach has served well for a long time and it is at the outset of almost any major consulting engagement.

It is useful when comparing sites among each other, but is there some sort of award for being best? Usually not. [Read more…]

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Process Optimization

Welcome to the final blog in my 10-part series called “Uptime Insights”, where we explore a journey of excellence in maintenance.

To stay on top, managers must implement strategies that keep operations performing at high levels. In these articles, I will show you how to achieve excellence in maintenance – a critical business process in any capital intensive industry.

Uptime Insights Part Ten:

Process Optimization

Whenever you are following a set of steps to achieve some goal you are following a process.

Your people do their jobs through day to day implementation of those processes in order to deliver results. If the processes are ill-conceived or inefficient things move slowly and results are more expensive to obtain than they need to be.

Well designed, efficient processes that integrate with other related business processes keep things running smoothly, costs down and help to keep people motivated. [Read more…]

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Teamwork Produces Superior Results

Welcome to part nine of my 10-part series of blogs called “Uptime Insights”, where we explore a journey of excellence in maintenance.

Uptime Insights Part Nine:

Teamwork Produces Superior Results

There’s an old saying that, “two heads are better than one”.

Teamwork has been proven time and again to produce superior results. It is the basis for many successful methods like RCM, PMO, RCFA, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) and various quality improvement programs like Six Sigma.

The importance of your people has already been stressed part 2.

Choosing excellence goes beyond that – the use of self-organized teams brings the best out of your people, delivers enhanced productivity and superior results. [Read more…]

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Managing Failures Before They Occur

Welcome to part eight of my 10-part series of blogs called “Uptime Insights”, where we explore a journey of excellence in maintenance.

Uptime Insights Part Eight:

Asset Reliability

Being proactive with your assets is all about managing failures before they occur.

You can reduce or eliminate the consequences of failure by forecasting what is likely to happen and deciding in advance about what to do about it. The advantage to doing this is that major business impact due to equipment breakdown can be avoided.

High performing companies manage proactively – they foresee and avoid problems.

It’s good for business! [Read more…]

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Support Systems Improve Efficiency

Welcome to part seven of my 10-part series of blogs called “Uptime Insights”, where we explore a journey of excellence in maintenance.

Uptime Insights Part Seven:

Support Systems Improve Efficiency

Computerized systems are important and now seemingly indispensable tools for business. Just remember the last power failure you experienced and you’ll understand.

There isn’t much that isn’t computerized these days. Technology and its business applications continue to grow and proliferate. The world of maintenance is no exception.

Most maintenance work is not computerized, but it is complex and managing it requires sophisticated tools. Using those tools effectively will improve the efficiency with which you deliver maintenance services.

Use them poorly and you only add cost. [Read more…]

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Achieving Cost Effectiveness with Performance Management

Welcome to part six of my 10-part series of blogs called “Uptime Insights”, where we explore a journey of excellence in maintenance.

Uptime Insights Part Six:

Achieving Cost Effectiveness with Performance Management

The work management process is essential to keeping costs under control in maintenance but how will you know if you are doing well if you don’t measure what you are doing and the results you get?

Performance management is another essential for maintenance management. Costs are important, results are important and so are the processes you use to turn costs into results.

Performance management is central to managing those processes so you get the most output for the least input – the greatest cost effectiveness. [Read more…]

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Building Excellence in Materials Management

Welcome to part five of my 10-part series of blogs called “Uptime Insights”, where we explore a journey of excellence in maintenance. To stay on top, managers must implement strategies that keep operations performing at high levels.

In these articles, I will show you how to achieve excellence in maintenance – a critical business process in any capital intensive industry.

Uptime Insights Part Five:

Building Excellence in Materials Management

Without parts, many jobs can’t be done. There’s no point planning and scheduling work if you can’t rely on materials management to provide the parts when you need them. If you want excellence in maintenance you need excellence in materials management. [Read more…]

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Basic Care Leads to Reliability

Welcome to part four of my 10-part series of blogs called “Uptime Insights”, where we explore a journey of excellence in maintenance. To stay on top, managers must implement strategies that keep operations performing at high levels. In these articles I will show you how to achieve excellence in maintenance – a critical business process in any capital intensive industry.

Uptime Insights Part Four:

Mastering Basic Care to Achieve Excellence

Like the human body, our plant and mobile equipment will break down if it’s not looked after. It will tolerate some abuse but it won’t do it forever and it won’t do it if you don’t take care of it at a basic level. Basic care is all about taking care of our physical assets so they continue to do what we need them to do. To choose excellence it’s essential to master the basics. They keep you compliant with regulations and keep you operating. Beyond them you expand in the direction of excellence. [Read more…]

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Building an Effective Work Management System

Welcome to part three of my 10-part series of blogs called “Uptime Insights”, where we explore a journey of excellence in maintenance. To stay on top, managers must implement strategies that keep operations performing at high levels. In these articles I will show you how to achieve excellence in maintenance – a critical business process in any capital intensive industry.

Uptime Insights Part Three:

Building an Effective Work Management System

At the core of the maintenance function is work management – a six step process for getting maintenance work done. Without it workforce deployment becomes reactive to emergencies and maintenance costs are high. Work done in those reactive situations is anywhere from 1.5 to 3 times as expensive as work that is fully planned and executed on schedule. In some industries the cost of emergency work is even higher. If you choose excellence then master the work management process. [Read more…]

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Building a Highly Successful Team Model

Welcome to part two of my 10-part series of blogs called “Uptime Insights”, where we explore a journey of excellence in maintenance. To stay on top, managers must implement strategies that keep operations performing at high levels. In these articles, I will show you how to achieve excellence in maintenance – a critical business process in any capital intensive industry.

Uptime Insights Part Two:

Building a Highly Successful Team Model

Any organization is nothing more than an extension of the people who make it up. It stands to reason that we need to focus on people if we want our organizations to thrive and change. Without your people nothing happens. They are the most important part of your business. If you want excellence your people need to choose it with you. [Read more…]

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Developing a Strategy to Achieve Excellence in Maintenance

Welcome to my latest 10-part series of blogs called “Uptime Insights”, where we explore a journey of excellence in maintenance. To stay on top, managers must implement strategies that keep operations performing at high levels. In these articles, I will show you how to achieve excellence in maintenance – a critical business process in any capital-intensive industry.

Uptime Insights Part One:

Developing A Strategy To Achieve Excellence In Maintenance

Leadership is all about making change and taking your organization in new directions. Leaders rock the boat, managers keep it stable. In choosing excellence you’ll be choosing a path of constant change and improvement – leadership is essential. Leadership is about strategy, effective execution and your people – without them you accomplish very little. If you want excellence you need leadership. [Read more…]