In response to these challenges companies have undertaken many initiatives to eliminate unplanned breakdowns and increase throughput, whilst some have delivered significant benefits, many companies are still struggling to address asset optimization issues and the constant challenge between Operations to keep the asset running and maintenance requesting downtime for Preventative Maintenance tasks still causes major friction in many organisation.

We believe that to achieve true optimisation requires an approach that breaks down the silos, changing the culture to empower the workforce and finding new solutions to existing problems using data and technology. A key component is the use of OEE as an overall measure rather than individual departmental measures so eliminate the departmental silos as everyone is focused on the one key improvement measure and when used correctly can identify “hidden losses” such as minor stops or reduced speed losses. Secondly, while Technology and the IoT can improve “visibility” on the condition of the plant, often we find that real benefits are not realised until we truly change the ways we operate and maintain the plant.

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The use of advance analytics can help identify the optimum settings for operations or the remaining life of key components for maintenance, it is only when we evolve of business processes and engage the employees to new actions and behaviours that the real benefits are realised.