August 2005 - Library

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$1000 REWARD!!
Root Cause Analysis Recognition for Excellence
The elimination of repeating failures is an essential ingredient in reducing maintenance costs and increasing plant
r e l i a b i l i t y. People at all levels in the organization can contribute to identifying repeating problems and understanding
the real reasons for these problems. It is through this understanding of the “Root Cause” that appropriate actions
can be taken to prevent or reduce undesirable effects.
The need to eliminate defects is known by all reliability professionals however the task of encouraging people to
lift their eyes above the immediate problems to think more deeply can be challenging. An important part of the
solution is recognition. We need to recognize those that prevent failure rather than only those “midnight heroes”
who restore operations after we have failed to prevent the breakdown.
RCA Rt wishes to play a part in recognizing and encouraging defect elimination by conducting a quarterly award;
Root Cause Analysis Recognition of Excellence. Submissions are invited from any company using any RCA process.
A panel of specialists in the RCA field will assess submissions and award a certificate to the person or team assessed
as submitting the best example in the quarter. A cash award of $1,000 will also be made as a tangible reward for
their effort. Examples will also be offered for publication in the Maintenance Journal to further gain recognition
for this important work.
Analysis of Root Cause can apply to so many fields and be used in so many ways that the review panel must apply
criteria in a flexible way. The panel will certainly be looking for evidence of a systematic approach, cost effectiveness
and impact on the enterprise.
Submissions must be made in a consistent format to enable the assessment panel to review them in a reasonable
time frame. RCA Rt has made software available to streamline the recording and submission of entries. Visit the
RCA Rt website at www.rcart.com.au to learn more and obtain a free copy of the software.
Recognition For Excellence In Root Cause Analysis - The First Winner is Golden Circle.
An Impressive response was received for the first RCA Rt Excellence Awards, with great feedback. OneSteels' Jamie
Richardson said that participation had provided them with the opportunity to audit the strength of their RCA
practices.
Submissions were reviewed by our panel of specialists and RCA Rt is proud to announce that the Golden Circle
submission was found to be the most outstanding project for this quarter. The team found a cost effective solution
to a pump problem. They spent $200 to prevent a recurring loss of $35,000. The team has earned a cash award
of $1,000 for their efforts. Congratulations to the winning team members: Kerry Gilliland, Glen Jacob & Pa u l
Whiting.
Visit the RCA Rt website at www.rcart.com.au to learn how to enter the next round of awa rds or contact Melissa +61 3 9248
1 3 8 1 melissa@sirfrt.com.au
(MJ Editors note: Further details of the winner’s RCA achievements will be published in a future issue of the
Maintenance Journal)
Digital Pens Aid Perfection
Peter Duffy Limited, a dynamic UK water industry contractor, has adopted new digital pen technology developed
by Destiny. This technology will enable its field workers to further enhance its industry leading standards in
Customer Service.
A 12 week field trial proved the benefits of Destiny digital pens. Through the pen trial Peter Duffy’s customers,
including Yorkshire Water, had real time feedback of work carried out. Based upon this success, Peter Duffy Ltd
has placed an initial order for sixty pens.
The digital pen simplifies the interface between customer facing employees and the client’s back office systems.
C u r r e n t l y, field workers submit written confirmation that repairs and inspections carried out on behalf of Yo r k s h i r e
Water have been completed. As a result, Yorkshire Water have a rolling record of all work carried out and can
effectively track customer service, albeit with a costly delay of up to two days.
In contrast, the digital pen allows Peter Duffy Ltd to keep Yorkshire Water and their other customers up to date,
in near real-time. As a customer feedback form is completed, the information is simultaneously transmitted in
digital format, processed immediately and computer records automatically updated. With information transmitted
almost instantly from the field to the call centre, Peter Duffy Ltd can provide an industry-leading quality of service
to Yorkshire Wa t e r. In particular, customers can now expect quicker responses to their enquiries in real time,
thereby enhancing their customer experience.
Peter Duffy Ltd is one of the first companies in the world to recognise the potential of digital pen technology. It
is also the first in its field to apply it specifically to the task of improving customer service, by eradicating the
mammoth and costly task of processing a cumbersome paper trail. It now plans to roll-out the technology across
the field service team at DrainsAid, the Utility Services trading division of Peter Duffy Limited.
David Robinson, Business Development Manager of Peter Duffy Ltd said, “We have considered a range of alternative
technological solutions to provide real time feedback from operators in the field. These included laptops, PDA’s,