6/6/07-Where Do I Start?

One of the most common questions we get from maintenance professionals is, "Where do I start?". If you are trying to establish a proactive maintenance program, and are struggling with reactive work, overloaded staff, a limited budget and competing priorities it makes sense to ask this question.

So what's the answer? Believe it or not, the answer is nearly always the same. You need to find someone at the highest level of the organization to accept a role as your defender and supporter. Without a leader on your side who understands the stakes and the challenges you face, your program is on shaky ground. The kind of person you need is rare. Very few corporate leaders have a background in maintenance.

As a maintenance professional, you can do yourself and your team a huge favor by identifying the most likely top leader for your initiative, and and spending the time to prepare him or her for the role. You don't need to turn them into a maintenance manager, but they do need to understand the basics, and the payback for focusing on reliability instead of short-term results.

It is a big shift in thinking to let go of a production oriented focus to one of reliability. Without it, your operation will never achieve optimum performance, no matter how hard you try. Show your leaders how maintenance can contribute to the bottom line.

We have worked with facilities that have doubled their monthly profits through proactive maintenance. That kind of result is what business leaders will notice.

Learn More in the 5 Pillars: Maintenance & Reliability Professional Review Course