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    From the Plant Floor is a monthly column that explores reliability challenges faced by organizations and solutions to overcome them. In the column, Plant Services Contributing Editor Jeff Shiver shares common-sense approaches over a broad range of topics affecting engineering, maintenance, and operations.

    Featured Article

    Why quick plant floor walks miss key insights: The case for focused observation
    Jeff Shiver says the benefits of extended observation include identifying and rectifying issues that traditional walk-throughs may miss.
    Overcoming common maintenance obstacles through better planning and scheduling
    Jeff Shiver says the first place to start is often to clarify roles and responsibilities, and ease any adversarial tension.
    Why your maintenance strategies fail: The importance of implementation over analysis
    Jeff Shiver argues that when your team takes ownership of the entire process, from analysis to implementation, then the results will follow.
    6 can’t-miss checkpoints on the roadmap to reliability at your facility
    Jeff Shiver says use these six checkpoints to take your program to the next level, whether you're starting from scratch or have mastered some maintenance best practices.
    How defining moments can make or break your maintenance program
    Jeff Shiver explains how these moments force you to confront the weaknesses in your current practices.
    Beware of AI-driven maintenance plans filling your CMMS with non-value work
    Jeff Shiver demonstrates how PM checklists generated using AI tools often miss the precision tasks that address your asset’s unique operating context, and can vary between multiple...
    Steps to address the critical skills shortage in industrial maintenance
    Jeff Shiver shares short- and long-term approaches to overcome the lack of qualified maintenance and reliability workers.
    2023 industry wrap-up: The best of From the Plant Floor
    In this year-end wrap-up, we highlight Jeff Shiver’s most popular, most insightful columns.
    Are Standard Job Plans Worth The Investment To Your Maintenance Team
    Jeff Shiver says unlock the potential of your historical data by transforming it into a library of reusable job plans.
    Take Steps To Quantify The Value Of Your Preventive Maintenance Optimization Efforts
    Jeff Shiver says both KPIs and qualitative feedback are crucial to capturing tangible results.
    Is Templating Maintenance A Power Play Or A Shortcut To Failure
    Jeff Shiver says the trick is to know your assets well enough to recognize where templating should stop and more individual care should start.
    Understanding Human Error In Asset Reliability
    Jeff Shiver says people commit errors, can identify errors, and can provide effective solutions.
    Calculating Your Value Contribution To The Business 1
    To drive success, Jeff Shiver says employees need to add value beyond their compensation costs.
    Are Your Fme As Focused On The Asset Or Pant Level
    Jeff Shiver says take your continuous improvement efforts to the next level by expanding the scope of failure modes and effects analyses as needed.
    Change Management
    Jeff Shiver examines ways to create a tipping point in your change leadership approach.
    potential-failure-conditions
    Jeff Shiver says many tools can assist to determine potential failure conditions, but each type of asset has different needs.
    workforce-training-knowledge
    Jeff Shiver says clearly define responsibilities and implement a system to track performance and knowledge sharing.
    Maintenance Mindset: How industry is responding to Trump’s tariffs and the escalating trade war
    Podcast: How plant managers fail as leaders, mentors, and mentees
    Mission Solar Energy invests $265M to expand solar cell manufacturing facility in Texas
    Bio-Lab Inc. fined $61K for improperly storing hazardous chemicals
    Industrial Chemicals fined £2.5M for two uncontrolled acid releases at West Thurrock site
    Ask the Experts: How food-grade lubrication certification is shaping industry standards
    NOVONIX invests $4.6M to open synthetic graphite manufacturing facility in Tennessee
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