Terry Wireman's Blog

What if Maintenance treated Operations the way Airlines treat their Passengers?

Having just completed a week of travel, I encountered several “hiccups” during the week.  These events caused me to think about maintenance and operations in a plant or facility.  What if maintenance treated operations the way that the airlines treat their customers?  Let’s consider a couple examples.

 Suppose that operations wanted to exceed the capacity of their equipment?  Well, maintenance could then do what the airlines do when a passenger checks a bag with an excessive weight – charge them.  For example, one airline has the following rules:

• 51-70 lbs  $100 each
• 71-99.9 lbs $200 each
• Depending on the route up to $400

So let’s propose this – If operations wants to run:

• 10% above the asset’s design capacity –
  • 10% of the value of the hourly production for the time capacity is exceeded
• 20% above the asset’s design capacity –
  • 20% of the value of the hourly production for the time capacity is exceeded
• Over 20% above the asset’s design capacity
  • 50% of the value of the hourly production for the time capacity is exceeded

We could then take the total amount and deposit it a special capital equipment fund to purchase the new assets that are going to be required to replace the assets operations just wore out.

 Let’s suppose operations wanted to make their equipment easier to operate or more ergonomically correct.  We could follow the airlines example for “special seating” (or actually seats with the proper amount of seat space).  The airlines charge from $5.00 to $75.00 for the extra seating space.  So to make the equipment more “operable” maintenance could charge the same $5.00 to move an indicator light and up to $75.00 to move a switch.  The funds could be collected from each operator and the maintenance department could purchase special tools and equipment to make their jobs easier.

 I probably shouldn’t cover the topic of installing pay toilets…

 This might work with the airlines – but I don’t think it will “fly” in our plants.  But then, maybe it should… 

Things You Learn on Airplanes

Since the first of this year, I have observed at least a dozen incidents where passengers were e-mailing, making phone calls, or using electronic devices during take-offs and landings on airplanes.  If you speak up and remind them that this is against FAA regulations, you are told to mind your own business (the most polite thing that was said) or you may be told things that are basically unprintable.  These infractions are not the fault of the flight attendants, since the passengers are deliberately hiding their electronic usage from the flight attendants.  The passengers are doing this despite the fact that if caught by an FAA representative, they will be fined $1,000.00.  It must be that they feel they are above the law or that their chance of actually being caught is negligible.

Why does this matter?  For the most part the observed offenders appear to be business professionals (mid 40’s to mid 60’s).  If they are business managers, consider how this attitude could carry over to their business activities.  What if they were a plant manager?  A corporate executive?  A front line manager?  Suppose they were faced with an inconvenience due to an OSHA, EPA, FDA, or NRC regulation?  Would they have the same attitude that they display on an airplane?  Would they disregard the regulations thereby threatening their employees with injury or death because it is not likely to happen?  Would they feel that it won’t matter because nothing will happen just this once? 

How many incidents do we hear about in the news, read about in the paper, or see in the Federal Register where individuals have violated written regulations (or even accepted Best Practices) to the detriment of their companies or employees? 

It would be interesting as part of the hiring process if key job candidates would have to travel with some company executives for a week. Maybe they would learn how their executives would behave in their companies.  Maybe they would re-think whether or not they wanted to be a part of a company with negligent leadership.