Most companies that are experiencing staff shortages are spending a lot of time and effort on recruiting. There are more efficient solutions, which include outsourcing. A primary example is leveraging TestOil PRO for reliability program management.
While TestOil PRO has been serving happy customers for years, it is an especially good solution in light of current staff shortages and the difficulty of finding replacements.
Eurofins TestOil Director of Industrial Services Micheal Shaw said that while he continues to see recruiting issues among customers, many are looking for creative solutions—with some more successful than others. “Other than the rare one-off cases, industries are still facing and struggling greatly with smaller workforces, significant turnover, and a retiring generation that includes some of their most experienced and knowledgeable staff,” he said. “I believe the situation has only worsened over the past six months for most companies.”
According to Micheal, the issue is multifaceted, marked by: a retiring generation, lack of experience, competitive job markets, inflation, life-work balance complications and a greater market demand after a time when many employers were laying people off, offering early retirement, downsizing, or preparing to sell.
One of the hallmarks of the situation is the simultaneous retirement of the most experienced employees. Micheal recounted a recent discussion with a fourth-generation plant employee whose father is about to retire. “The son informed me that even in the time that he has been with the facility he still does not understand most of the ins and outs. He said everyone has a little bit of knowledge in certain areas, but they do not have as great of a hold on certain tasks and plans as their more senior coworkers.”
Some critical aspects of lubricant maintenance that newer, inexperienced employees might overlook include; not utilizing sampling best practices, improper lubricant storage/transfer, improper mixing of lubricants, and inaction towards obvious signs of alarming conditions.
TestOil PRO provides professional reliability program field services designed to implement and maintain a turnkey oil analysis program. TestOil PRO professionals sample, manage customer data, and present interpretations with next step action recommendations that can be utilized to create work orders. The process is streamlined so customers can trust their data, trust their decisions, and have a partner that offers additional consultation with clear direction.
TestOil PRO programs include:
“TestOil PRO is a remarkable service that lives up to the claim,” Micheal concludes. “There have been many times that we have stepped outside of the box to improve our customers’ programs.”
Among TestOil PRO’s many customer testimonials is the following from Dan Velasquez, a Reliability Engineer for US Steel Corporation.
“Since 2019 I have been working alongside Eurofins TestOil in implementing and developing the best route to improve the critical system-related steel mill operations. Eurofins TestOil has been exceeding our expectations since day one. Not only accomplishing the sample routes on time during the schedule planned but also providing the technical support necessary to move us in the right direction. Eurofins TestOil employees Mike, Matt, David and Camron have been working with us to identify the critical systems, evaluate the best option to address the issues and also provide the help and guidance to improve the different oil systems installed in this steel mill. Since this project has been running, we haven't regretted the investment in this particular predictive maintenance program. The solutions and rewards from the oil sampling of critical machines have been leading us to pinpoint our resources and avoid additional costs related to unexpected failures. “
For more information on TestOil PRO visit: https://testoil.com/testoil-pro/. For more information on working with Eurofins TestOil for oil analysis and training visit www.testoil.com. Contact: 216-251-2510; sales@testoil.com.
With more than 30 years of experience in the oil analysis industry, Eurofins TestOil, focuses exclusively on assisting industrial facilities with reducing maintenance costs and avoiding unexpected downtime through oil analysis program implementation. As industry experts in diagnosing oil-related issues in equipment such as turbines, hydraulics, gearboxes, pumps, compressors and diesel generators, Eurofins TestOil provides customers with a guarantee of same-day turnaround on all routine testing. Eurofins TestOil PRO certified lubrication professionals educate the industry on oil analysis through public and private onsite training. These highly experienced professionals provide a variety of onsite services; from collecting oil samples to conducting failure analyses to writing work orders. For more information on partnering with Eurofins TestOil on oil analysis programs or training opportunities visit https://testoil.com. Contact: Michael Barrett 216-251-2510; sales@testoil.com.
