Ideally, all departments in a plant work together to solve problems and nobody plays the blame game. Some plants are that way, but what if yours isn’t?
For example, production misses this month's target. The production superintendent tells the plant manager machine utilization was low because maintenance has been lax with preventive maintenance (PM) and then taking too long with repairs. However, the reality is machine utilization would have been normal except for one incident in which an operator caused the downtime through human error. The time from maintenance notification to completed repair was less than expected, but the notification was delayed. When the plant manager asks you about the problem, you could rightfully blame the operator. However, that does nothing to prevent a recurrence.
A better approach is to say you must consider it to provide an accurate answer. Then, provide the documented facts of how that incident played out. For each deficiency, offer a solution. For example, maintenance could install a switch to prevent that error from occurring in the future.
About the Author
Mark Lamendola
Mark is an expert in maintenance management, having racked up an impressive track record during his time working in the field. He also has extensive knowledge of, and practical expertise with, the National Electrical Code (NEC). Through his consulting business, he provides articles and training materials on electrical topics, specializing in making difficult subjects easy to understand and focusing on the practical aspects of electrical work.
Prior to starting his own business, Mark served as the Technical Editor on EC&M for six years, worked three years in nuclear maintenance, six years as a contract project engineer/project manager, three years as a systems engineer, and three years in plant maintenance management.
Mark earned an AAS degree from Rock Valley College, a BSEET from Columbia Pacific University, and an MBA from Lake Erie College. He’s also completed several related certifications over the years and even was formerly licensed as a Master Electrician. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and past Chairman of the Kansas City Chapters of both the IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society. Mark also served as the program director for, a board member of, and webmaster of, the Midwest Chapter of the 7x24 Exchange. He has also held memberships with the following organizations: NETA, NFPA, International Association of Webmasters, and Institute of Certified Professional Managers.