ASSET PERFORMANCE STRATEGIES
Fig. 2. The reliability optimization pyramid
Next steps
Because projects often get abandoned before implementation, it is crucial that resources are set aside for the project’s next steps and that thought is given to how to implement results. Tasks should be clearly defined and grouped so technicians know, for example, if a lube sample should be taken as part of an equipment work order or if it should be taken only when directed by a separate work order. The outcome of the three steps in the previous section must be converted into a standby plan for spared equipment (Step 4), a maintenance plan (Step 5), an operator and process surveillance plan (Step 6) and a spares-preservation plan for all critical parts that need to be preserved (Step 7). It took RasGas about five years to transform all equipment strategies into actionable maintenance plans in its CMMS. These days, RasGas is linking more than 12,000 planned preventive maintenance (PPM) activities to 6000 work orders each month. Each piece of equipment now receives required maintenance based on its criticality and function. Every task is for the purpose of risk-mitigation. Prior to the equipment strategy project, most equipment tasks were visual and not value-added. Also, all FEBRUARY 2014
operator, maintenance, safety and engineering tasks are now linked to failure modes. Each task is defined in detail for what is to be done, who needs to do it and what follow-up actions are needed. These details are included with the work order. Implementation of operator surveillance (Step 5) was managed as a separate project that took about 18 months. More than 30,000 unique operator surveillance tasks have been implemented, roughly 80% of which are based on tasks defined through the company’s reliability project. The final step to an integrated assetmanagement program is to integrate and improve the quality of the individual programs outlined in Steps 1 to 7. This is a continuous process that involves use of root cause failure analysis (RCFA), bad-actor elimination and volumetric downtime tracking (VDT). Keep in mind that reliability excellence requires more than a focus on leading or lagging indicators: The complete reliability pyramid (see Fig. 2) needs to be addressed. The reliability pyramid is similar to the safety pyramid, where undesirable outcomes (fatalities) are at the top and desirable actions are at the bottom. It must be made clear that MAINTENANCETECHNOLOGY.COM | 21