Life Cycle Engineering Articles
Our expert staff is well known throughout the industry for its breadth of knowledge gained through years of practical experience. The following articles, written by members of our staff, have been published in industry journals and Web sites.
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Why Do You Need a Systematic Management of Change Process?
By Carl March, P.E., CRE, CMRP
As appeared in the July Edition of RxTodaySupporting data reveals that as much as 22% of reliability problems faced in manufacturing is caused by uncontrolled changes. These include process and equipment configuration changes such as alterations, modifications and new installations. Evidence of this correlation was apparent from as early as the 1960s, which led to what was then referred to as Configuration Management.
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Eight Common Misperceptions of Management of Change
By Sam McNair, P.E., CMRP, Life Cycle Engineering
As appeared in the July Edition of RxToday
Whenever I mention Management of Change to plant personnel, I generally get one of several predictable responses. The knowledgeable ones will cite the regulation OSHA 1910.119(a)(2) and tell me that they aren’t a “covered process” so that it does not apply to them – generally with a great sigh of relief. Another frequent response is: “We have a drawing management procedure, but we are so far behind it would take years and resources we don’t have to catch up.” Others still will tell me that they have a perfectly fine procedure for their managers to approve small projects and alterations. And a few will sheepishly think about the pennies and nickels filling up their car’s ash tray. So what is Management of Change (MOC)? -
Why is Criticality Analysis important?
By Donald Ray
As appeared in the June Edition of RxTodayHave you ever wasted time and money replacing one electrical component after another on your car, only to find a loose ground wire? The problem would have been located sooner with less cost by using the recommended code analysis tool and information. Not utilizing analysis tools and information to manage plant assets also results in wasted time and money. Criticality analysis is the tool to use if you want to improve reliability and manage plant assets based on risk instead of perception.
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What Do Your Preventive Maintenance Tasks Really Do For Your Asset Care Strategy?
By Jeff Jones
As appeared in the June Edition of RxToday
Proper asset care is critical to ensure that equipment is available to meet production schedules, support process flows and comply with environmental, health, safety, and regulatory requirements. Asset care is the execution of the most cost effective control strategy to address the predominant failure modes of that particular asset with its operating envelope. The intent of this strategy is to provide the required asset utilization at the lowest life cycle cost while also ensuring the asset makes it to the budgeted end of life. This care could be an operator care task, a predictive technology, a preventive maintenance task or job plan, and even doing nothing at all (run to failure). -
Re-imagining Leadership, Re-energizing the Workplace
By David Marquet
As appeared in the June Edition of IMPACT
We are in the midst of an epidemic of apathy and anemia in our workplaces. By many measures workplace satisfaction, happiness and worker engagement are dropping. Workplace satisfaction in particular is at an all time low since the Conference Board starting conducting its survey in 1987. The costs of this dissatisfaction and disengagement are huge in terms of productivity for employers and in terms of happiness for employees. -
What are coaching cards and how are they used?
By Joe Mikes, CMRP, Life Cycle Engineering
As appeared in the May Edition of RxToday
Coaching cards are a critical component of a comprehensive change management program. They are used to make sure that the change that an organization has put in place is actually working as planned. Using coaching cards creates a non-threatening opportunity to meet with those people living with the change in their daily lives and help them to be successful. -
Asking the Right Questions, Driving the Correct Behaviors
By Bob Call, CMRP, Life Cycle Engineering
As appeared in the May Edition of RxToday
It’s a challenge to attain any type of significant improvement in business. I am certain that many of you, like me, have tried every method you know to drive improvements in your operation only to find that things pretty much stay the same, or even get worse. You ask yourself “Why can’t we get better?” -
Tapping Into the Most Powerful Force in the Universe
By Scott Franklin, Learning Consultant, Life Cycle Engineering
As appeared in the May Edition of the IMPACT newsletter
More and more organizations are realizing that their future strength lies in developing and cultivating a culture of continuous improvement. Inspiring each and every employee – specifically those closest to the front line – to find ways to make improvements, remove waste, and increase efficiency creates the organizational equivalent of compound interest. Over time, the payoffs can be tremendous. -
Finding the Hidden Teachers in Your Organization
By Tara Denton, Life Cycle Institute
As appeared in the IMPACT newsletter
The only true competitive advantage a company has is its employees’ ability to learn, grow and change so they can discover, improve, innovate and meet the challenges of a dynamic marketplace. Today’s agile companies know that learning and continuous improvement is a priority. Training Magazine’s 2009 Industry Report published that the average organization spent approximately $484,000 on training-based investments last year. -
Yogi Berra, Change Consultant
By Scott Franklin, Learning Consultant, Life Cycle Engineering
As appeared in the IMPACT newsletter
Early in his change management career, Yogi Berra was advising a professional sports organization in New York on some of the finer points of managing change. At the executive briefing, Yogi delivered his Change Management Theory overview – which he summed up in this single statement: “You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might end up someplace else."
