Please click the article category you are interested in and scroll down the page for teasers of different articles and categories.

Leadership in Reliability and Maintenance

Changes
by Torbjörn Idhammar

It’s important for maintenance leaders to have a good understanding of their organizations’ front lines in order to influence improvements. The maintenance personnel that make up the front line are, in most cases, independent, which can be good but can also be a pitfall.
Read More
Does the Activity Match the Goal?
by Torbjörn Idhammar

A potential client asked if IDCON could do a productivity study of the hourly maintenance staff at a mill. My initial reaction was “WHY?” and I am sure my facial expression was less than thoughtful. But quickly, my manners and professionalism caught up with me and I posed the same question again, this time with a more positive facial expression and an honest curiosity.
Read More
How does your maintenance organization use time?
by Christer Idhammar

We all know that in a reactive maintenance organization 60 – 70 % of crafts people’s time is wasted on finding out what to do, finding parts and materials, etc. We also know that the solution to this situation is to become more proactive and in control. This can be done by better condition monitoring, planning of work and scheduling of work combined with an efficient store including an accurate bill of materials.
Read More
Leaders in Maintenance, Part 2
by Torbjörn Idhammar

In Part 1 of this series on maintenance leadership, I explored two points:

Read More
Leaders in Maintenance, Part 3
by Torbjörn Idhammar

In parts 1 and 2 of this column series, I outlined the need for developing maintenance leadership skills.

Read More
Leaders in Maintenance, Part 4
by Torbjörn Idhammar

In parts 1, 2 and 3 of this column series, I outlined the need for developing maintenance leadership (visit the Reliable Plant Web site at www.reliableplant.com to read these articles). This column is the fourth and final part of the series.

Read More
Leaders in maintenance: A good idea, perhaps?
by Torbjörn Idhammar

Mahatma Gandhi was once asked what he thought of Western civilization. He replied that he thought it would be a good idea. The same thought comes to mind when considering management skills in maintenance departments.

Read More
Leadership in Maintenance Weekly/Daily Operations and Maintenance Meetings
by Torbjörn Idhammar

Daily and weekly meetings between operations and maintenance are crucial in taking the efficiency of your daily maintenance to a higher level.
Read More
Leadership in Maintenance - Back to Basics!
by Torbjörn Idhammar

My son is 13 years old and has an iPhone 5. Now, just a few weeks before Christmas, he really wants an iPhone 6. Apparently an iPhone 6 will improve his life radically. Exactly why and how is not clear. I ask him what the 6 can do that a 5 can’t, but he doesn’t seem all that clear on the differences. What he is clear on, however, is that it is much better. That seems to be all he needs to know. This makes me wonder if we have started putting too much faith in technological solutions. Do we simply expect technology to automatically improve our existence, or are we just enamored by gadgets? Maybe a little of both?
Read More
Leadership in Maintenance - Inspection or just a walk in the machine park?
by Torbjörn Idhammar

Picture yourself standing in front of a 2011 Chevy Silverado 1500, trying to decide if you’re going to buy it or not. You’ve been thinking about getting a ”new” truck for a few months now. But it’s always risky buying a used vehicle and you really want to have a ”truck” guy with you to look it over before you make a deal.
Read More
Leadership in Maintenance Practical Implementation of Work Order [Back] Logs
by Torbjörn Idhammar

I interviewed a mine operations manager in Newcastle, Australia, who said, “I have no idea what work orders or reliability improvements have been finished in the past week or which ones will be done in the near future.” Being the “detective consultant” I went to the maintenance manager looking for answers.
Read More
Practical Prioritizing
by Torbjörn Idhammar

A successful partnership between operations and maintenance is rooted in unified work processes. IDCON defines work processes as something documented, executed and followed up on. Priorities are a cornerstone in a well-functioning partnership.
Read More
Right-Sizing of a Maintenance Organization
by Christer Idhammar

One of the most common questions I am asked, especially from those that are new to maintenance, is, ”How do I know that we are right-sized within our maintenance organization?”
Read More
Why do many Reliability and Maintenance Improvement Programs Fail?
by Greg Gustafson

Many companies we work with ask us a common question, “What’s the biggest reason Reliability and Maintenance (R&M) programs fail?”
Read More