Maintaining Reliability in a Recession: Strategies to Keep Your Electrical Systems on Target

Electrical control and distribution systems are high‑value, complex assets that demand disciplined maintenance to keep them operating at peak performance over their service life. Yet many organizations still devote the bulk of their reliability budget to mechanical assets while electrical components lag behind.

Do any of the following situations sound familiar?

• Downtime is not factored into production schedules.
• Electrical work orders appear only in response to an outage, not as part of a planned strategy.
• Spare parts for electrical equipment are stored in locked cupboards or in the possession of a single technician.
• Mechanical planners exist, but electrical planners are scarce.
• Modifications to electrical systems are documented in hand‑drawn sketches, with no standard drawing set.
• Critical technical data is scattered and not centrally managed.
• Bills of material (BOMs) for electrical equipment are missing.
• Run‑to‑failure is the default approach for all electrical assets.
• There is no forward plan for equipment security or operational resilience.
• The CMMS does not capture failure history for electrical assets.
• Electricians are not keeping pace with evolving technology.

If you recognize most of these points, you are operating almost entirely reactively. The path to sustainable improvement starts with the people behind the change.

People‑Centred Success

1. Acknowledge the Current Reality – Accept that the status quo is not acceptable and that improvement is possible.
2. Define a Clear Vision for Electrical Reliability – For example: “Within three months, an electrical planner will be on staff. Within 12 months, all critical assets will have a maintenance strategy. Within 24 months, non‑critical assets will also be covered. We will adopt condition‑based maintenance wherever feasible, train the team, and establish scheduled downtime for all electrical equipment.”
3. Secure Buy‑In from the Electrical Team – Engage the crew early; their plant knowledge is invaluable for shaping realistic plans.
4. Obtain Executive Support – Present a concise business case that links reliability gains to cost savings, production uptime, and safety. Be ready to answer tough questions with data and confidence.

Practical Implementation Steps

1. Allocate Resources Wisely – The vision may not require extra hires; consider reallocating existing labor or contracting specialists on a part‑time basis. Efficiency gains will offset the temporary resource shift.
2. Rank Asset Criticality – Use a simple criticality matrix or rely on operator expertise to prioritize the most vital equipment.
3. Collect Failure Histories – Pull data from the CMMS and interview seasoned technicians to identify patterns and recurring issues.
4. Identify Root Causes – For new or highly critical assets, perform Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) or a Reliability‑Centered Maintenance (RCM) study to uncover potential failure modes and their impacts.
5. Develop Robust Preventive Maintenance (PM) Tasks – Review existing PM lists; many may be outdated or incomplete. Where gaps exist, create quantitative checks such as “replace brushes when length < 40 mm” or employ thermography for hot‑joint detection.
6. Integrate PMs into the CMMS – Document every strategy in the CMMS and schedule tasks during planned downtime to avoid surprises.
7. Implement a BOM Process – List all parts against each asset hierarchy. For critical items, maintain an on‑hand inventory to prevent costly delays.
8. Standardize Schematics and Documentation – Conduct an accuracy audit starting with the most critical equipment. Convert all paper drawings into electronic CAD or high‑resolution images, and establish a controlled change process.
9. Invest in Training – Build a training matrix that covers both generic skills (e.g., DC motor servicing) and specific technologies (e.g., Allen‑Bradley PLCs). Ensure that all staff can apply the new maintenance strategies.
10. Adopt a Structured Workload Process – Prioritize work based on importance (business value) and urgency (time constraints). Reference the Allied Reliability Workflow model to guide breakdown handling, planning, scheduling, and continuous improvement.
11. Close the Improvement Loop – Use the Plan‑Do‑Check‑Act cycle. Capture floor feedback, adjust PMs, and iterate until you reach at least an 80 % coverage target.

About the Author

Mark Brunner holds a Master’s in Maintenance Management and a certificate in Electrical Engineering. He co‑created The Asset Reliability Road Map with Rod O’Connor to streamline the journey to asset‑management excellence. For more details, contact Mark at markbrunner@thereliabilityroadmap.com or visit thereliabilityroadmap.com.