Case Study: Maintenance and Reliability Improvement Initiative
Consulting partnered with an chemical plant to shift the plant’s approach from reactive maintenance to a proactive, reliability-focused program. The project concentrated on collecting root-cause data, assessing asset criticality, developing customized reliability strategies, and standardizing preventative maintenance (PM) routines in the facility’s Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS).
Project Phases and Timeline
· Phase 1: Pre-Work and Planning
· Phase 2: Criticality Ranking
· Phase 3: Reliability Strategy Development
· Phase 4: PM Optimization and Job Plan Development
Introduction
Tengu Consulting was brought in to reduce chronic equipment downtime and manage excess inventory within the AN production process. Their objective was to create a data-driven maintenance strategy that would:
· Transform maintenance operations from reactive to proactive
· Optimize spare parts inventory and lower carrying costs
· Increase equipment uptime and maintain high safety standards
Tengu’s unified legal structure ensured full accountability for results. The initiative covered all major production units, such as the ammonium oxidation reactor, absorption tower, and prilling and granulation lines.
Project Schedule and Deliverables
Phase 1: Pre-Work and Planning
· Delivered four half-day reliability workshops to forty operations and maintenance staff
· Developed a comprehensive work plan, outlined stakeholder responsibilities, defined data requirements, and created a risk register
· Established project governance with a steering committee, a core team of six subject matter experts (SMEs), and a Tengu project manager
Phase 2: Criticality Ranking
· Created a six-factor Criticality Matrix, including production impact, safety, environmental, OPEX, quality, and reputation
· Facilitated two sessions with plant SMEs to rank 120 equipment types
· Produced an electronic ranking tool and a prioritized equipment list for CMMS integration
Phase 3: Reliability Strategy Development
· Completed Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) analysis for the top 15% of critical assets, resulting in 18 detailed FMEAs
· Conducted streamlined FMEAs for medium-critical assets and standardized tasks for low-critical assets
· Identified ten crucial spare parts, aligning the Bill of Materials (BOM) with reliability goals
Phase 4: PM Optimization and Job Plan Development
· Reviewed 950 existing PMs in the CMMS, validating, improving, or creating 320 new ones
· Outlined task sequences, necessary skills, tools, and man-hour estimates
· Distributed monthly workload to prevent labor surges during peak periods
· Uploaded all updated PMs and job plans into the CMMS using standardized templates
Execution and Performance Metrics
Key Performance Indicators Achieved
· Reactive maintenance incidents fell by 42% in six months
· Equipment availability rose from 87.5% to 94.2%
· Annual maintenance costs dropped by $350,000 due to optimized spare inventories
· Safety compliance events linked to equipment failures decreased by 35%
Safety and Quality Assurance
· No lost-time incidents occurred during the project
· Monthly performance reviews with plant safety and reliability leaders supported ongoing improvements
Outcomes and Lessons Learned
Outcomes
Tengu’s organized, data-driven approach allowed Prairie Nitrogen Works to embed reliability thinking into everyday operations. Integration with the CMMS and well-documented job plans provided a strong foundation for sustained performance improvements and cost savings.
Lessons Learned
· Engaging stakeholders early and offering tailored training accelerates cultural adoption
· Balancing workloads throughout the year prevents technician fatigue and maximizes resource use
· Incorporating condition-based maintenance triggers, such as vibration and temperature monitoring, strengthens fault detection
By leveraging a proven methodology Tengu Consulting delivered a maintenance transformation that resulted in safer, more efficient, and cost-effective plant operations.
