by Paul V. Arnold

Bradley Schintzius is the industrial equivalent of a homebody. 

"I'm the kind of person who hates to leave the plant," says Schintzius, who manages most of the engineering and maintenance efforts for Dexter Corporation's specialty polymers facility in Seabrook, N.H.  "I don't like going to seminars and conferences.  I don't get much information from them. I have better ways to spend my work time."

Then what convinced Schintzius to leave his plant for five days in April?  And why does he talk enthusiastically about that business trip months later? 

"It was something else," he says. 

Figuratively and literally, it was.

"It" was certification.  

Schintzius took part in the Certified Plant Maintenance Manager program offered by the Association for Facilities Engineering.  AFE unveiled the program in December 1998.  Review and examination sessions, which began April 10, 1999, are held in selected cities on selected dates. 

Other maintenance certification programs have popped up in the past decade, but the CPMM has created a stir because of its scope and creator. 

AFE, a national organization with 9,000 members, started the highly touted Certified Plant Engineer program in 1976.  To date, more than 4,000 professionals have earned the CPE designation.  In its first two months, more than 70 pros have enrolled in the CPMM program, which includes four days of review sessions and a one-day test. Those wishing to take the exam without the benefit of a review session can do so at their place of employment.

"There are many certificate programs, but we are one of the first to offer complete maintenance management certification governed by a certification board and an association in the field of maintenance," says AFE certification manager Jennifer Gonzalez. 

The International Maintenance Institute, an organization with 24 regional chapters, developed certification programs meeting similar criteria in 1997.  IMI has individual programs for maintenance technicians and managers.  The AFE program is available to any maintenance employee with two or more years of experience, but is geared more toward managers in maintenance, plant engineering and facilities engineering.  

A third major organization, the Society for Maintenance and Reliability Professionals, is working on a certification program with similar eligibility requirements to AFE's.  (View "SMRP says its program would stand out from others") 

Certification programs such as these are designed to:
- establish standards of knowledge;
- recognize individuals meeting those standards;
- provide credentials recognized throughout the industry; and,
- encourage continuing education. 

The jockeying for position among maintenance organizations shows the growing importance placed on certification by maintenance employees and their companies.  

The pluses . . . 
"Maintenance professionals and companies are looking for a competitive advantage," says SMRP executive director Larry Fleischman.  "Certification can provide that advantage."

Such is the case with Schintzius and the Dexter Corporation. 

"I wanted to improve myself and my company," he says.  "Personally, I felt that if I wanted to move up in the company, or even move to another Dexter plant or a different company, having a CPMM after my name would let people that interview me know, 'He cares about his career. There is a little more professionalism here. He's trying to keep his skills current.'"

The CPMM review covers 10 units over four eight-hour days. The skill sets include:
- Maintenance management
- Inventory and procurement
- Training and work cultures
- Preventive maintenance
- Work orders (work flow/ planning and scheduling)
- Computerized maintenance management systems
- Maintenance financials and return on investment
- Predictive maintenance
- Reliability-centered maintenance
- Total productive maintenance 

Schintzius more than likely will be rewarded for such knowledge, and such a designation.  Research in non-maintenance fields shows companies pay more for employees with advanced skills and certification.  

A 1994 salary survey from Abbott Langer & Associates cited that individuals with AFE's CPE designation earn $5,000 per year more than those with no designation.  AFE's Gonzalez pictures similar financial perks for maintenance employees with the CPMM title.  Companies also can benefit from the educational programs. 

"The review material and textbook are arming me with the information I need to turn our maintenance department from reactive to one based in total productive maintenance," says Schintzius.  "I told our general manager and manufacturing manager we not only need to move in this direction, but for us to do so, all four of my senior mechanics would have to take the CPMM, too.  The department needed to be on the same page and understand where we were headed."

Schintzius' company bought into his vision? 

"We spent a couple thousand dollars to send two guys to the certification event in Greenville, S.C., in May and a couple thousand to send the other two to Los Angeles in June," he says.

. . . and the minuses
While Dexter Corporation felt potential improvements outweighed the price of training, some companies might not feel the same. 

Cost and time can be a factor.  Gonzalez says a participant's company foots the bill 95 percent of the time.  AFE's off-site program costs $995 for organization members and $1,115 for non-members.  Add the cost of traveling to the exam's host city, expenses and four to five nights of lodging and the bill rises to around $2,000 per person. 

Taking the CPMM exam at your plant (which does not include the informative, instructor-led review) costs $275 for members and $440 for non-members. 

IMI vice president Mark Hollas says its programs, on average, cost $8 to $10 per classroom hour.  IMI's Certified Maintenance Technician (Levels I, II or III) and Certified Maintenance Manager programs include more than 10 classes.  Each ranges from two hours to 24 hours.  

Companies want to know their money is going for something more than just a title and certificate.  While Schintzius applies what he learned, others might take the course strictly for personal reasons.  Certification looks good on a resume. 

"I haven't had a person or company tell me the program wasn't worth it," says Gonzalez. 

Besides cost, there is also time spent away from the plant.  How many plants can afford to have a maintenance manager gone five or six days to take the CPMM? 

Schintzius feels it was time well spent. 

"At first I was like, do I need to spend four whole days listening to these people?" he says.  "But every day was important."

This article appeared in the August/September 1999 issue of MRO Today magazine.  Copyright, 1999.

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