Maintenance Technicians, Trades and Craftspeople: The Original Innovators

In the world of maintenance and repair, technicians were often the heroes who kept everything running smoothly. These skilled professionals were the original innovators, mastering the art of making things work with whatever resources were available. Their ability to think on their feet, adapt to challenges, and find creative solutions is what sets them apart as true innovators. On many occasions early in my career I witnessed several hours or sometimes days of system downtime avoided because a skilled trades team or individual, sourced some parts, adapted and modified, installed and refined and made the system work again – at the very least until the correct materials sourced and repair job could be planned in.

The question is – are we leveraging this skill set effectively or have we stifled it with more and more red tape and constraints in our attempt to standardise and improve consistency and quality.

Resourcefulness at Its Best: Maintenance technicians would often work in environments where resources are limited, and time is of the essence. Whether it's fixing a malfunctioning piece of equipment or addressing an unexpected breakdown, they would quickly assess the situation and come up with a solution using the tools, materials and components at hand. This level of resourcefulness requires a deep understanding of the machinery and systems they work with, as well as the ability to think creatively under pressure.

Ingenuity in Action: The ingenuity of maintenance technicians is evident in their ability to devise makeshift solutions that keep operations running. For example, when a critical component is unavailable, they might fabricate a temporary replacement using spare parts or repurpose existing materials to achieve a quick fix. This problem-solving mindset not only ensures minimal downtime but also demonstrates their technical prowess and innovative spirit.

Adaptability and Continuous Learning: Innovation in maintenance is not just about fixing immediate problems; it's also about continuous learning where the informal transfer of knowledge is perhaps more robust that formal training. What one technician has had success with in the past is often handed on to others who may continue to improve the solution as they apply it.

Do we Make the Most of This Creativity? Unfortunately, we are in paradigm that is stifling this creativity whereby we are locked into procedures and red tape. In the quest for high quality maintenance and consistency of execution we have supressed that traditional innovative spirit.

Engaging the Innovation: Serious consideration should be given to enabling processes that encourage and engage this innovative skill and resourcefulness. The technician – technology interface is critical as is the process of continuous improvement to ensure that creativity is harnessed while establishing the desired consistency and quality. There is no doubt of the value of precision maintenance so we mustn’t compromise on the pursuit of execution excellence – be we absolutely should encourage engagement and innovation.

In summary, we should recognise that maintenance technicians are the original innovators, constantly finding creative ways to solve problems and keep operations running smoothly. Their resourcefulness, ingenuity, adaptability, and commitment to continuous learning make them invaluable assets in any organization. As we continue to embrace technological advancements, we need to ensure that the innovative spirit of maintenance technicians remains a driving force behind efficient and reliable operations.

By Jason Apps

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Jason Apps is an Executive Level Asset Management Consultant, providing support to organisations in pursuit of high-reliability world-class asset management practices. He is the Author of ASMx: Asset Strategy Management - A Leaders Guide to Reliability Transformation in the Digital Age, a regular presenter, workshop facilitator and trainer.

Jason has delivered significant performance improvement, cost reduction, and risk management to global, blue-chip clients, for the last 20+ years. With a proven, unique, pragmatic approach to identifying improvement initiatives, implementing and structuring for enduring success.

Email Jason at Jason.apps@exar-am.com or visit exar-am.com