My Take: This Month, It's All About The 'S' Words

As usual, I waited until the 11th hour to cast about for a good topic of this month’s column. The disappointing employment—or unemplyment/layoff—stats just hitting the wires seemed like a no-brainer. I could have easily jumped back into “how are we going to equip workers to fill what some lists have been referring to as today’s hardest-to-fill job category: the skilled trades?” Then again, I’ve been there/done that rant a few too many times lately.

Instead, I’ve chosen to veer off on another tangent and do something I deplore in editor’s columns (i.e., point to things you’ll be reading and probably figuring out for yourselves). Alas, as most of us in this line of work know all too well, sometimes you just can’t help it. So here goes… From cover to cover, you’ll find that much of our June editorial is associated with “S”-related issues. For example:

• In a feature entitled “The Rolls-Royce of Effective Performance-Based Collaboration,” Vested Outsourcing proponent Kate Vitasek discusses creation of win-win partnerships between customer-organizations and their SERVICE providers. 
• Contributing Editor Ray Atkins, in “Basic Safety Considerations,” his last “Fundamentals” article for us ever (after several great years of wonderful writing), offers a down and dirty personal perspective on SAFETY matters in plants and facilities. 
• Randy Noon, a frequent contributor on RCA and other topics, has provided the article “Kübler-Ross And Root-Cause Evaluations,” wherein he discusses SIMILARITIES in coping behaviors of people when they receive bad news.
• Then we’re back to the topic of SERVICES and SERVICE providers in this month’s “Viewpoint,” entitled “Today’s Holistic Landscape: Embracing Lifecycle Service,” by Logan Brubaker, of Siemens Industry, Inc. (Pg. 48)            

Along the way, you’ll no doubt run across a couple of pages highlighting the great SYNERGIES between Maintenance Technology and its sister publication, Lubrication Management & Technology.That’s my cue to remind you and other members of your teams that you all can—and should—be receiving both publications. If you aren’t yet taking advantage of this “two-fer,” we’ve made it easy to SIGN UP. Please visit www.MT-online.com/subscribe to ensure your SUBSCRIPTIONS to both magazines. We don’t want you to miss any of these reliability-focused issues. MT

jalexander@atpnetwork.com

P.S.: I have another reminder for you. Our question of the month asks, “Which equipment systems at your site give you the most grief?” Please tell us (and why) at www.MT-online.com/question.