From the Plant Floor

From the Plant Floor is a monthly column that explores reliability challenges faced by organizations and solutions to overcome them. In the column, Plant Services Contributing Editor Jeff Shiver shares common-sense approaches over a broad range of topics affecting engineering, maintenance, and operations.

Featured Article

Why your maintenance strategies fail: The importance of implementation over analysis
Maintenance

Why your maintenance strategies fail: The importance of implementation over analysis

Jeff Shiver argues that when your team takes ownership of the entire process, from analysis to implementation, then the results will follow.
6 can’t-miss checkpoints on the roadmap to reliability at your facility
Planned Maintenance

6 can’t-miss checkpoints on the roadmap to reliability at your facility

Jeff Shiver says use these six checkpoints to take your program to the next level, whether you're starting from scratch or have mastered some maintenance best practices.
How defining moments can make or break your maintenance program
Leadership Skills

How defining moments can make or break your maintenance program

Jeff Shiver explains how these moments force you to confront the weaknesses in your current practices.
Beware of AI-driven maintenance plans filling your CMMS with non-value work
Planned Maintenance

Beware of AI-driven maintenance plans filling your CMMS with non-value work

Jeff Shiver demonstrates how PM checklists generated using AI tools often miss the precision tasks that address your asset’s unique operating context, and can vary between multiple...
Steps to address the critical skills shortage in industrial maintenance
Workforce Development

Steps to address the critical skills shortage in industrial maintenance

Jeff Shiver shares short- and long-term approaches to overcome the lack of qualified maintenance and reliability workers.
2023 industry wrap-up: The best of From the Plant Floor
From the Plant Floor

2023 industry wrap-up: The best of From the Plant Floor

In this year-end wrap-up, we highlight Jeff Shiver’s most popular, most insightful columns.
Are Standard Job Plans Worth The Investment To Your Maintenance Team
Planning and Scheduling

Are standard job plans worth the investment to your maintenance team?

Jeff Shiver says unlock the potential of your historical data by transforming it into a library of reusable job plans.
Take Steps To Quantify The Value Of Your Preventive Maintenance Optimization Efforts
Preventive Maintenance

Take steps to quantify the value of your preventive maintenance optimization efforts

Jeff Shiver says both KPIs and qualitative feedback are crucial to capturing tangible results.
Is Templating Maintenance A Power Play Or A Shortcut To Failure
Maintenance

Is templating maintenance a power play or a shortcut to failure?

Jeff Shiver says the trick is to know your assets well enough to recognize where templating should stop and more individual care should start.
Understanding Human Error In Asset Reliability
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis

Understanding human error in asset reliability

Jeff Shiver says people commit errors, can identify errors, and can provide effective solutions.
Calculating Your Value Contribution To The Business 1
Workforce Development

Calculating your value contribution to the business

To drive success, Jeff Shiver says employees need to add value beyond their compensation costs.
Are Your Fme As Focused On The Asset Or Pant Level
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis

Are your FMEAs focused on the asset or plant level?

Jeff Shiver says take your continuous improvement efforts to the next level by expanding the scope of failure modes and effects analyses as needed.
Change Management
Change Management

How to overcome your workers’ natural resistance to change

Jeff Shiver examines ways to create a tipping point in your change leadership approach.
potential-failure-conditions
Preventive Maintenance

How to improve the identification of potential failures at your plant

Jeff Shiver says many tools can assist to determine potential failure conditions, but each type of asset has different needs.
workforce-training-knowledge
Workforce Development

3 common plant problems and how to overcome them

Jeff Shiver says clearly define responsibilities and implement a system to track performance and knowledge sharing.
goal-plan-roadmap
Maintenance

Develop a step-by-step roadmap to achieve maintenance success

Jeff Shiver says to deliver more successful execution, develop and carry out an initial plan, then build from there.
personal-development-goals
Workforce Development

Investing in yourself: Why personal development is essential for achieving career goals

Jeff Shiver says the perfect environment takes engaged management and individuals who commit to life-long learning.