SMRP Annual Conference Follow-Up

by Lubrication Technologies / November 15, 2021 / Published in ReliaMatters Newsletter
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As an exhibitor at the SMRP Annual Conference we were impressed with the number of companies that had 2-4 representatives from the same company. That suggests that these companies are committed to and know the value of focusing on improving machine reliability through such organizations as the SMRP. It also suggests that those companies see the value in continued education and certification.

This leads us to the difference that a single individual can make in an organization and how one person can indeed be a rainmaker and game changer.

An example of that is a recent situation with a Fortune 100 company that has been purchasing from us for over 40 years. One of their locations purchased a case of a specific grease annually. It was an account that was essentially handed to us back in the 70’s. Efforts to establish a relationship with maintenance team members or managers were met with silence. So much so, that we gave up trying. Yet the annual orders came in like clockwork.


Enter a reliability engineer who had experienced excellent results with our products and services at another company. The reliability engineer came in at a corporate level, effectively overseeing every plant the company had in the US and abroad. What was once was an impenetrable fortress now became a facility where we could walk in with the personnel all ears. What I found was surprising; there was no oil analysis program, no contamination control program, no personnel training and not a desiccant breather or Oil Safe container to be found. In fact, the lubricant vendor for the facility (their third largest in the US) was Grainger! Low hanging fruit was everywhere. To say there are paths to increasing equipment and machine reliability is to dramatically understate the situation. Maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised as one can assume that since they didn’t talk to me, it was evident they weren’t talking to anyone else. Or at least anyone else looking to bring them into the world of improving machine reliability.


So, this example shows first hand that one individual can indeed make a difference. It also demonstrates that there is plenty of work to do as there are candidates all around us, hopefully looking for someone like you. Here’s hoping that you the reader are so inclined to do the same for your company. If so, please give us a call! (413) 788-5823

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