The Age of the RCM Analyst

The RCM Analyst approach had its genesis in the Utility industry of the United Kingdom in 2002. 

When RCM was first introduced globally it was 1991, just after the Moubray first edition of RCM2. At the time maintenance departments were not as efficient or as lean as they are today. 

There were no mobile phones and we communicated via plastic devices attached to walls with cables.

There was no widely accessed internet or email, and we sent messages with markings made on bits of trees we would pass from office to office hoping they didn't get lost.

It was into this environment that team-facilitated RCM implementation was introduced. An approach focused on getting relevant stakeholders into a room, and using their collective experience to produce accurate and rigorously produced RCM analyses. 

By 2002 the world was different, and it was clear to me that this would no longer suffice. Recognised by others also, this challenge was being met by "Streamlined RCM" approaches, designed to cut into the rigour of the method.

I wasn't happy with that. While it was clear that the current implementation approach was unsustainable, there had to be another way aside from the sometimes dangerous streamlining approaches. 

So I turned directly to the implementation method itself, and the RCM Analyst approach was forged.

The alternative to team-facilitated RCM at the time was the Sole Analyst, an approach fraught with danger and extremely likely to lead to erroneous analyses that are tainted by the expertise, and biases (conscious or not) of the Analyst.

So we looked at somehow combining both methods. Our goal was to reduce the resource footprint on site, while raising the rigour of the approach. A goal at the time that seemed to be impossible. 

On forensic review of each element of the RCM method, and of our experiences in performing RCM analyses we were able to highlight that the process had ebbs and flows. 

There were often times when the operations members were very animated, while the maintenance teams were wondering what was going on. At other times we found that the maintenance teams were extremely engaged, while the Ops guys were wondering what the heck they were doing there.

On closer review, we were able to highlight the following requirements:

• Operating Context - Requires a team facilitated approach to make sure we were able to highlight all operating context issues likely to impact on functions and failure management.

• Functional Analysis - required a team facilitated focus and should take no more than four hours at the outside.

• Functional Failures - RCM Analyst Only. If the functions have been developed correctly, then there is zero need for  anybody else to be involved. They may find that one of the functional failures are not quite right, so delete it. Not an issue. 

• Failure Modes - Not a team sport. Failure modes are best identified using the experience and RCM training of the RCM analyst, combined with targeted one on one or small group interviews with either maintenance or operations  

Major Input - Maintenance, Minor Input - Operations 

• Failure Effects - Again, bnit a team sport and there are many techniques to help reduce the time taken to do this. First, it is done via targeted one on one or small group interviews. Second, large parts of the failure effects will remain the same for each functional failure. 

Major Input - Operations, Minor Input - Maintenance

• Strategy Development - RCM Analyst skills and capabilities. Particularly in the application of probability of detection, hard time engineering calculations, weibull analysis and advanced detective maintenance techniques. Also one-on-one or small group targeted interviews. 

Major Input - Maintenance, Minor Input - Operations

Implementing the RCM Analyst Approach

We built the RCM Analyst approach to reduce the resource requirements on site while increasing the rigour. This also meant building in extra rigour and robustness to the decision making process. 

Since we started several other elements have come to light, namely that good RCM Analysts require rigorous training and develop their skills over time. 

If a company is looking to develop their own analysts then this requires a long term commitment to their development in this area, and to their ability to access the people and information for analyses. 

Sadly, many companies do not have this level of commitment. They try to hire from the market and often get people with some exposure in this area and let them get on with it. 

The result is that those performing RCM in many companies do not have the skills or knowledge of modern RCM practices.

We have highlighted around 50 skills across 4 areas, that many RCM analysts have often never heard of. Not only that but we have built in additional learning areas to our training to cover the additional technical skills RCM Analysts require as the method continues to evolve. 

Good luck with your RCM programs