Automate a Follow-Up

Develop a chart of failure modes and a list for each one.

Nov. 2, 2021

Sometimes when a repair is made, some undetected problem remains. A repair tech might monitor the equipment briefly after re-energizing, but this is not enough to reveal the time bomb. The problem may not be one that preventive maintenance (PM) would reveal either, so simply scheduling a PM for a few days after the repair is no solution. That also consumes time, as does requiring a PM to be performed as part of the repair job.

The way you catch this is to develop a chart of failure modes. For each failure mode, list potential collateral or parallel damages. For example, if a motor drive fails due to a transient voltage spike, then parallel damage would be motor insulation damage. When a given failure mode is entered into the repair log for this equipment, a work order is generated for checking those collateral or parallel damages.

With this method, you aren’t wasting time performing irrelevant testing or inspection. However, you are looking for precisely what might cause additional downtime without slowing the original repair.

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.