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May - June 2022
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www
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machinerylubrication.com
M aintenance and Reliabilit y
AS I SEE IT
Jim Fitch
|
Noria Corporation
The Seven Levels to
Lubrication Excellence
Once
begun,
you're
halfway
done."
Rome was not built
in a day. Transforma-
tional change takes
time. You've heard
the expression, "once begun, you're
halfway done."
But what are the milestones along
the way? In other words, what are the
stages or levels of transformation
on the pathway to excellence? How
can they be described in the most
basic terms? at's the subject of my
column today.
e seven levels are in sequential
order. Some organizations may elect
to skip or leapfrog over two or more
levels. Others may realize the virtue
of getting a few small wins first before
moving on to higher levels. ere
could be danger or pitfalls in moving
too fast.
Slow and steady wins the race.
Moving rapidly through the levels
may be more achievable if you are
counseled by an experienced person
or team who has step-staged through
these levels before.
Defining Seven Levels
of Excellence
e one-word descriptive titles of
each level are listed to the right. e
chart that follows provides a more
detailed explanation of the meaning
of these words. You can read through
these descriptions to approximate the
level your plant and team are at today.
Better yet, have an independent auditor
give you an unbiased assessment.
1. Survival
2. Awareness
3. Crawling
4. Walking
5. Running
6. Optimizing
7. Sustaining
In order to move organizationally
through the levels, there is a need to