Bespoke Lean RCM™ process is now trademarked

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New bespoke Lean RCM™ process is now trademarked and only deliverable to customers, in conjunction with the optional accredited qualification, through the IMPACT Masterclass™ programme by EMS Cognito, its licensed partners and by qualified and licensed facilitators within customers themselves.

Lean RCM™ is a unique methodology generating rapid improvements in reliability and productivity by combining Lean Thinking, Culture change and Reliability best practice. With a successful track record and customer success stories within diverse industrial applications such as; Automotive, Food & Drink, Plastics, Water, Recycling, Transport amongst others, perhaps it’s time to have a closer look.

This “stamp of quality-assurance” is a major benefit to customers giving them the peace of mind that the reliability, efficiency and safety of their processes are being optimised to industry best-in-class standards by individuals with accredited qualifications demonstrating their competence to lead the process.

By combining the rigour of RCM from the aircraft industry with the productivity-focused aspects of Lean Manufacturing and many years practical experience and understanding of the science behind behavioural change, the author has produced a process which is complete and by that nature out-performs other approaches to operational excellence such as Six-sigma, TPM and Lean itself.

Lean RCM is fast becoming an industry standard for asset-intensive organisations wishing to demonstrate to stakeholders and employees alike integrity in their approach to reliability, efficiency and safety. In terms of skills and professional development, having the Lean RCM™ qualification demonstrates to potential employers competence in a process that will deliver a strategy for high reliability and low maintenance costs.

Here are some commonly occurring questions about the process, its application and benefits:

  1. We’ve already got TPM is there anything new or different about Lean RCM™?
  2. Why is the qualification important?
  3. Who can deliver a Lean RCM™ programme?

 

1. We’ve already got TPM is there anything new or different about Lean RCM ™?

If I had a pound for every time I’ve been asked that question and for every time I’ve heard people defend one approach over the other, you wouldn’t have to read this article; I would be retired in a mansion in the Caribbean.

The answer for those seeking world-class maintenance, and the high levels of operational performance that go hand-in-hand, is you need both approaches. This is not a question of “either or” it’s a question of understanding how the two systems fit together to give you the optimum solution. Let me explain why.

  • First point, have you read these two books? Total Productive Maintenance by Seiichi Nakajima first published in English in 1988 is the only book you need to read to understand TPM; Other books produced on the same subject are just imitations or re-iterations of the same philosophies. Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCMii) by John Moubray, first published in 1991, guides you through the underlying principles of aircraft maintenance techniques and similarly, is the only book you need to read to understand RCM.
  • The strengths of TPM. The five pillars of TPM promote companywide involvement in maximising efficiency through involvement in maintenance and improvement activity.
  • The weakness of TPM. In Pillar 2 “Establish a thorough system of preventative maintenance for the equipment entire lifespan” the principle is sound but the methodology prescribed is very basic, it fails to convey the importance of establishing process functions and standards of performance, it doesn’t lead intuitively to the root causes of failure and provides no robust methodology for determining the best prevention methods and frequency of intervention. As a result, enterprises which establish TPM often engage in activities which add no value or worse can be detrimental to equipment performance. It is, perhaps, not surprising bearing in mind that this book was published 3 years before the publication of Reliability Centred maintenance by John Moubray.
  • The strengths of RCM. A very thorough, scientific and robust methodology for identifying why processes could fail to deliver the required functions to the required standard of performance and the most appropriate technical solution and frequency based on a thorough appraisal of the failure mechanism.
  • The weaknesses of RCM. Many early pioneers of this process focused overly on a maintenance solution involving maintenance personnel and failed to understand the need to engage the entire workforce from management to operators in understanding, application and implementation of the system. Unfortunately, many see RCM as a maintenance optimisation tool when in fact it’s a platform for achieving Operational Excellence.
  • Our Solution; Lean RCM™. In 2010, recognising the strengths and weaknesses of each of these two methodologies, EMS Cognito introduced the Lean RCM™ approach which combines all of the autonomous small-group activities associated with TPM together with the robust scientific failure prevention methods from the aircraft industry which go under the banner of RCM. Lean RCM™ delivers both TPM and RCM simultaneously giving an optimum solution for reliability employee engagement, autonomous maintenance and results.

2. Why is the qualification important?

The Lean RCM™ qualification is accredited by the SQA. This external verification by a respected and renowned qualifications authority guarantees a robust process is consistently and fairly applied in all situations across all industrial sectors.

As of 2018, EMS Cognito has trained hundreds of Lean RCM™ Practitioners and Facilitators in many industries including; Food & Drink Manufacturing, Water Industry, Recycling and Automotive industry with employees actively participating in programmes to gain this qualification.

There is a continued, strong demand for this qualification. As a result, we fully expect, over time, that the qualification will become an established and recognised standard for Reliability and Process Improvement professionals operating in manufacturing and industrial sectors.

For the individual:

  • The Lean RCM™ qualification is a recognised, externally verified qualification, that is credit-rated allowing comparison with other academic awards.
  • A desirable achievement for progressive Engineering, Maintenance and Operations team members and managers who are seeking to develop and further their careers.
  • A demonstrable benchmark of skills and competence in Lean and Reliability best practice

For employers:

  • In-house capability to deliver world-class continuous improvement strategies using the EMS Cognito IMPACT Masterclass™ Lean RCM™ materials and methodology
  • A demonstration of investment in people
  • Demonstrates to customers and consumers the desire to continuously improve and apply rigorous standards
  • Assists with skills measurement, development and progression of people through the organisation

 

3. Who can deliver a Lean RCM™ programme?

Lean RCM™ is deployed within any business by a cross-functional team of people normally consisting of operators, maintainers, subject matter experts and first line managers. The most important member of this team is the qualified Lean RCM™ facilitator whose role is to guide the team through correct and consistent application of the analysis process and the design of the outputs and management systems to ensure an effective operational and reliability solution.

EMS Cognito and its licensed partners act as the Lean RCM™ Facilitators and are able to train and qualify customers own employees to take on this role using licensed materials from EMS Cognito.

 

 

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