This newsletter helps plant professionals stay up to date on industry developments.

ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS: WHERE IS MAINTENANCE & RELIABILITY HEADING? | NEMA UPDATES COULD SAVE YOUR BEARINGS

We are going to Mars. I'm so excited I think I just colonized myself.

A group called MarsOne (http://mars-one.com/en/), led by Dutch entrepreneur Bas Lansdorp, who founded Ampyx Power (www.ampyxpower.com) before selling his majority share to fund the Mars mission, has the world abuzz with the idea of leaving it forever.

There's a wonderful atmosphere in a big plant when not much equipment is running. You can hear yourself think. You can savor the smells and sounds of the plant, itself. The place feels almost alive, even when it's resting.

Downtime gives us an opportunity to savor the plant as it is and to consider what it could be. If we use the time wisely, we can set the direction we should travel, as individuals and as organizations. Later we will work to build the energy that will drive our plants to the next level.

One of the scariest topics ever touched by manufacturing or maintenance management is operator performed maintenance (OPM). The basic concept is accepted by consultants and top managers throughout the manufacturing world: The people most familiar with equipment are generally the operators. Given their familiarity with the equipment, they should be important partners in maintaining the equipment. With appropriate training they should be able to perform simple maintenance operations, especially those that are required frequently.

One of the contributing factors to the Maintenance Crisis is that boomers are not just retiring but major thought leaders are departing to eternity. We lost several years ago the wisdom and energy of John Moubray author of numerous books on RCM and Maintenance Management strategies that revolutionized industry processes and practices. In honor of John, I am posting a column he gave me on the 21st Century Maintenance Organization. 10 years after original publication, I would love to hear from industry to validate whether this approach still applies or not.

There is no more frustrating job than maintenance, at least as it is practiced in most of the shops I have visited. Lack of planning, surprise breakdowns, poor communication, and Murphy himself all conspire to keep tradespeople from doing the work they come in to do every day. It is common for wrench time, as a percentage of paid time, to be in the low 30 percent range at the beginning of an improvement effort. By the time the department reaches the 60 percent range, they are sneaking up on world class performance.

Since the "Zombie-land in the Maintenance Department?" was such a popular blog post, I expanded the topic into a conference session. The attendees at the Greater Philadelphia Facilities Management Show gave me rave reviews.

So if you can join me at the Capital Building & Facility Maintenance Show near DC, come as my guest. I guarantee that you will not have to endure death by powerpoint or be bored. This session will be provocative, entertaining, yet very practical and informative.

Register online at http://www.cb-fm.com/sessions.html

Session 5

Few things are worth a 20-year wait. A single-malt scotch, yes. French fries at the McDonald's drive-thru, no. Retirement pension, yes. Tickets to see Katy Perry, no. The SMRP annual conference, yes.

This newsletter explores the lighter side of industrial maintenance.

This newsletter offers strategies for production, maintenance and asset optimization.

ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS: ENTERPRISE IT | INTEGRATING MAINTENANCE AND SPARE PARTS MANAGEMENT