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Get Ideas & Get Inspired

Tap into the Fiix network to share your experiences on how to build your leadership skills, manage your team and evolve your maintenance strategy

119 Posts

Emma MuldoonRetired Team Fiix

published in Supercharge your maintenance strategy

Good, fast, cheap - You get all 3 with OT integrationsOn-Demand

The saying goes “good, fast, cheap, pick two” but when it comes to linking your operational tech to your CMMS, you don’t have to choose. Fiix’s open API has enabled customers to save hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. And realizing these efficiencies is easier, faster, and cheaper than you think. Watch Fiix experts Alex and James as they demystify operational technology (OT) integrations by: Busting misconceptions around the cost, complexity, and effort required to get your equipment talking to your CMMS Showcasing the benefits, including how OT integration is the pathway to condition-based and predictive maintenance Providing real world examples of how quickly Fiix users have realized ROI When and how you can get started

Emma MuldoonRetired Team Fiix

published in Supercharge your maintenance strategy

James' Hot Take on OT Integrations

“Having been a part of many of the integrations we've completed at Fiix, this is a topic I have a lot of excitement for!” James Binckly, Product Manager at Fiix. Integrations are often seen as a daunting task, however, in James' experience it's quite the opposite. Watch to hear what an OT integration looks like in reality and how it can save you time, money and improve your asset performance. Watch the full webinar recording!

Emma MuldoonRetired Team Fiix

published in Supercharge your maintenance strategy

Integrate Fiix with your operational technology without blowing your budget or doing any IT work

Huge shout out to @Tdufton for participating in a case study with our team! It’s great to see Fiixers share and celebrate their success.Read the story of Perth County Ingredients, a food processor that integrated its PLCs with Fiix in two weeks and used this integration to save $40,000 in nine months. If you want to read the full case study check it out here.But first, what does it mean to integrate with operational technology (OT)?How it works Getting equipment data from a PLC, MES or another OT system into Fiix is hard to do manually. But, the good news is, there’s software that eliminates manual data collection. This software receives information from your OT systems and automatically sends it to Fiix. The connection between the three systems is an integration. What happens to the data in Fiix? Once equipment data is flowing to Fiix, it can be used to automatically create and schedule work orders based on your pre-set triggers. For example, if a machine runs for a certain number o

Emma MuldoonRetired Team Fiix

published in Supercharge your maintenance strategy

Alex's Hot Take on OT Integrations

“It’s changing the game for maintenance in a lot of different ways.” Alex Topper, Customer Success Manager at Fiix. Watch to understand why Alex thinks operational technology (OT) integrations have been a game changer for his clients, saving them time and money by automatically triggering work orders in Fiix with real time data. Watch the full webinar recording!

Christa BrownFiix Community Team

published in Growing as a leader & people manager

Celebrating our community leaders 🥳

Since the launch of our community we have seen such great conversations among our Fiixers. In fact, you are answering each other’s questions over 90% of the time…a stat that puts The Fiixers in world-class community status! So, to continue our 1-year anniversary celebrations, this week we want to shine a light on some of our top contributors who have helped make this space such a great place to learn and grow!@ryanr @htullos @mtperkins @bshafer @MichaelUD @Michelle J @Tdufton @RalfK @cstevens @Tina Brown Note: The more you engage within the community the more points you earn! See where you rank on our full leaderboard here → Collectively these Top 10 community leaders have posted almost 400 times, so odds are one (or more) of them has helped you by taking the time to share their experience. If so, add a quick message below 👇 to say, thanks 🙏. As we continue to grow our community of Fiixers, we encourage everyone to get involved! Tell us in the replies below if there are topics you

john reeveNew Member

published in Supercharge your maintenance strategy

The Bad Actor Report: Reasons Why Organizations Fail to Perform Failure Analysis

Continuing with The Bad Actor Report series, in this article we’ll take a deeper dive into the reasons why organizations fail to perform failure analysis. If you missed my first post, you can check it out here ⤵ There are a few different reasons why organizations fail to perform failure analysis: Many fail to leverage failure data from their CMMS due to bad data. Some organizations simply do not believe the CMMS should be used for failure analysis. In other instances, leadership teams do not believe the working level will consistently enter failure data due to a fear of being micro-managed by the data they enter. Lastly, some administrators set up failure codes but they are too high a level to add value, e.g., “mechanical issue” which is too vague for analysis. As it is, many organizations capture nothing. But at the other end you have root cause failure analysis, which is quite extensive. Which leads to my next point of what is the right level of detail for failure data? The

john reeveNew Member

published in Supercharge your maintenance strategy

Defect Elimination Discovers Hidden Problems

Some organizations form defect elimination teams which include representatives from operations, maintenance, and engineering. This team may be assigned to performing a walk-down of a problematic system. When issues are discovered, they may be tagged and assigned a work order, but in some cases, the defect team may perform an immediate fix. As shown in the figure below, defects can be introduced anywhere in the life cycle. Example DefectsOperating procedure incorrect Excessive rust/corrosion Broken indicator light Potential hazards; missing guard covers Excessive fluid leakage; oil leakage at joints Pipe hangers missing (or not adding proper support) Defective wiring; broken conduit; broken junction box Operating valves not tagged (as commonly used in LOTO) Sight glass broken; Gage missing acceptable range coloring Gage too small -- ergonomic issue; proximity sensors not working Missing CMMS Asset Identifier; Asset altogether missing in CMMS Housekeeping (cleaning) needed – which may

marccousineauRetired Team Fiix

published in Growing as a leader & people manager

Five questions to help maintenance and operations solve scheduling conflicts

Scheduling conflicts are right up there with hold music and bumper-to-bumper traffic as one of the most annoying things in the world. And when maintenance and operations schedules clash, tensions can run high.The five questions below can help both teams work through scheduling conflicts without either side feeling slighted.While you’re here, have you ever had to convince your peers to give maintenance some time on equipment? What was your game plan?

john reeveNew Member

published in Growing as a leader & people manager

Worker Safety is Usually a Result of Integrated Communication

Worker safety, and asset integrity, requires a thoughtful process and the CMMS plays an important role. The pink rectangles in the figure below highlight areas where worker safety and asset integrity can be emphasized. How to highlight worker safety and asset integrity: Verify requirement for safety plan with all work. Certain job steps require special denotation (boldness or color) to highlight potential for injury. The maintenance technician, before starting job, should assess overall level of risk once at job site; Worker reviews pre-job checklist. HSE manager should be notified of high-risk operations (and maintenance) – and be present. Planner must assign the right skill set to the job; similarly, the supervisor must assign the right qualification. At start of each shift, maintenance supervisor should conduct a JHA/JSA. At end of shift, if job not complete, technician must place job site in safe condition. When updating CMMS, be sure to provide feedback of other h

john reeveNew Member

published in Growing as a leader & people manager

Overcoming the Challenges of Poor Communication

There can be 3 types of communication: Leadership dictates Conversation within a department Conversation between departments (e.g., operations and maintenance) Communication breakdown occurs when there is a lack of trust between the working level and management. Similarly, the CMMS can have KPIs that present the wrong emphasis. An example of this would be KPIs that only focus on worker productivity and nothing on asset performance. It helps to remember that the CMMS is best used as an asset management system and not a people tracking system.The Iceberg PrincipleFor many organizations, problems don’t always get relayed to the top. The reasons could be numerous. The figure below shows the percentage of issues that are known – but not reported. With percentages this high it is important for leadership to find multiple ways to communicate. Reasons why problems do not get communicated:Operators marked up check-cards (paper) and turned these in, but no one had the time to convert digital

Christa BrownFiix Community Team

published in Supercharge your maintenance strategy

A maintenance manager’s guide to creating and using FMEAs

Risk can never be eliminated, but it can be managed. This is especially true in maintenance. Equipment failure is inevitable. But knowing how to reduce the likelihood of failure, and how to react when it happens, is critical to success.This article - by @marccousineau in consultation with Fiixers @jasonafara, @crog jr, and @Thibaut - outlines a strategy maintenance teams can use to manage risk with FMEAs.A failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) is a tool for understanding and anticipating failure so you can limit its impact. In this article, you’ll learn:What an FMEA is The different types of FMEAs How to create an FMEA And how maintenance teams can use an FMEARead the full article on the Fiix website → And post any questions or comments you have regarding the article right here 👇

john reeveNew Member

published in Growing as a leader & people manager

Promoting a Culture of Reliability and Trust

The potential to deliver value is massively increased when everyone is pulling together in the same direction and speaks the same language. Asset management tools and technologies are always important but it is the engagement of the workforce, the clarity of leadership, and the collaboration between different departments that creates best-in-class organizations [The Institute of Asset Management]. Someone once said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”. This means no matter how well your procedures and work orders are written, if the staff lacks buy-in, the outcome may be sub-standard. The ideal organization will understand the mindset of the working level. They will use the business analyst to make scheduled visits to listen, assist and train. By implementing a defect elimination program, staff becomes aware of attending to even minor problems before they become bigger issues. The goals and objectives of an asset management system begin with the mission statement, asset management po

Christa BrownFiix Community Team

published in Supercharge your maintenance strategy

SPECIAL OFFER: 20% off a Fiix Health Check 🩺

Just as it's recommended to visit your doctor for an annual physical, Fiix recommends performing an annual CMMS health assessment to reveal certain areas where you can take action to improve KPIs. @Steve_Ricard hosted a great session about this at Fiix Forward 2021 (available to watch on-demand) where he explained how a Fiix health check can help you: Identify new KPIs that were not envisioned during your implementation Adopt more advanced CMMS features to gain workflow and communication efficiencies Review and adjust your data structure for enhanced reporting to better inform business decisionsAnd now, the exciting news… We’re extending our Fiix Forward special offer to all Fiixers community members Community members get 20% savings! See flyer for all the details →*Offer available until December 31, 2021

john reeveNew Member

posted in Growing as a leader & people manager

A RACI Chart Provides Clear Responsibilities

RACI stands for: Responsible Accountable Consulted Informed This type of chart provides a matrix of essential tasks assigned to roles. An individual might be accountable for the accuracy of input but not necessarily the one who enters the data. Generally speaking, everyone is informed in some manner. For a given task, there should only be one role that is accountable (as shown in all black background). When unclear roles exist however, key tasks may not be done and/or lack accuracy. Software training should include the RACI chart along with review of business rules and definitions. Do you rely on RACI charts at your organization? If so, can you share an example?

john reeveNew Member

posted in Growing as a leader & people manager

Organization, Technology and Process

Organization Stating the obvious, every organization is different in terms of purpose and size. From an asset management perspective, the figure below shows recommended positions for the ideal organization.But because not every organization is the same there can be many omissions, in which case, it all comes down to how you use the staff you have. For example, if no core team exists, then all of those duties fall to the CMMS Administrator. If no reliability team exists, then failure analysis falls to the reliability engineer. If no reliability engineer exists then the planners become the “go to” guy. TechnologyThe CMMS, although not a department, plays a key role in the success of the organization by adding efficiency and decision-making capabilities, such as: Power features such as automatic PM-WO generation and auto-reorder of spare parts. Work order print report; daily plan matrix, weekly maintenance schedule, backlog trend reports, etc. Mobile solution (in addition to deskt

Christa BrownFiix Community Team

published in Supercharge your maintenance strategy

How to manage an effective storeroomFiix Forward 2021

During this session at our user conference, Fiix Forward 2021, @NickRamkay shared his 4 pillars for managing an effective storeroom. 1 - Clear roles & responsibilities using RACI chart (responsible, accountable, consulted, informed) 2 - 9 strategic processes that are enacted no more than 4 times a year 3 - 15 tactical processes that are enacted no less than 12 times a year4 - Storeroom KPIs to measure and adjustInventory accuracy Inventory service level Inventory turns 🎬 Watch the full session ⤵ It became clear from the chat that this is a topic a lot of us struggle with:“I started at a new company June 2020 as Parts Coordinator and it has taken me 15 months to get 80% of our stock room/stock area inventoried. I started with machines components first. It is a big mountain to climb, but doable!”“I am a Maintenance Manager, so can focus just on store room. How I did it is the same idea: one bin, one shelf at a time. You will see results in a year or so.”“In my experience, there is

Christa BrownFiix Community Team

published in Growing as a leader & people manager

CMMS roles and hiring for diversityFiix Forward 2021

@kabrams kicked off this session at our user conference, Fiix Forward 2021, by introducing the ABCs of a Fiix Champion and outlining a champion framework that she’s observed at organizations with some of the most successful Fiix programs. @Joe McVay then discussed other possible scenarios and some of the most common pitfalls we’ve observed with different organizational configurations. Which ultimately led to a conversion around when and how to grow your CMMS team! So, @delpeachy, the Director of Talent and Diversity at Fiix and a Professor of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace at George Brown College, stepped in to help answer some of our questions and explain why hiring for diversity is something we should also consider. A question from the audience, “Is this right - is diversity a persons, IQ, sex, race, professional education of skilled trade or a persons ancestry? or all of these?” Prompted this response, “Great Topic, has anybody started this topic in The Fiixer

delpeachyRetired Team Fiix

published in Growing as a leader & people manager

Inclusive leadership part IV: Applying inclusive leadership in your day-to-day

Every big accomplishment is born from small, consistent efforts to get better. Steph Curry spent thousands of hours practicing his shot before winning a championship. Dolly Parton dedicated decades of her life to music on the way to becoming one of the highest-earning musicians of all time. The same is true for inclusive leadership. There is no three-month plan to be more inclusive. There’s no hack to achieve diversity. Being an inclusive leader means embedding a series of small, intentional practices in your everyday routine as a manager.This post explores some practices to build into your day-to-day so you can establish and grow an inclusive culture in your department and organization. One-on-one meetingsA core concept of inclusive leadership is getting to personally know each employee. This helps you understand their unique background and motivations. One-on-one meetings help you develop this relationship.These meetings are a way to create a dedicated space to talk about work, the e

Christa BrownFiix Community Team

published in Supercharge your maintenance strategy

Wow. You made Fiix Forward 2020 a HUGE SUCCESS 🎉

Thank you to the 550+ of you that registered for our first ever user conference. It was incredible to connect (virtually) with hundreds of Fiix users from all over the world 🌍We had messages from the UK, the Netherlands, South Africa, Australia, all over the US, and even from the honorary 8th wonder of the world, Niagara Falls (not sure if from the US or Canadian side 🤔)We would have loved to bring our community together in person (it would have to be a BIG room). However, there’s something special about a virtual conference bringing people together in times like this across many miles and time zones. 👏👏👏 A round of applause and heartfelt kudos to our Fiixer community members Thank you @Leombruno94 and @cstevens for bringing to life our conference theme, Discover what’s possible. Be sure to check out the recording of their session! You can binge on-demand 👀There was a lot to take in over the 2-days with topics ranging from strategies for growing and developing as a leader and ma

john reeveNew Member

posted in Growing as a leader & people manager

Department coordination and communication

In a previous post, I discussed organizational stakeholders versus shareholders and the strategic roles required in creating the ideal asset management team ⤵ From here, I focused on the ideal make-up of the reliability team - providing a list of the possible roles at the table and duties for this group in this post ⤵ Next, let’s focus on the key responsibilities of the Operations and Maintenance groups to facilitate department coordination and communication. Operations Initiate work order requests whenever functional failure is evident, or in the case of a system defect. Specify whether this work is emergency, urgent or can be properly planned/schedule (i.e., routine). Operations should support scheduled PM activities that require scheduled downtime. Operations leadership should sit with maintenance and identify assets that need occasional refit/overhaul/upgrade and identify planning window. Operations should support permitting activities and lock-out, tag-out requests.

Christa BrownFiix Community Team

published in Growing as a leader & people manager

🏁 Session Highlight 🏁 Fast track the key lessons learned over 1000s of Fiix implementationsFiix Forward 2021

Whether you're just getting started, you're interested in re-evaluating or re-commissioning, or you're embarking on your next implementation at another site, join @Steve_Ricard and set yourself up for future success. With any new software implementation, there can be a tendency to want to implement as many features and new processes as possible during the initial roll out. After 1000s of CMMS implementations, the Fiix experts from our professional services team have some advice on how to breakdown your implementation into manageable steps.Join this session at our annual user conference, Fiix Forward 2021, to:Fast track the key lessons learned over 1000s of Fiix implementations Understand how to rollout features in a staged approach to achieve the best end result Learn how you can re-commission if you missed some of these steps along the wayFiix implementation strategy: Crawl, walk, runMonday, September 27, 11:10AM - 12:10PM ETREGISTER for this session and more at Fiix Forward 2021 → �

john reeveNew Member

published in Growing as a leader & people manager

The ideal organization understands asset management

Every organization, regardless of size, has assets which are operated and maintained. The ability of leadership to extract value from these assets is a key factor in their success. Leadership is also responsible for providing a clear vision of what the goals of the organization are. Asset intensive organizations will use a CMMS to assign priorities, schedule work, and conduct failure analysis. The ideal organization will use the software to support decision making. It is the best-in-class organizations that use this system in this manner to make a difference and remain competitive. Clarification of termsAsset management is the process of maximizing asset value in a cost-effective manner. It is also about worker productivity, safety and process efficiency. Similarly, it is important to work on the right asset at the right time with the right strategy. Key indicators for success include reliability, availability and maintainability. The CMMS provides the technology for documenting work a

john reeveNew Member

published in Growing as a leader & people manager

Reliability team duties

Having a reliability team is seen as a strategic role. The make-up of this group really depends upon the organization. Possible roles at the table include:HSE Manager: Safety training, accident investigations, LOTO, management of change Asset Manager: Analytical reports, recurring problems, KPIs/metrics Reliability Engineer: Engineering, issues with assets, RCAs Planner/Scheduler: Backlog trending weekly schedule, PM-job plans, outage planning CMMS Coordinator: Time in status, present reactive, work order feedbackBelow is a list of possible duties for this group:Review bad actor report and drill down on failure mode/cause. Review condition monitoring data trends and exception readings. Talk with craftsman about new CBM work order and suggested deadline. Track cost avoidance savings as linked to CBT discoveries. Evaluate negative asset condition trends. Initiate Root Cause Analysis (RCA) when warranted, i.e., thresholds exceeded; assign lead; monitor status. Perform risk-based criticali

Christa BrownFiix Community Team

published in Supercharge your maintenance strategy

🏁 Session Highlight 🏁 Do you know the maturity of your work order data?Fiix Forward 2021

By popular demand, we’re bringing our Best-in-class work order series from the community to Fiix Forward 2021. Join @Alex.Topper and @jasonafara as they step through this 5-staged framework to progressively improve the quality and level of detail in your work orders so that you can unlock deeper data insights and improved performance. They’ll outline the goal for each stage, the value you can unlock by conquering it, and tips for how to get there. This is a great session to attend with your whole team, so you can asses what stage you’re currently in, and what you can all focus on next to continue to improve. Get my virtual conference pass → + add this session to your conference scheduleTuesday, September 28, 3:30PM - 4:15PM ET

Christa BrownFiix Community Team

published in Supercharge your maintenance strategy

🏁 Session Highlight 🏁 From pen & paper to PMs ✍️Fiix Forward 2021

With over 30 years experience and having worked in various maintenance, operations, and process improvement roles around the globe, Jay Hampton (@JayHampton) joined Forterra as the Director of Maintenance just over a year ago to drive their maintenance programs forward.Jay will be sharing his crawl, walk, run approach at Fiix Forward 2021. Join us to get an inside look of how he is building a strong foundation for success moving a complex, multi-site environment from pen and paper to a preventative program. PLUS, there are 20 more sessions offered at Fiix Forward 2021 to keep building your CMMS skills and unlock more Fiix value. So, no matter where you are on your maintenance journey, we hope you can save the date and join us in September. Get my virtual conference pass → + add this session to your conference scheduleMonday, September 27, 10:20AM - 11:05AM ET

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