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by Bob Latino
December 3, 2021What’s Wrong With The Term “Root Causes”?
Reading Time: 2 minutes There is great variation when it comes to a common understanding of the term ‘Root Cause Analysis’ or RCA. In a previous, lengthy paper, I
by Bob Latino
November 18, 2021The Stigma of RCA: What’s in a Name?
Reading Time: 4 minutes The Stigma of ‘RCA’ Let’s start off with some honesty…the term ‘RCA’ (Root Cause Analysis) is quite vague, misleading and easily misinterpreted by those who
by Bob Latino
November 11, 2021Is the 5-Ys a Valid RCA Tool for Significant Events?
Reading Time: 2 minutes Is the 5-Ys a Valid RCA Tool for Significant Events? I think that 5-year olds had a lock on 5Y’s well before it became a
by Bob Latino
November 4, 2021RCA in Action: The Space Shuttle Columbia Investigation
Reading Time: 3 minutes As is typical in our manufacturing organizations, oftentimes it takes high visibility events with catastrophic consequences for a full-blown Root Cause Analysis (RCA) to be
by Bob Latino
October 28, 2021Root Cause Analysis Without Verification is Conventional Wisdom
Reading Time: 5 minutes Root cause analyses are done every day all over the world. Organizations do root cause analysis because it is good business. From an explosion in
by Bob Latino
October 21, 2021Hidden Treasure: Eliminating Chronic Failures Can Cut Maintenance Costs Up To 60%
Reading Time: 4 minutes Every year, U.S. industry spends well over $300 billion on plant maintenance and operations. An estimated 80% of these dollars are expended to correct chronic
by Bob Latino
October 14, 2021Workers Are Industry’s Most Important Resource: Harness Their Power by Mastering the Art of Serving
Reading Time: 4 minutes A realization that appears to be taking hold in corporate America today is that the answer to increased productivity and higher profits lies not in
by Bob Latino
October 7, 2021Here Lies Troubleshooting: In Today’s Competitive World, “Analysts” Find Real Solutions
Reading Time: 5 minutes In many ways, this article is a requiem for a time-honored function in plants and processing facilities throughout the chemical industry. In today’s competitive environment,
by Bob Latino
September 30, 2021Tesoro Escondido: Eliminando Fallas Crónicas Puede Reducirse el Costo de Mantenimiento Hasta en un 60%
Reading Time: 5 minutes Cada año, la industria estadounidense gasta bastante más de $300 mil millones de dólares en mantenimiento de la planta y sus operaciones. Un estimado 80%
by Bob Latino
September 23, 2021Become An Equipment Reliability Detective: Preserve Failure Data
Reading Time: 6 minutes It’s amazing how quickly failure data (evidence) can disappear after a ‘failure’ has occurred. Following such an unexpected incident, there is sometimes a lot of
by Bob Latino
September 16, 2021Nylon Plant Case Study
Reading Time: 2 minutes This case study took place at a nylon plant in Virginia which at the time provided major amounts of nylon to the tire and carpet
by Bob Latino
September 9, 2021Fighting Failure: Changing A Plant’s Culture To No Longer Accept Failure
Reading Time: 6 minutes Failure has become a part of every industrial culture around the world; it permeates everything we do in an industrial facility. It is so much