On The Floor: Real-World Views on ISO 55001

Inquiring minds want to know: This month we wanted to gauge the impact that the ISO 55000 Asset Management Standard (specifically ISO 55001) is having on EP Reader Panelists’ operations (or the operations of their clients/customers). Despite the buzz about this Standard (including regular information in our pages), our Panelists’ responses reflect a mixed bag of awareness and adoption. We asked them to reply in detail to these questions:

• Were they and their organizations (or their clients/customers) aware of ISO 55001 and did they expect the organizations to adopt this Standard?

• Pursuant to ISO 55001, did everyone (all departments) in their organizations (or those of their clients/customers) understand the role of Maintenance and vice versa, as well as understand how they should all work with each other?

Here, edited for brevity and clarity, are several responses we received.

College Electrical Lab, Manager/Instructor, West…

We have reviewed ISO 55000 (55001, 55002) for possible adoption. The system we use for asset management is part of our CMMS program. We might not adopt ISO 55000 until we complete a full ROI evaluation. Weighting the costs against the benefits is a big issue with us. Will this ISO Standard add to our bottom line, customer service, product quality, and employee benefits? An evaluation team is working on it now.

Our maintenance departments are considered a profit center for the overall organization. A maintenance representative attends all meetings (executive, customer, engineering, sales, planning, etc.). Any maintenance person can add input to support our growth and quality of operations.  The ISO 55000 Standards are said to improve planning, support risk management, align the processes, and improve cross-disciplinary teamwork.  If they are highly usable, we will adopt.

Industry Consultant, West…

None of my current clients have any interest in ISO 55001. Some know a bit about it, but they aren’t interested in moving forward. When ISO 55000 was first introduced, one client thought it [the company] would want to be on the leading edge of the movement [to adopt the Standard], but was never able to obtain the funding or boardroom support to take it on.

Engineer, Process Industries, Southeast…

There is very little or no awareness of ISO 55001 [at our site], and there’s been no discussion about it. We are ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified, and these Standards seem to draw all of our attention and resources.

Our departments, for the most part, work well with each other and understand their own roles and those of others. But there’s still a tendency to ask Maintenance to do everything that Production or other departments cannot or will not do.

Industry Consultant, International…

The ISO 55000, 1 and 2 series of Standards are relatively new, say compared to the ISO 9000 or ISO 14000. As a consultant, I know my clients are aware of the ISO 55000 series, but they’re still trying to implement maintenance and reliability best practices on lubrication, planning, work control, OEE (overall equipment effectiveness), etc.

While ISO 55000 is built around Asset Management principles, in answer to the first question, my clients aren’t ready to adopt something that doesn’t show a solid ROI on the initial costs. The process is quite rigorous.

As for the second question, I’ve noticed that Maintenance often isn’t fully aware of production requirements and, with regard to other departments, tends to work in a “silo.” Goals are frequently short-term and counter-productive in nature.

I’ve also noted that equipment “ownership” by Production operators supports Maintenance in routine work such as basic lube, minor adjustments, and inspections. I’ve even seen Operator nameplates on equipment showing the pride that the “owners” of units take in their machines or processes. Some operators will also include a mechanic or electrician as “Co-Owner.” These owners are very proud of their equipment’s performance, uptime, and machine condition. (One of my clients took this concept to very high level and generated excellent results in productivity, safety, and cost control.)

In my opinion, since Asset Management is a key to economics and bottom-line improvements. ISO 55000, 1 and 2, will eventually be adopted by more organizations. However, as with ISO 9000, Quality Measurement, it will require a bit more time and training [for ISO 55000] to take hold.

Plant Engineer, Institutional Facilities, Midwest…

Personally, I’m not particularly familiar with ISO 55001 and not sure if any of our senior managers know about it.

Regarding the second question, our institution has always held meetings with all maintenance and management departments to keep everyone involved with any ongoing, new, or future projects. Each department has its own type of maintenance, and the type used depends greatly on cost, man/woman power, and order of importance.

Reliability Specialist, Power Sector, Midwest…

Yes, our organization is fully aware of ISO 55001. As with most organizations in the power industry, we are heavily regulated by the PSC, NREC, FERC, insurance carriers, and other entities. Until one of them mandates compliance to ISO 55001, most organizations won’t make the investment.

All departments in our organization understand their own roles and their responsibilities to each other. Each department has its own mission statement, and partnership agreements have been formed and documented with one another.

Maintenance & Reliability Specialist, Engineering Services Provider, South…

My company is very aware of ISO 55001 and in fact had a representative on the team that developed the Standard. Our [my particular] customer is only aware of it through discussions with us. As this client is a government agency that hasn’t been required to adopt ISO 55001, at this point, I don’t believe it will do so in the near future. Due to a tight budget, I don’t believe the client sees the value in adopting a new ISO standard, since it already is involved with ISO 9001.

Given the fact that we are a maintenance and operations service provider, I believe that all departments within our organization understand the role of Maintenance. We have made a concerted effort to have as many people as possible take the CMRP exam after completing our introductory asset-management course. This ensures that we can all talk the same language and equally understand our customers’ needs in the maintenance arena.

About The EP Reader Panel

The Efficient Plant Reader Panel included approximately 100 reliability and maintenance professionals and suppliers to industry who have volunteered to answer monthly questions prepared by our editorial staff. Panelist identities are not revealed and their responses are not necessarily projectable. Our panel welcomes new members. To be considered, email your name and contact information to jalexander@efficientplantmag.com with “Reader Panel” in the subject line. All panelists are automatically included in an annual cash-prize drawing after one year of active participation.