Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
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AS I SEE IT Figure 2. This table shows critical lubrication Optimum Reference State (ORS) attributes and responsibility in controlling these attributes. Note that retroactive responsibility relates to machine modifications after installation at the user's site. modernized lubrication practices can be viewed as difficult, expensive and disruptive (during the deployment period). The basic elements of the TAM are shown in Figure 1. This has many parallels to the challenges facing the lubrication industry. The very fact that adoption of optimum lubrication practices has been so delinquent makes the case that one or two of these elements have strained progress. Fundamentally, there is a need for users to believe that optimized lubrication: 1) is considerably different from the current state of lubrication in many critical areas, 2) will bring real value to users' organizations and to maintenance workers individually (financially and career development), 3) can be deployed with manageable risk and cost, and 4) is sustainable. An even more common model is the Technology Adoption Cycle. This model separates users (customers) into groups based on their propensity to try new technology. These groups are listed and summarized according to several unique characteristics, such as: • Innovators – These highly educated, leading-edge individuals are often viewed as risk takers. • Early Adopters – This is a young, welleducated group of leaders (willing to champion innovative ideas). 6| January - February 2013 | www.machinerylubrication.com • Early Majority – This group is conservative but open to continuous improvement. • Late Majority – These individuals are older, less educated, fairly conservative and less influenced by social or technology trends. • Laggards – This group is very conservative, oldest, least educated and slow to change. These groups form an adoption timeline as shown in Figure 3. In his book Crossing the Chasm, Geoffrey Moore makes a modification to the graph by adding what he calls "the chasm." He states that progress along the timeline critically depends on crossing this chasm. The chasm is the point at which most new technologies fail Figure 3. The Technology Adoption Cycle was modified by Geoffrey Moore to include "the chasm," where most new technologies fail to become mainstream in the market.