This site contains over 80 articles covering all aspects of the maintenance of plant and infrastructure in large industries and institutions based on many years of unique experience, common sense and rational thinking. Topics range from the management of small tools through the selection and implementation of maintenance computer systems to managing large plant shutdowns.

The emphasis is always on processes and activities that prevent breakdowns or other failures, not on how to repair things that fail.

You’ll see no confusing abbreviations, such as “CMMS”, “MRO” or “CBM” and no reference to TPM, Lean Manufacturing and other initiatives, not because those initiatives are not of value but because the focus here is on the basic principles and logical thinking on which these programmes are based.

During my 30 years in maintenance management and 15 more years as a maintenance management consultant in many countries I kept a log of things that worked well and things that did not. This website is the result of the contents of that log, with a good dose of engineering logic thrown in.

All articles are based on my beliefs which are as follows:

– The purpose of maintenance, always, is not to fix things when they break, but to prevent them from breaking.

– Maintenance and Operations together make up the team that leads to success in manufacturing.

– Skilled tradespeople are proud of their skills and ability and welcome any changes that make it easier for them to show what they can really do.

– Maintenance “improvements” are of no value unless tradespeople and their supervisors can see and understand how their jobs have become easier, more rewarding or more valuable.

– Maintenance management is largely the process of ensuring that tradespeople have all the resources they need, roadblocks are removed and they are always working on the jobs with the highest priority and value.

A last word – an apology to the many wonderful women in trades and in maintenance management and supervision. In these articles, the male gender is used for simplicity but you can be sure that you’ve not been forgotten.

Don Armstrong (P. Eng, retired)
President
Veleda Services