Case Studies in Maintenance and Reliability: A Wealth of Best Practices. V. Narayan

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      Reference

      Kotter, J. P. 1996, Leading Change. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. ISBN-10: 0875847471.

Appendix 6-A

       Rapid Creation and Use of Simple Cost-Effective Computer Systems.

      6-A.1 Business Aims

      The aim of each system should be to bring increased business benefits. Any other reason is probably invalid. If we need to improve the profitability of our plants, we need to improve reliability and availability, and to optimize the capital and revenue costs of our operations.

      6-A.2 Effectiveness Of Information Systems

      We studied a number of information system implementations in various locations in the company. Few opportunities had been grasped to use computer systems as enablers of new ways of doing business. We became convinced that many of these implementations had actually made things worse. Relatively user-friendly paper systems had been replaced by unfriendly computer systems. However, in a few locations, we saw how modern computer systems could be effective vehicles for significant improvements in performance and cost.

      Because we had seen so many poor implementations, we sought the recipes for failure and success. These are shown in Sections 6-A.3 and 6-A.4 below.

      6-A.3 Features of Poor Implementations

      •Implementation run by IT group

      •Benefits intangible

      •Replicates old paper systems and past work procedures

      •System is avoided by workers and largely ignored by management

      •Almost unchangeable

      6-A.4 Features of Most Successful Systems

      •Project run by users with assistance of IT group

      •Considerable visible managerial and senior user involvement and commitment

      •Shared ownership between Operations and Engineering, etc.; the systems are seen as a site wide repository of data and a facility which can be used by all

      •Clear focus on the benefits expected, how these will be achieved, and by whom

      •Systems designed for easy use

      •They give benefits larger than the input effort to all levels of user and have support of all levels in the organization

      •They are a good cultural and organizational fit

      •One-stop shop for all required data

      •Critical to day-to-day activities, to ensure use; this prevents them being bypassed and valuable data and history lost

      •The systems contain “used” indicators of performance

      •All significant activities, events, and performance are made visible

      6-A.5 Creation and Implementation of the Computer System

      •Project management: A key factor in bringing success was that users ran the project in partnership with the IT group. This notion, which these days is called “client-led,” is very different from “client-centered” where users (the clients) are consulted rather than direct ing and managing. The modern term “client-led” is chosen to em phasize that clients are in control of the total process. System analysts and other specialists provide the clients with methodologies, tools, and techniques necessary to manage and control the process.

      •We felt instinctively that this was the right approach; modern system development is aligning on this style. Today’s arguments for this approach include:

      •An organization’s information system needs are difficult to define (especially by an outsider)

      •IT analysts tend to drive for technological solutions

      •Modern information systems must take account of the intertwined mix of hard needs, soft issues, and individual agendas

      •Introducing new methods brings feelings of insecurity that need to be managed effectively

      •Data and System Development Roadmap: It had been found that data was in a whole series of unconnected data islands with a variety of data definitions, preventing effective transfer and correlation of data. A project to rationalize data definitions and produce a consistent refinery data model was set up to run in parallel with the creation of small business systems. Prime focus was put on data that would be used in performance indicators to drive business improvements. A simplified overview is shown as Figure 6-A.1

Figure 6-A.1 Data Overview

      It was necessary to have an overview of the refinery needs. This overview is shown in Figure 6-A.2

      We prepared a road-map of the systems to give a visual picture of the end results (see Figure 6-A.3).

      6-A.5.1 Use of Prototyping Techniques

      There are some myths, which, if not recognized, lead inevitably to problems in developing systems:

      •Users know exactly what they want.

      •All users have identical needs.

      •Users can effectively communicate their needs to computer people.

      •Users needs never change.

Figure 6-A.2 Major Applications for Process Industry

Figure 6-A.3 System Roadmap

      Few users can design a new information system in an abstract atmosphere. But this is what the standard “efficient” way of developing an information system asks for. It asks you to identify and freeze requirements. If you can’t visualize it but are forced to guess anyway, it is not surprising that end results are unsatisfactory.

      A tangible demonstration to the users of what the system will do, and how, is essential to build confidence. Also essential is the ability to quickly change things to achieve a better optimization, either because the world changes or because your idea of what you want the system to do, and how, changes.

      If you are buying an off-the-shelf system, things can be easier; we bought these where possible. We seemed to be ahead of the game in a number of cases so we had to create a number of our own systems, in areas such as

      •Overtime.

      •Scaffolding

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