Page 8 - RCM - A Practical Guide

RCM - A Practical Guide

RELIABILITY-CENTRED MAINTENANCE OVERVIEW

WHAT IS IT?
We’ve described RCM as a method used to identify the activities in which an organisation should
invest to ensure the safe and efficient operation of that equipment. In truth, though, it’s that and
much more.
RCM provides an analysis framework for the development of an efficient preventive maintenance
programme which is designed to avoid undesirable consequences of failure. Describing it, though, as a
method can lead to the impression that an RCM analysis is carried out once as a standalone activity -
which may often be the case, but this is neither the best, nor the correct, way to implement RCM.
RCM is a culture and the resultant maintenance schedule is a living thing. With RCM instilled in an
organisation the initial maintenance schedule is continuously updated, changed (or dare I say
corrected) based on experience.

HOW DOES IT DO IT?
It really is as simple as answering 7 questions. Known generically as the seven questions of RCM, these
questions (or variations thereof) are the basis of all credible RCM standards worldwide.
1. What are the functions and associated desired standards of performance of the item in the
present operating context?
2. In what ways does the item fail to perform its function?
3. What causes each functional failure?
4. What happens when each failure occurs?
5. Why does each failure matter?
6. What, if anything, should be done to predict or prevent each failure?
7. What should be done if no maintenance task is selected?

WHAT DOES RCM GIVE US?
An efficient preventive maintenance programme, right? Well, sure it does but an RCM analysis gives
an organisation so much more than that. It creates understanding. RCM will help an organisation to
understand what can happen, what it could mean and what could be done/should be done about it (if
anything).
A maintenance schedule is not the only output. That schedule is a list of stuff to do in order to
preserve those functions that an organisation perceives to be important but an analysis consists of
many things that are never published in a schedule. There are four broad outcomes of a ‘line’ of
analysis:
1. Do nothing
2. Do something regularly to prevent failure
3. Do something regularly to identify failure
4. Redesign the equipment or part of its support solution to prevent or reduce the consequences of
failure
Yet, only items falling into the outcomes 2 and 3 will make it into the schedule.

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