While the expertise and resources brought to bear by the optimization engineers are useful in diagnosing issues, their greatest value is realized in implementing the found improvements and ensuring their sustainability.
The implementation plan provided should provide recommendations for resolving performance issues and/or the steps required to maximize performance. Based on the testing results, these recommendations can include adjusting, replacing or upgrading equipment, or configuration changes like fixing incorrect settings or mismatched firmware revisions.
The recommendation typically includes a number of potential improvements or changes. To guide the customer, each recommendation should be ranked or rated, including an expected Return on Investment.
Beyond the basic process remedies, there are many other facets of a thorough implementation plan. It should specify activities going forward that are targeted on improved stability, efficiency and consistency in maintaining the system. Revised maintenance practices and procedures should be developed and conveyed to the process owner for implementation.
The implementation plan should also identify environmental issues that may adversely affect the satisfactory future performance of the process. Corrective action should be defined so that the process owner can take the appropriate corrective action.
Finally, the plan should include recommendations for any training required by the customer to ensure that their personnel have the necessary skills and knowledge to maintain the process improvements implemented.
Depending on the scale of improvements identified in the implementation, the OEM or third-party process improvement expert may present the implementation plan in a phased approach. Presented with a prioritized list of potential improvements, the customer can immediately implement the highest-return activities and delay the lower-value activities until time and budget constraints permit implementation.
Check back next week for the “third way” and as always, we look forward to your comments.