Asset Transformation & Performance Improvement

Asset Heath Monitoring 

The growing need for high production output and cost efficiency has made asset reliability a pivotal factor in enhancing condition monitoring programs. This shift emphasizes the significance of monitoring asset health more frequently and comprehensively. However, despite these escalating demands, many organizations maintain the same levels of reliability personnel. This underscores the challenge of maintaining effective monitoring practices in the face of increasing requirements.

Needs Analysis - CMMS or EAM?

In asset management software, the distinction between CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) and EAM (Enterprise Asset Management) lies in philosophy and scope. CMMS focuses solely on maintenance, while EAM takes a broader approach by integrating multiple business functions. CMMS begins tracking post-installation, whereas EAM encompasses the entire asset lifecycle starting from procurement. CMMS targets single locations or limited multi-site support, whereas EAM offers extensive features for managing numerous sites and businesses.

An EAM system surpasses a CMMS, functioning as a comprehensive tool for holistic asset management, encompassing inventory, purchasing, documents, accounting, projects, multi-site management, performance analysis, and business intelligence. Organizations seeking effective asset management rely on EAM systems due to their unified and potent feature set tailored for asset-intensive operations. Thus, it's misleading to equate a CMMS with an EAM system; they represent distinct software types with differing approaches to asset management.

Common Reliability Methods

The terms MTBF, MTTR, MTTF, and FIT are integral in predicting the lifecycle reliability of products. These concepts aid customers in selecting appropriate products by offering quantifiable failure rate data. MTBF, MTTR, MTTF, and FIT provide numeric values derived from data compilation to indicate failure rates and anticipated performance durations. While the numeric value can be measured in various units of time, hours are commonly used in practice. These reliability metrics serve as valuable tools for making informed purchasing decisions based on a product's expected performance.

Reliability methods like MTTR, MTTF, and FIT are applicable to products or specific components. While MTBF is a primary measure of system reliability for most products, it's debated, occasionally rejected, and often misunderstood. Despite this, it remains useful for evaluating product purchases and installations. When considering MTBF, inquire about its currency and the underlying standards to make the best product choice for your installation.

Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM)

A systematic approach for developing maintenance strategies for complex systems, equipment, and assets. The primary objective of RCM is to ensure that maintenance activities are cost-effective and optimized for improving equipment reliability, safety, and overall performance.

RCM was developed as a response to the limitations of traditional maintenance practices, which often relied on fixed schedules or reactive maintenance. RCM focuses on identifying the most appropriate maintenance actions based on the criticality and functional requirements of each component within a system.

The RCM process typically involves the following steps:

• System Definition

• Function Identification

• Functional Failures

• Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)

• Maintenance Strategies

• Evaluation

• Implementation

RCM is particularly beneficial for complex systems where traditional maintenance approaches may not be suitable due to the interdependencies of components, the criticality of functions, and the potential for cascading failures.