Why culture trumps technology when it comes to continuous improvement
No matter how much you think new technology will improve your ability to manage your physical assets, try to fight the impulse to buy. The hard work begins long before you purchase new software or hardware. This is true for any number of popular technology solutions, such as a CMMS, industrial internet of things (IIoT)-ready tools, or an asset tracking system.
Quality. For some companies, the biggest opportunity for improving processes is to “do it right the first time.” A CMMS can be used to highlight recurring problems, which, through root-cause analysis, can lead to significant improvement. For example, suppose recurring downtime on a piece of equipment is traced to improper lubrication. A process could be put in place to conduct a simple PM routine to lubricate the machine each day during setup.
Root-cause analysis of CMMS data could also highlight areas where further training is required for the operator and/or maintenance staff. Sometimes quality problems suggest the need for use of more-experienced maintenance personnel, contract specialists, or reliability engineers.
Cost. The third key driver of a continuous improvement program is cost reductions through productivity gains. The CMMS can report on areas of high cost and drill down to the supporting cost detail, especially if activity-based costing is employed. New processes can then be established to cut high-cost areas.
Examples of possible cost-cutting improvements include reducing inventory levels through better control of obsolete inventory; identifying bad-actor assets through downtime analysis; and training equipment operators to perform simple PM routines, setups, changeovers, and minor adjustments. Once the changes have been implemented, the CMMS can be used to monitor whether expected benefits are achieved.
