Ensuring reliability and maintaining industrial facilities takes many talents. Along with a real grip on the technologies and eccentricities of your plant and equipment, you must have a good understanding of manufacturing principles, finances, people and more.
One of the most important tools in your belt is your hard-won knowledge of what works. Through real-world experience, you've found products and brands you can rely on to give the best combination of performance, durability, low maintenance and reasonable cost.
We'd like you to share that knowledge by participating in our new recognition program, the Plant Services Readers' Choice Awards.
Determined solely by your response, these awards name the vendors that provide the highest value (as defined by lowest estimated lifecycle cost) in some 60 categories, from alignment instrumentation and vibration analysis to bearings, motors and lubricants.
Many of you know which belts take the least adjustment, whose paint is last to peel, or what EAM/CMMS package is the best buy. But few, if any, have experience in every one of the many categories of equipment, expendables, and supplies you might need now or at some point in the future. The Readers' Choice Awards will arm you with a quick reference to the preferences of your peers in areas where you might not yet have the data to form an opinion.
As you read this, we are e-mailing an invitation to participate to a select group of Plant Services subscribers (not vendors) who, according to our records, each have experience with many types of products. The message includes a link to the Web-based survey.
The survey presents the many categories and asks respondents to vote only in categories where they have practical experience. Voting is done for each category by typing in the name of the company that, in the respondent's opinion, provides the highest value (lowest estimated lifecycle cost). The fill-in-the-blank format means every supplier has an equal chancethe choices are not limited to a selection of entries determined by vendors, editors or other persons who are not practicing MRO professionals.
If you receive an invitation, we hope you'll take the time to vote in as many categories as you feel you are qualified to have an opinion.
In the February 2004 issue of Plant Services, we'll report a winner and runners-up for every category where we have a sufficient number of votes, along with the data. With your help, some of the best vendors in the MRO universe will receive deserved recognition, and you'll have a solid, valuable reference you can use to help you make critical buying decisions.
Paul Studebaker
Publisher/Editor in Chief
630-467-1300 x 433