Posts by Transformational Performance Solutions, LLC
Can You Count on Your Equipment? (Part 2)
Starting a Lubrication Program To start a lubrication program, you need to understand that there are several different substances that can be used to lubricate a surface. The most common are grease and oil. Grease is comprised of oil and a thickening agent. The thickening agent’s job is to retain the desired consistency, while the…
Read MoreCan You Count on Your Equipment? (Part 1)
Reliability Engineering at its best is a sub-discipline of systems engineering that emphasizes dependability in the lifecycle management of a product. New parts fail in three phases along the bathtub curve (a widely used example in reliability engineering). The bathtub curve has three phases – the early failure, constant or random failures, and wear-out failures,…
Read MoreWhat Makes You a Leader
This post, is a follow up with some history about leadership and what makes you a leader. Most of us do not get the opportunity to spend 8 years studying leadership and style in the pursuit of a doctorate, and then follow it up with seven years and counting of post-doctoral work on the subject,…
Read MoreTake Ownership for Reliability
I have found that in order to be successful at anything we do, we first need to look at the leadership involved and the key aspect to that is taking Ownership. As one of my friends reminds me, “Ownership is The One Grand Key that Changes Everything Else.” Why should you read this post? Well…
Read MoreWhat to STOP Doing
Best Practice There exists no better example of herd mentality than that of best practices. I have always thought that a so-called best practice stops the minute it is branded as such. Best practices defend the status quo and limit innovation by ensuring people/processes follow the same practices. You cannot distinguish by accepting likeness. The…
Read MoreReliability Leadership is all about Ownership
The latest trend in maintenance and reliability is to take shortcuts. This approach, which rarely succeeds, often is determined at the senior leadership level and without the knowledge necessary to make the right decision. Eventually, these leaders will be forced to choose whether they wish to remain victims of their bad decision or take ownership…
Read MoreProper Lubrication Starts with the Best Lubricants.
If you are using a lubricant with a gas company’s name on it, you are using the wrong lubricant. In 1839 (20 years before oil was discovered), Schaeffer Manufacturing Company provided grease and oils for wagon trains and steamboats. Times and technology changed. So did Schaeffer. Since then, they have developed many of their current…
Read MoreHow do you Build a Skilled Trades Workforce
The skill level of an organization’s team is a solid indication of the effectiveness of its reliability efforts. Having the right skills are key to the elimination of improper installation. Without the right skills, reliability is not possible. First and foremost, apprenticeships help businesses develop highly skilled employees. Apprenticeship programs also reduce turnover rates, increase…
Read MoreYour Storeroom is the Hub
The level of service in an organization’s storeroom is a solid indication of the effectiveness of its reliability efforts. Having the right parts is key to the elimination of improper installation. Without the right parts at the right time, reliability is not possible. What is the impact of not having the right parts? One thing…
Read MoreAre we using it Right?
Improper installation is the third of three causes of unreliability. To remember how to combat this portion of unreliability, I think of it as having the right person with the right part at the right time. Improper installation is made up of several parts; start your elimination of unreliability before the systems enter your building.…
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