Up Time Magazine- February/March 2008

MEAN TIME BETWEEN FAILURE 16.00 14.00 12.00 this point, you must have a plan to stay on track. This is when you need true leadership and discipline. Remember the journey has a destination. It is reliability. A reliability effort like ours at Wells Dairy has had many different phases in its evolution. In some cases they are passions around the next best technology, or they could be simple things like getting all the work completed on work orders, or even completing all the PM’s on time. The focus could be on vibration, ultrasonics, condition monitoring, lubrication, work flow, and so on. A company can easily get focused on too many things and become an inch deep and a mile wide. We have done this in the past and know that it doesn’t work. Our vision now sets the direction for where we want to be, and our mission guides us in how we go about realizing the vision. We have begun to build the Reliability Plan. It is still a work in progress, but I am happy to say that it is well on its way and so are we. It’s interesting to note that several foundational aspects of that Reliability Plan have actually made it into our operational goals for 2008. In fact, Reliability is the first thing mentioned in the 2008 OGSP’s Goals, and this is a step in our journey that is very exciting. So, you see, you can get there. It simply takes perseverance, passion and purpose. Larry Hoing is the Reliability & Engineering Systems Manager at Wells Dairy, Inc. He learned the basics of reliability in the US Navy, where he spent 3 years managing the Interior Communications group aboard the USS Acadia. Larry began his career at Wells Dairy in Omaha, NE delivering milk and loading Trucks. A short time later he began working in the maintenance department and eventually worked at several facilities in Le Mars Iowa for Wells. In 1997, he moved on to maintenance planning, and currently he manages the reliability, MRO purchasing, and inventory efforts for Wells Dairy, Inc. Larry has worked at Wells going on 23 years. His personal interests include his family (he says he can’t wait to have grand kids) and biking (he has participated in 3 bike rides across the state of Iowa). Larry has also participated in several short Triathlons, just to see if he could. Last but not least, he loves a challenge almost as much as he loves Ice Cream! Larry can be contacted at 712-548-2328 or lmhoing@bluebunny.com Minutes 10.00 8.00 6.00 4.00 2.00 0.00 Ap r0 4 Ap r0 5 07 Ap r0 7 06 Ap r0 6 4 5 04 05 05 06 6 t0 Ja n t0 Ja n t0 Ja n Ju l Ju l Ju l Oc Oc Oc Ju l 07 Figure 4 - Wells Dairy, Mean Time Between Failure This was our new starting point, and also the end of innocence. We have looked at what we have done in the past, and now better understand where we need to go in the future. We have learned that if the complete focus is on the money, then short term gains will be made. The managers will is the only thing that makes this happen. However that approach is not sustainable, and it does not enable growth in the capabilities of employees or of the organization. The focus first has to be on doing the fundamental processes and practices correctly and consistently. Things like asset prioritization, lubrication, basic asset care, operator training, ergonomics, and safety, just to name a few. Some of you will wonder why I included operator training. I believe that is just as important as our maintenance crew training. In order to build a cohesive work unit you have to have capabilities that rise above the normal, and be proactive rather than reactive. From the foundational items of operational and equipment reliability, things need to Top Heavy progress and grow towards removing waste and variability in the processes and equipment we use to manufacture products. Without the foundation, nothing above it can be sustained for any substantial period of time. In the growth of the process you have to keep in mind that once you reach a new level you have to be able to support the foundation at the same time. You can not abandon previous processes just to move on to the new sexy or high tech process or tool. If your foundation is not strong and sustainable your new processes will eventually fail, just like the faulty pyramid in Figure 5. It might stand for a while but the more you top load it, the more unstable it will become. Buy in from groups outside of the engineering or maintenance group is just as critical as the buy in or acceptance of the maintenance and engineering groups as a whole. Having a plan that has diversity of function involved in it is critical to its long term success. The diversity I am referring to is that of the inclusion of operations, quality, and safety in the reliability plan. Take charge and present the need for a Process Reliability Plan or Engineering Reliability Plan. Make it a goal to bring knowledge and understanding to all levels of the organization, like teaching the VP of operations about fasteners and lubrication, all the way to actual training on condition monitoring with the line maintenance crews. Maintenance cannot stand on it’s own in the reliability arena, it takes a corporate understanding and commitment from all business units. When people begin to embrace the vision, the reliability journey is just beginning. At Missing Elements Figure 5 - Advances will not be sustainable without a strong foundation. www.uptimemagazine.com 73 http://www.uptimemagazine.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Up Time Magazine- February/March 2008

Up Time Magazine- February/March 2008 Contents Upfront Upclose: Lessons Learned from the Walter Reed Story Information Technology: Parenting and Asset Performance Infrared: It's Alive! Lubrication: A Sense of Change Maintenance Management: PdM, Standardized Motor Testing: Being Well Connected Precision Maintenance: How to be Marketable Reliability: The Voyage of Wells Dairy Ultrasound: Two is Better Than One Vibration: Diagnosing a Cracked Shaft Upgrade: A Different Kind of Journey

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