Managing RCM

In my mind Reliability Centered Maintenance is the only way to develop a complete maintenance strategy for critical manufacturing assets. One of the best ways to manage a good RCM program is to complete your first RCM analysis and begin implementing tasks within one week of completing that analysis. Continue to implement those tasks and do not schedule your next RCM until 80% the first analysis has been implemented.

Too often people underestimate the amount of implementation work that comes out of a RCM analysis and in doing this they schedule several analyses back to back. Once the work has been completed and they begin to see the mountain of work that now needs to be implemented they become overwhelmed. As a result they will make 1 of 2 mistakes:

1) They give up all together and the RCM program is now a failed effort.
2) They cherry pick the task list, looking for simple things or items that might show a quick pay back. This will typically show some improvement but it will not be sustained, the maintenance strategy will be incomplete and within 6 months they will determine that their RCM program failed.

It is important to understand that RCM works, but only when all the mitigating tasks are implemented and performed as scheduled.

To learn more about RCM Blitz and RCM Facilitator training contact plucknetted@alliedreliability.com.