Up Time Magazine- April/May 2008 - (Page 63) programs such as WebEx and GoToMeeting (there are many others) it is possible to deliver training with the following benefits: • You get all of the benefits of computerbased training • You still have personal contact with the instructor (you can ask questions, and participate in group discussions) The ultimate solution is to combine training methodologies: • Provide pre-training (via CBT or Internet) so that people can begin learning before they attend class. If you spend some time studying vibration analysis (either via CBT/Internet or just reading the manual), you will not be faced with totally new concepts during the course and you may already have questions to ask the instructor. In short, you will get much more from the course. • Provide resources after the course that will help them review the topics covered in the course. No matter how good the course may be, it is not possible to remember everything, and it may be weeks or months after the course that an issue comes up – it is very helpful to have access to training and reference material at that time. that make a successful condition monitoring program. The top two were management support and technical training. Appropriate training, from the shop-floor on up, can go a long way to solving both of these issues. There is nothing worse, as a vibration analyst, than having poor management support or poor ‘shop floor’ support. If a manager/supervisor does not genuinely agree with the philosophy of predictive maintenance, and if they have unrealistic expectations of your program, and especially if they really do not believe that vibration analysis can provide accurate information about the condition of a machine, then you are always going to be fighting an up-hill battle. And if you make a recommendation to replace a bearing, but you have to deal with mechanics who consistently disagree with your diagnosis (because they don’t understand vibration analysis and potentially feel threatened), then again your job can become very frustrating. What To Do About Shrinking Budgets? Unfortunately, the economic climate is changing. People are using the ‘R’ word… Sadly, one of the first casualties is the travel and training budgets. Now, I personally do not think it makes a lot of sense. In harder times you need to find ways to increase profit. Running a more successful vibration analysis program will increase profit through reduced downtime, reduced overtime labor costs, and in some industries, improved product quality. If you can justify a vibration analysis program, then that program is even more important when times are tough. But if the travel budget is slashed, take a closer look at computer-based training systems and distance learning courses. You will still benefit from what you learn, but you will achieve your goals with much less money. The Need For Corporate-Wide Training We performed a survey a few years ago to learn about the most important ingredients www.uptimemagazine.com 63 http://www.filterelement.com http://www.uptimemagazine.com
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