Supporting First-Time Fix Rate

Let’s begin by asking the hard question: “Do you know what your first-time fix rate is?”

An easy estimation of FTFR would be to divide the number of successful first-time fixes by the total number of fixes your team performs over some period. Consider those work orders that were in a “rework” status as dragging down your rate.

Another difficult question to ask would be: “How does one define a first-time fix?”

If a piece of equipment fails in a similar way, let’s say a year after you fixed it once before, does that second fix go against your stellar FTFR? If the component of the equipment has an expected short life span (such as an O-ring in a hot environment), would that repeat failure go against your FTFR? Is rework the main source of failing to fix it right the first time?

In the end, you want things to get fixed quickly and correctly the first time. Having to go back and refix or rework, even after an extended period has gone by, is not desired. Touch it once and not again.

What impacts FTFR?

Oh, it’s a long list, but let’s look at some of the most common issues that can quickly drive your rate down or prevent you from making improvements to it. Forget for the moment trying to calculate FTFR in your context, just consider the following as improvements you might want to investigate.

Proper training of craftspeople

If you do not know the equipment well then it stands to reason that you will not be able to fix it well either. Even highly experienced staff cannot assume that they know how to approach a new technology without some pre-learning in hand. Yes, there are similarities between a 50-year-old pump and a brand-new pump, but we’d bet the materials that the pump is made of are quite different.

In many ways, modern equipment is simpler to operate, yet that simplicity may exist because of technology that is not well understood. Many of the new pieces of equipment have been damaged by the assumption that the old ways of maintaining it still applied.

You must spend effort and money to keep your staff current with the technologies they are expected to work with each day.

Troubleshooting skills… nature or nurture? Some folks just have that innate ability to fix anything. Others, not so much. Pair these people together on your teams and you will see dramatic improvement while the practical teaching is underway.

Quality check and feedback from supervision

How many times do we do post-work inspections and find a cover has not been replaced, or important structures have not been properly tightened? Yes, we are all very busy and can forget things, but not buttoning things up properly leaves us open for rework.

Having checklists or job plans, not only for the repair but also the return to service can have a dramatic impact on increasing your FTFR. Over time, as you refine these lists, they become valuable quality and even training tools. Leverage the experience of your crews and capture their knowledge that the generations ahead will benefit from. These lists are also helpful to compare OEM recommendations for when new equipment arrives.

The right tools 

We have all done this: Used a screwdriver as a chisel, a wrench as a hammer, or even worse, used an adjustable wrench instead of a fixed one. C’mon folks, you must confess your transgressions!

Tools wear out and modern equipment requires new and different tools. Back to the training element, have your teams received proper training on the tools they need to use? Tools themselves have modernized and might require a different approach in their use.

Tools are costly and many need to maintain a degree of calibration. Tools often need maintenance themselves! If you want things to be fixed correctly the first time, having the proper tools at hand, and knowing how to use them, is crucial.

Poorly planned work

“We didn’t have the correct viscosity oil on hand, so we used what we had temporarily. The problem was we didn’t get back out to the site for 3 months and the pump ground itself to death.” Ever hear this or something similar in your root cause analysis meetings?

Some work does not need much planning. Other work requires months of careful planning. No matter the scope of the work, an appropriate degree of planning is necessary. Planning is beyond just having the right people slated to do the work. It involves the tools, materials, permits, etc. to paint the complete picture of the work needed.

Back to the concept of checklists and job plans. Do you have these elements in place to foster good planning? Are you able to provide everything the work crews need for them to do the job right the first time, or are they driving back and forth looking for parts, tools, or even people?

Poor technical information

“This pump is Version 7, but the O&M manual we have here is for Version 3. Can’t be too different, can it?”

Much like training, having access to a current and comprehensive library of technical information is important. Given the vast amount of information that is available to us these days, you might need to consider implementing a knowledge system beyond the binders in the Engineering library.

Further, providing extensive information to the crews in the field may also be necessary. Those binders on the shelves may need to be digitized and made available via mobile applications.

Not having the right spare parts

“This one will do. Otherwise, we must wait 3 weeks just to get the paperwork done to order another.”

As part of your formal equipment commissioning process, the determination of the spare parts you need to have on hand is important. Yet, once that is done and the equipment is tossed over the fence to operations and maintenance, spare parts are often left as is.

Over time, as you gain experience with the equipment and track the spares you are using, you should have a pretty good idea of what you need to have on hand. Even as the seasons change, the amount and types of spares may be rather different.

It has been known to happen where the manufacturing of spare parts goes through a de-evolution where the spares available in the market are just not quite the same quality or fit as those from years past. Belts wear out faster, filters don’t quite seat well on the flats, and bearings fit too loosely in their races. Quality control over the spares you accept from suppliers might be an improvement area if you are having spares issues in the field.

Time limits

“Get that line back in production! They can mop up the oil later!”

Time is the enemy of rational thought. While it is inconvenient to have equipment down, it is even worse if it only runs for a few hours after being returned to service. It’s one thing to be efficient with your return-to-service activities, it is quite another thing to rush them.

Watch a few videos of how they launch aircraft from aircraft carriers. Just before they call for the shot, the Shooter points at each station confirming their status. If all is good, they approve of the launch. If your checklist is not complete, the success of your mission will be at risk.

Attitude and culture

Allow us to posit that attitude and culture can be a result of the degree of attention you pay (or not) to all the above elements. Crews that are rushed, and don’t have the right tools, spare parts, or training are certain to not have great attitudes. These things eat away at your people over time. Sure, they lead to higher attrition rates, but they can easily lead to safety issues.

Besides, no one wants to go back out into the cold and fix something they thought was fixed yesterday. Provide what your folks need to get the job done right the first time and be involved enough with them to know when something new or different is needed as well.

Wrap up

So, we started with a simple equation and ended up with a long list of areas for you to investigate for potential improvements. Excellent! Metrics have no use if they do not prompt action or decisions!

TRM and IDCON have been helping companies across industries improve their maintenance operations for many years. Take advantage of our techniques and technologies to boost the confidence your work crews have in the repairs they perform.

Reach out to us at AskTRM@trmnet.com if you have any questions or would like to discuss deploying MAS 8, Maximo AAM , TRM’s ACE App for condition-based maintenance/monitoring.