Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/957021
46 | March - April 2018 | www . machinerylubrication.com 3 Ways the ICML Awards Can Benefit You To check the dates and locations of upcoming MLT exam sessions or to apply for an exam, visit the ICML website at icmlonline.com. TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION For the past 17 years, the International Council for Machiner y Lubrication (ICML) has recognized a variety of plants, programs and individuals with two prestigious awards: the Augustus H. Gill Award for oil analysis excellence and the John R. Battle Award for lubrica- tion excellence. While these awards inherently support the organization's mission to facilitate growth and development of machine lubrication as a technical field of endeavor, some companies may refrain from nomi- nating themselves or their customers unless they understand the positive impact of doing so. However, there truly is no down- side to the ICML awards. Generally speaking, the more applications you submit, the more tangible the bene- fits you will receive, whether you win an award or not. ese benefits can be seen at three distinct levels: industry, plant and practitioner. Industry Level: Rising with the Tide When competing for an award, every team needs a rival to defeat. Sometimes the rival is a long- standing competitor in the market. It could also be another plant in your company or even mediocrity itself. e Gill and Battle awards have established industr y-wide benchmarks that ever yone can achieve. By fostering a sense of urgency and competition, these benchmarks make it possible for companies to target and attain new performance goals they might not otherwise pursue. As more companies reach new levels of performance, the number of nominations for the ICML awards is likely to increase. Mean- while, industry standards benefit globally from these practical efforts. As the old idiom says, "A rising tide lifts all boats." Nevertheless, industry can only learn from your experiences if you nominate your company for an award. Plant Level: Make Money, Save Money At the plant level, you can expect both external and internal benefits. Assuming your company depends on trust and credibility to help convert prospects into paying customers, how can you establish these traits as part of your external brand? Effective tactics include third-party validation, such as customer referrals/testimonials, peer reviews and industry awards. If your plant wins the Gill or Battle award, you shouldn't keep it a secret. You can impress customers and prospects by telling them about your award in every available platform. Winning either award is an exceptional accomplishment that your company can parlay into media exposure via your own public relations and social media channels over and above ICML's promotional efforts. It's free publicity to enhance your brand. Internally, if your frontline technicians and analysts see your company consistently making awards submissions, they will know that corporate leaders are serious about quality lubrication and oil analysis programs. e very presence of a trophy, along with the knowledge that submissions are being made to win it, reinforces high-performance expectations across the plant. It clearly communicates that reliability initiatives start at the top. Ideally, such a goal-driven environment brings clarity and focus, making it easier (and less expensive) for practitioners to maintain continued excellence and reliability. Consulting and training orga- nizations that have helped their customers implement a world-class By Paul Hiller, ICML L u b r i c a t i o n P r o g ra m s