Worried about maintenance’s future?

by Joel A. Leonard

The Associated Press recently reported 42 percent of all airline crashes happen because of lax maintenance practices. In the next 10 years, with retirement of this generation and the reluctance of future generations to enter this field, analysts are predicting a 40 percent to 70 percent workforce evacuation. Also, with the increase in power outages, have we already reached a maintenance crisis?

To save short term costs many companies are abandoning apprenticeship programs, maintenance training and retiring workers they cannot replace. Technical schools are transitioning into four-year preparatory schools. Many managers report it currently takes approximately 100 interviews to identify two qualified candidates.

Many of the nation’s engineers are openly worried. In the zeal to cut any and all costs, careless cost-cutting is inhibiting long term sustainability and increasing costs and diminishing companies’ ability to grow and advance.

True stockholders are interested in today’s market rate for their stock and for their company’s long-term sustainability. Effective maintenance and reliability programs are critical to ensuring competitive capacity and minimizing operating costs.

However, most stockholders have never known or been armed with critical questions to hold management accountable for short- and long-term performance.

MPACT Learning Centers recently surveyed several of the top maintenance and reliability professionals, who provided us with the following questions stockholders should ask:

• Has your company implemented an asset management (Computerized Maintenance Management Software - CMMS) system? These systems are proven tools to improve performance, eliminate waste and maximize productivity; however, studies show only approximately 30 percent of companies have successfully implemented a CMMS.

• What is the average age of your maintenance staff? The current national average is 48 years old.

• Is there a formalized mentoring program? Organizations who have implemented this strategy already gained impressive results by engaging the older workforce and empowering the younger workforce.

• Is there a maintenance career progression path? Most organizations without this promote someone with minimal preparation or training. As a result, the lucky individual has earned the right to fail.

• How does the company plan to develop technical expertise while introducing new automation? Many organizations question the value of training with the idea of: "What if we train them and they leave?” The question should be: “What if we don’t train them and they stay?”

• How does the company assess the maintenance worker’s skill level? There should be a clear definition of the worker’s expected performance.

• Does your organization have a disaster recovery plan?

• Are all of your maintenance procedures and work-order activities documented?

• How does your organization recruit maintenance talent?

• What measures are being put in place to minimize the effects of the pending skills shortage?

• Does your company have a “pay-for-skills” program? Organizations that implemented this strategy decreased downtime and increased performance.

By stockholder’s seeking assurance that these issues are being addressed, they will generate balance between short-term performance and long-term sustainability.

Joel Leonard works for MPACT Learning Center and is a graduate of Elon University. With more than 15 years experience in the maintenance field, he installed hundreds of computerized maintenance management systems and spoke at many maintenance conferences. He is past National Vice President of Membership of the Association for Facilities Engineering.

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