Use Training to Keep Machinery Running

Most industry professionals already know the importance of lubrication systems in keeping machinery running. These systems are essential for the safe operation of an industrial plant, oil rig or other large-scale project. Without them, machinery can neither function properly nor enable workers to do their jobs successfully.

On a broader scale, buyers of these systems need to expand how they calculate the value of the equipment, because there is both a quantitative number and a qualitative property associated with these items. The latter involves everything from employee morale and mechanical efficiency to a brand's integrity and reputation within the marketplace.

To ensure the strength of your assets and guarantee that these intangible yet undeniably influential factors remain positive, there must be an investment in training. Without the right teaching and in the absence of the right teachers, you may find yourself in desperate situations, like the remote flatlands of an oil field in Texas or a manufacturing plant in China where no one knows how to repair or review the performance of the pumps and lubrication systems.

Buyers and users of equipment should enjoy long-term value from their pumps, valves and lubrication systems. They should not fear a breakdown in production and a collapse in individual productivity. The only way to eliminate this fear is with the "equipment of education."

This theme of investment has dual meanings involving leadership and respect. On the one hand, there is the concept of being an effective leader who makes decisions based on the sustained health and longevity of the company, where each action is part of an overall plan that is flexible but not infinitely elastic, where there is room to adapt to changing events and client expectations without succumbing to and indulging the temptations of fads.

Purchasing certain lubrication systems also secures a company's credibility. It proves an organization's commitment to buying the right equipment for the right reasons at the right time. It confirms, in short, that this equipment is not another disposable item to be discarded or abandoned like a pan of grease or oil.

To workers, this same equipment signifies intent and respect — that a company is loyal to its employees upon whom the responsibility of learning how to operate and master the intricacies of this machinery is indispensable. This alone is a powerful way to earn the goodwill of technicians, teachers and students in the industry.

Indeed, the overriding principle is not so much about training, although that is an essential task, as it is a matter of trust. In other words, if a company is serious about a large-scale assignment and takes the time to review and compare particular pieces of equipment, it would be foolish if not self-destructive to deny workers the chance to use these pumps, valves and lubrication systems the right way.

Training is the rule to smart leadership, not the exception. It creates a culture of safety and innovation where workers know they have the admiration of their employers and the confidence of their colleagues in the field or on the shop floor. Training is everything.

About the Author

Brian Robson is the operations manager for FD Johnson. Contact Brian at www.fdjohnson.com.