Harnessing technology to improve efficiency

In many ways, maintenance engineering has been ahead of the curve in the adoption of connected technology such as Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices that provide the data on which condition-based monitoring systems function.

Our survey, in partnership with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), shows that organisations are benefiting from digital technology. Almost 9 out of 10 of the 683 respondents in the UK and Ireland that took part said they were using Computerised Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) or Enterprise Asset Management to monitor and manage maintenance.

But there’s a conflict at the heart of organisational technology strategies that could undermine the advantages that technology brings. Our survey also revealed that just over half of respondents are still using Excel spreadsheets and roughly a third rely on paper records. Richard Jeffers, Managing Director of RS Industria, believes this conflict is more nuanced than it might first appear.

“I don’t think that’s a maintenance problem,” says Jeffers. “I think it’s indicative of poor integration between different technology platforms and the fact that the Microsoft desktop suite is designed to be super-easy to manipulate data. It’s rare to come across a factory that has no CMMS platform. There are not many people out there who have nothing but Excel.”

When asked in our survey if their company was planning a digital transformation, just 18% said yes. These firms mentioned the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning as a priority within the process.

While one of these respondents said a move from a paper-based system to a cloud-based solution was in progress, another told us they were introducing a digital twin to manage real-world assets on the factory floor.

With all this technology being introduced, it is somewhat surprising that 82% of respondents said their organisation was not planning a digital transformation. Jeffers believes it may be down to the way maintenance engineers talk about the work they do.

“IIoT, digital transformation and Industry 4.0 are terms the average operational maintenance person doesn’t use,” he says. “They’re not shopfloor buzzwords. People talk about these new developments like they’re a revolution, when in fact it’s an evolution, because there’s a lot of good automation in factories and there has been for a long time.”

What’s important to note is that installing technology for predictive maintenance is not an end in itself. The real art is getting the maximum return on investment – so how can organisations achieve that?

Consultancy firm McKinsey says that while predictive maintenance is probably the best-known approach, there are other powerful ways to enhance a business’ maintenance organisation and create value from analytics-based technologies.

“The two most valuable of these, we find, are condition-based maintenance and advanced troubleshooting,” says McKinsey. “A comprehensive look at all uses of IIoT data and advanced analytics for maintenance purposes is therefore a crucial step in determining which technology – or combination of technologies – to employ.”

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Looking at responses to our survey, it’s clear that integrating and operationalising technology can be a significant challenge. One engineer said their biggest obstacle was “getting full use of the new IT technology in the building of a new maintenance management system”.

A second respondent told us they were encountering challenges in terms of “adopting new technology to improve asset life extension and increase productivity in a cost-efficient manner”.

Others mentioned that getting buy-in from the wider maintenance team was difficult, with one respondent saying they would need to overcome staff resistance while “implementing new technology that will upset the current work streams but bring benefits in the long run”.

For engineering leaders looking to overcome problems like these, there’s some more sound advice from consultants McKinsey. The firm strongly advocates for digitally-driven predictive maintenance strategies, but says they must be built on solid principles to deliver maximum impact.

For a deeper dive into the benefits digital technology can bring to the maintenance function, Deloitte’sExponential Technologies in Manufacturing study details how digital tech can help organisations to “grow faster, be more agile and unlock new forms of value”.

To achieve this, the study identifies a need to reskill employees to work alongside these exponential technologies. A key question to ask, says Deloitte is: “How can we redesign the workplace to be more digital, open, and collaborative, yet provide opportunities for employee development and growth?”

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When it comes to this kind of workplace redesign, Dr Moray Kidd, Maintenance Engineering Academic, advises a systematic approach, rather than opting for a data-centric “Big Bang” approach. “The smart way to do this is not to launch a predictive maintenance strategy on all machines at the same time,” Kidd explains.

“Instead, take a step back and look at the risk profile of each asset. Identify the high-risk pieces of equipment, and then roll these technologies out accordingly with a plan to grow their use in the future.”

Technology can bring significant improvements to maintenance engineering and digital technology is already ubiquitous. It’s clear from our survey and other industry research that digital transformations are underway without being framed as such.

In cases where maintenance engineers are still using old methods such as Excel spreadsheets and paper records, it tends to be for speed and ease of use. To get the best out of data and the available technology, it’s key to avoid a reactive mindset and build a culture of good management.

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