Story 02 / Maintenance & change
The CMMS Nobody Wanted
Introducing a maintenance system meant changing habits as well as processes. How the team came to see the value of planned maintenance, useful data and organised stores.
Read the storyLessons from the Factory Floor
Lessons from
doing the work.
Real engineering and leadership stories from my career in manufacturing.
Story 05 / Adaptability & problem solving
The Problems They Never Mention at College
Seagulls, crabs and blocked drains: the unexpected challenges that never appear in a maintenance plan.
Read the storyStory 06 / Continuous improvement
The Most Profitable Improvement We Made Was Only 2%
A 2% yield improvement across two salmon lines, achieved by measuring the process and protecting the gains.
Read the storyStory 11 / Reliability & contractor management
I Added Three Months to an Already Long Breakdown
Stopping a recommissioning added months of downtime, but uncovered an incorrectly rebuilt gearbox and prevented another failure.
Read the storyStory 12 / Fault finding & reliability
Follow the Fault. Not the Assumption.
A £12,000 motor repair left the machine out of service. Going back to basics revealed worn contactors—and a £600 solution.
Read the storyStory 13 / Problem solving & curiosity
I Didn’t Know How to Fix It
A magnetic clamping fault, an unavailable manufacturer and a lesson in finding expertise outside your own industry.
Read the storyStory 14 / Leadership & decision making
“We’ve Already Sent the Staff Home.”
A vacuum fault fixed in minutes, after the production team had gone home. The consequences of accepting a diagnosis without checking it.
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