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I have traveled to various industries throughout the United States and recently to Australia to educate reliability technicians,  engineers, and maintenance groups in the area of reliability. I have found that almost all are experiencing the same challenges with regard to sustaining programs. The only thing that’s different is the accent. Although I have encountered a variety of issues during my travels,  a few always seem to be at the top of the list:

• Communication
• Not our “first go round”
• Opportunity to implement some of the lessons learned
• Not taking the “first step”

It is said that the majority of all programs fail. If this is true, then what is/are the reason(s)? What’s the common denominator? Many times it comes down to creating a shared goal and communicating effectively with our groups. As simple as this may sound, many among the group are driven in different directions and do not work as a unit to reach the common goal.

Without a specific, clearly communicated goal we are destined to become another bad statistic. Without a goal, there’s no passion and without passion no drive for success.
The following guideline may be helpful to create a better effective goal.

Let’s be S.M.A.R.T when establishing a reliability program.

• S – Specific (be specific). If it’s a reliability program, what does it need to be successful? Correct parameters, alarms, reporting, etc.
• M – Measurable. You must be able to see if you’re making progress toward the goal.
• A – Action Steps. What can you do (first step) to launch your program in the right direction?
• R – Realistic. Stretch yourself, don’t let limiting beliefs prevent you from setting a goal. But don’t be unrealistic. You can always stretch out a little farther later.
• T – Time period. Set a specific time period. Your expectations toward achieving your goals cannot be open-ended.