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Control the Journey Navigation of the route to world-class maintenance is guided with a quality information system. That system is the communications network to control work and manage the program itself while working effectively with other departments. Fully integrated systems linking department activities with accounting are most common. The accompanying maintenance work order system must be easy to use and pro- duce useful, accurate and timely deci- sion-making information. Quality infor- mation manages the program, controls work and guides interdepartmental actions while keeping plant manage- ment informed. Thus, support for main- tenance is better assured and provided willingly and correctly. The best infor- mation system is neither the most expensive nor the most highly touted. Rather, it is the one that matches the information requirements of a well- defined maintenance program. Who Does What? As the journey continues, the mainte- nance program supported by a quality information system requires an organiza- tion to bring it to life. Since the program prescribes what maintenance does, who does what, how and why, it also provides the necessary guidelines for the selec- tion of the best maintenance organiza- tion to carry out the program. Any main- tenance organization that is faltering or ineffective can usually attribute their plight to a failure to develop, document and implement a quality maintenance program. The absence of a program invariably results in confusion within maintenance, as each person has a dif- ferent "folklore" outlook on what should be a standard procedure. Departments know that they must support and coop- erate with maintenance, but, with no program to guide them, they guess at what they are to do. The result is often no help or the wrong help. Confirm Arrival When the journey approaches the world-class destination, the evaluation process should be reapplied to confirm that all improvement needs established in the initial evaluation have been met. The evaluation process has helped to measure progress and achievement dur- ing the journey. It has proven itself. It should be incorporated into the plant's continuous improvement effort to ensure that world-class achievements are sustained. Paul Tomlingson is a Denver, Colorado- based consultant who has dedicated his career to helping miners improve main- tenance programs. He has written more than a dozen articles for both Coal Age and Engineering & Mining journal (E&MJ;) starting in 1980. He has recent- ly revised the previous two editions of his textbook, Equipment Management . He can be reached at pdtmtc@msn.com and www.tomlingson.com. 132 E&MJ; • JUNE 2014 www.e-mj.com O P E R AT I N G S T R AT E G I E S EMJ_pg130-133_EMJ_pg130-133 6/2/14 3:20 PM Page 132