Maintenance Technology August 2015 - (Page 4)
MY TAKE
On the MaintenanceExcellence Trail
Jane Alexander
Managing Editor
Y
ou can listen to countless discussions and
presentations about something, frequently
edit articles and columns about it by
others, even write about it yourself from
time to time. In the end, though, nothing impresses
an editor more than seeing "something"-whatever
it is-in action. Such was the case with this month's
feature ("Excellence in Action at Johnsonville
Sausage," p. 22) about the successful maintenanceexcellence journey that Johnsonville embarked
upon in 2009.
I recently spent a whirlwind day touring three
fast-paced Johnsonville plants at the company's
headquarters campus in Sheboygan Falls, WI. In
that short time, I learned more about those worldclass manufacturing operations and the impact of
maintenance excellence in the real world than I
ever expected-or ever could have hoped for.
There's no question that maintenance
excellence is working for Johnsonville
Sausage, despite an almost
unimaginable range of challenges.
As contributing editor Bob Williamson has often
explained in our pages, "Maintenance excellence
is not a program to be implemented, but rather a
level of performance resulting from consistently
embracing, applying, nurturing, and improving
the way equipment and facilities are maintained to
the benefit of the overall business." Maintenanceexcellence efforts, in turn, often result in demonstrable short- and long-term business advantages of
maintenance best practices.
According to Williamson, with all of the
buzzword-based improvement programs that
have come and gone over the past two decades (or
more), it's still hard to put a number to how many
have really worked. There's no question, however,
4|
MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
that maintenance excellence is working for Johnsonville-despite the almost unimaginable range of
challenges with which its plant-maintenance teams
must contend, day in and day out.
My initial gut feeling was, if this company could
make corporate-wide maintenance excellence a
reality, any company could. But then, on second
thought, maybe not.
Johnsonville's maintenance-excellence journey
has several things going for it that other companies'
efforts may not have. The first is a remarkable
level of management buy-in. Indications of it
are everywhere-including strong support for
training of personnel, investment in equipment,
and encouragement for the maintenance teams to
journey on.
As this month's article points out, Johnsonville
appears to have recognized the enormous improvement potential that maintenance excellence holds
for the company's operations and, thus, views
the effort as a value-added part of the company's
business model. This could only be possible with
progressive leadership. (How does this attitude
square with that of your company's management?)
A unique company culture also plays a major
role in moving maintenance excellence forward at
Johnsonville. (You can read more about that in the
article.) I saw plenty of evidence in this regard. One
of the most tangible indications was the enthusiasm
for the company's efforts and the resulting improvement achievements.
Everywhere I went during the plant tours, I
met employees from all levels of the organization
(Johnsonville refers to them as "members") who
wanted to talk about their personal experiences
on the company's journey. Their passion for what
they do, their support of maintenance-excellence
principles, and their interest in helping spread
the word about the positive impact these efforts
have on the company's equipment, processes, and
bottom line told the story best.
Please turn to page 22 and read about Johnsonville's continuing maintenance-excellence journey
for yourself. Then, let me know about yours. MT
jalexander@maintenancetechnology.com
AUGUST 2015
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Maintenance Technology August 2015
My Take
Uptime
For On The Floor
Industry News
Ultrasound: Aural Intelligence
Excellence in Action
Cool Advice on Hot Motors
Step Up to Greater Electrical Awareness
Keep Hydraulic Fluids Contamination Free
Five Steps to Workplace Desirability
Put a Good Base Under Your Pumps
QR-Code POI System for Quick Problem Solving
Products
Marketplace
Contrarian View
Ad Index
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