TABLE OF CONTENTS Support from within to affect positive change As a basic business concept shouldn't be strange
Most of us have had a stereotypical experience with an external reliability or maintenance consultant. Our management hires a consulting firm that comes in to the plant with the intent of helping us to improve in areas where our management feels there is a deficiency. The consulting firm is often one we have heard of, met at one of the various reliability / maintenance conferences, or read about in the trade magazines. They are the recognized experts.
The first step is usually the introduction of the consultants by management. This introduction is often handled at the manager's staff meeting for the senior people in the organization and at group meetings for the balance of the organization. These meetings involve more than simple introductions. The senior management also uses these "get to know you" meetings as a way to explain why the consultants have been retained and what they hope will be the outcome of the consultants' work. They hope that by explaining the purpose whether it is to improve maintenance planning and scheduling, institute preventive maintenance programs, or to improve workforce productivity they can get the organization and others involved to understand their rationale. After all, consultants working on a change initiative are a disruption to the normal day-to-day work; the support of the organization is needed to make the work effort a success.
The second reason that these introductory meetings are held is...
