The Value of Point P: A Strategic Focus for Reliability & Maintenance

Years ago, a colleague mentioned he planned to tattoo the letter "P" over a scar on his ankle. Curious, I asked why he chose that particular letter. He explained that "P" was his favorite letter, and that many of the positive moments in his life began with that letter.

Reflecting on that anecdote and drawing from my experience in reliability engineering, I created a list of "P" terms that resonate with the maintenance and reliability improvement process: Proactive, Planning, Precision, Predictive, Preventive, Protective, Process, and, most importantly, Point P.

My favorite of these is Point P, the point on the P‑F curve where a defect first enters a machine. As the defect lingers, the machine’s functionality gradually deteriorates until it reaches Point F, where total failure occurs.

Many practitioners focus on preventing machines from reaching catastrophic failure—Point F. While that goal is essential, concentrating on Point P unlocks greater rewards: improved equipment health, higher reliability, better product quality, and lower overall costs.

Why prioritize Point P? Here are three key advantages:

1. Collateral damage to equipment is reduced, cutting repair costs and the need for spare parts.
2. Work can be scheduled in advance, shortening repair time and saving labor costs.
3. Maintenance can be performed at the most convenient time, minimizing downtime and production losses.

The true power of focusing on Point P lies in identifying the root cause of the defect when it first appears. By eliminating that cause, you not only prevent the same defect in the current machine but also in all similar machines. This proactive approach yields higher production, superior quality, and sustained cost savings.

Which point does your organization prioritize? The questions you ask when a defect surfaces reveal your focus. If you ask, "How long will the machine run before catastrophic failure?" or "How much time do we have before failure?" you’re centered on Point F. If you ask, "What caused the defect to enter the machine?" or "How can we eliminate this defect from this and similar machines?" you’re aligned with Point P.

Tim Goshert is the worldwide reliability and maintenance manager for Cargill, one of the world’s largest food and agricultural processing companies (over 1,000 facilities worldwide). He leads Cargill’s global reliability and maintenance initiatives and chairs the Worldwide Reliability and Maintenance Steering Committee. Tim is an active member of the Society of Maintenance & Reliability Professionals (SMRP) and serves on its board of directors. Contact him at tgoshert@hotmail.com or Timothy_Goshert@cargill.com.