Maintenance Technology July 2014 - (Page 24)

RELIABILITY COMMITMENT In addition to their respect for a well-trained workforce, a hallmark of organizations that reach Best-of-Class (BOC) status is their attention to details in all matters. Thus, when it comes to training, BOCs don't simply develop and support the concepts and principles, they consider hundreds of details associated with that training. The "Typical CareerPath Development Training Plan for Machinery Engineers" (see sidebar) outlines some of those details. Based on real-world development plans that many BOCs use in conjunction with training roadmaps for reliability and other technical personnel, this document lays out a typical timeline and path for developing critical knowledge and skills in new, intermediate and advanced engineers. In the process, it highlights another crucial issue raised in Part 1: Development of knowledge and skills in reliability and other personnel is not a one-sided proposition. Rather it requires buy-in and ongoing commitment from both the company and the employee. Key resources that can be used to develop buy-in and commitment on both sides include the following: Trade Journals. Regular review of trade journals should form the first in a sequence of training obligations recognized by employer and employee. Training and information-sharing are mandatory endeavors at BOCs. Trade journals delivered to a BOC facility are typically routed to designated professionals for mandatory screening within three days of their arrival. When a topic prompts close review, the professional will likely forward a copy of the article 24 | MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY to a colleague for reading or filing. In a future performance appraisal, it will be easy to ascertain the degree of seriousness and diligence with which a professional handled the implied technology update. Promotions and salary increases belong to those who use trade journals to educate themselves. Shirt-Sleeve Seminars. An equally important obligation is the conscientious scheduling and presentation of "shirt-sleeve seminars." At the end of a safety meeting, a reliability professional will "roll up his sleeves" and make a brief (under 10 minutes) presentation on a subject related to asset reliability at that facility. There are hundreds of topics that could be presented, and preparation for making such presentations is a good opportunity for the presenter to learn from many sources: older employees, texts or from vendors and manufacturers. Highlights of the presentation should be written on both sides of a single sheet of paper, laminated in plastic and three-hole-punched for inclusion in a three-ring binder. As an example, the topic might be how to remove a coupling from a pump shaft (side 1) and how to remove such couplings from a shaft without causing damage (side 2). Much of the material suitable for shirt-sleeve-seminar presentations is easily found in current technical texts. A forward-looking and reliability-focused company facilitates acquisition of a technical library and encourages access to it. It can all start with a supervisor or manager being aware of the existence of relevant texts. Reading is not an imposition on a person seeking knowledge, nor is paying for such a book out of company funds a drain on company profits. Assembling a company technical library is one of the hallmarks of a modern facility, just as reading is a hallmark of true professionals. Local Meetings of Engineering Societies. Next, understand the third mutually agreed-to training opportunity. The reliability professional is our future subject-matter expert, or SME. One of his or her obligations is to attend local technical society meetings. Participating A Typical CareerPath-Development Training Plan for Machinery Engineers Based on real-world versions that many BOCs use in conjunction with formalized training roadmaps for reliability and other technical personnel, this plan reﬂects a timeline and path for developing new, intermediate and advanced engineers.* * This plan includes only a few examples of recommended reading materials, training courses, industry conferences and other resources. Reliability professionals are encouraged to explore additional resources, such as those available in the online version of this article at MaintenanceTechnology.com/Bloch. JULY 2014 http://www.MaintenanceTechnology.com/Bloch

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Maintenance Technology July 2014

Maintenance Technology July 2014