Maintenance & Reliability Implementation Solutions

It’s easy to get lost if you don’t know where you’re going, but, the reality is, you’re already lost if you don’t know where you are. In order to create the 1 most effective and efficient improvement plan, it is vital to understand your current state. Skipping this step can result in failed improvement efforts, false starts, and unnecessary efforts to mitigate avoidable roadblocks.

Once we understand our current state, we then need to know where we’re going and why we need to get there. A compelling case for change provides the “why” that motivates the workforce, from upper management to the shop floor, to abandon the status quo and work towards achieving the future state. The ability to express benefits of change to the individual, team, and the organization can be the difference between achieving the vision or spinning your wheels.

The best implementation strategy will leverage known strengths, focus on areas of opportunity, and specifically designed to fit your environment. There is no “cookie cutter” solution. Every business has its unique hurdles and the strategy should be designed specifically to ensure your success. To execute the strategy, we must develop the support structure by selecting the correct teams and individuals to drive and manage change.

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Sustainable change has to be driven from within. Developing internal experts enhances self-sufficiency and enables employees to be valued contributors to change rather than victims of it. Knowledge empowers the workforce with the foundation of good decision making that results in fewer false starts and maximizing results.

“Quick wins” can be the kindling to the ‘fire for change’. Not only do they provide almost instant, and often times, highly visible improvements and savings, they serve to create motivation at all levels of the organization. A quick win can catch the eye of a much needed corporate sponsor or serve to create advocates out of influential yet unconvinced shop floor employees. Often times, the savings from a couple of quick wins can provide the payback for a complete change implementation.

If quick wins are the kindling to the “fire for change”, improving the business process 6 systems are the logs that allow for sustainment. Many change efforts fail because the focus is on quick wins rather than the foundational business and process improvements that are required to support long-term improvement. Solid processes that align with World Class principles, while respecting your unique business identity, allow a platform for training and structure for success.

For long term success, we have to move past the boundaries of a “program of the month” mentality. We have to embed the improvements in a way that the new becomes the norm; it’s the way we do business. It is vital that everyone understands their daily roles and responsibilities and know how their actions impact the business.

Often times, lack of sustainment is preceded by loss of interest and lack of expectations in the success of the improvement effort. Sustained interest, sustained expectations, and sustained reward/recognition and correction of non-compliance will result in sustained improvements.