Partnerships / Teams
Reliability cannot be achieved when various groups within the organization are in a subservient relationship to another.
Unfortunately in many organizations, Maintenance is considered a necessary evil. While many Maintenance groups have
opportunities for improvement, reality is that a successful reliability-centered culture requires the partnership of all
functions within the organization. All too often, Maintenance accepts the blame for items outside of their control. We have
done numerous Failure Modes Effects Analysis (FMEA) activities that highlight no matter how well Maintenance maintains
the equipment, if it is operated incorrectly; it will fail. Even central Maintenance functions like Planning and Scheduling
cannot be successful without a partnership with Operations and Materials Management. In addition, Planning and Scheduling
requires management support (partnership) or the reactive chaos never ends.
Partnerships are critical for organizational survival; partners establish a relationship based on mutual equitability for each.
This method of give and take together allows an organization to flourish and become successful.
For example if maintenance is going to be successful they must establish a partnership with Operations to obtain the
necessary equipment access. They must also establish a partnership with Materials Management and even external Vendors to
ensure necessary parts and materials are available. In addition a partnership with Management must be established to
remove roadblocks and barriers to safely, efficiently, and effectively complete activities.
People and Processes works with our clients to integrate all organizational functions into a cohesive team dedicated to
driving common goals, one of which is focused on increased reliability and capacity. We accomplish this through education
on team building and partnerships, followed with coaching and mentoring inside the workplace to remove the obstacles and
barriers.