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Overview of Performing RCM2 Analysis

This section summarizes the steps involved in recording an RCM2 analysis in APM. It also shows how each step relates to the seven basic questions that RCM2 analysis answers. Links are provided to topics that describe each task in detail.

Create the RCM2 Analysis and Select Assets

Starting the RCM2 analysis in APM involves selecting the primary asset to be analyzed, with or without its descendants. Analyses can be performed on any type of asset, except for components. You can create the analysis from scratch or from a template. You can select an analysis type (a set of predefined options), change the default analysis type, or select options manually.

For more information:

•	Creating an RCM2 Analysis From Scratch

•	Creating an RCM2 Analysis From a Template

An analysis can also be created from an analysis request. For example, when an inspector reviews an indicator reading and decides that a failure mode review is required, the inspector can create a request for a strategy development analysis. When the request is processed, the analysis is created or updated. Information from the request is copied to the analysis: the requested start and completion dates are copied to the planning information on the General tab’s, Details tab. The Analysis Requests tab shows information about the original request.

It is a good idea to review the new analysis’ settings to ensure that they are appropriate for the asset and process. For more information:

•	Setting Failure Mode Options for an RCM2 Analysis

•	Setting Risk Analysis Options for an RCM2 Analysis

As the analysis progresses, you might need to add assets to the analysis hierarchy that you identified when creating the analysis. You can also change the primary asset on an RCM2 analysis and renumber assets.

For more information:

•	Adding Assets to an RCM2 Analysis

•	Renumbering RCM2 Analysis Objects

•	Changing the Primary Asset on an RCM2 Analysis

Record the Primary Asset’s Operating Context

The analysis team will find it helpful to define the circumstances in which the asset operates before they define its functions. Recording the operating context in APM involves selecting a brief description from the list of supplied values and then entering the detailed operating context statement, including how and where the asset is used and the performance criteria that apply to output, throughput, safety, environmental integrity, and so on.

For more information:

•	Recording the Primary Asset’s Operating Context on an RCM2 Analysis

Manage the Analysis

APM provides tools to help you manage the analysis project, from recording team members, to documenting meetings, to recording comments. For more information:

•	Adding Team Members to an RCM2 Analysis

•	Entering and Reviewing Comments on an RCM2 Analysis

•	Recording Team Meetings on an RCM2 Analysis

•	Working with the RCM2 Analysis Checklist

Develop Functions, Functional Failures, and Failure Modes

The RCM2 process asks the following questions:

•

What are the functions and associated desired standards of performance of the asset in its present operating context? In addition to the operating context, the function description includes the function statement and performance standard. Both the primary and secondary functions can be identified for the assets.

•	In what ways can the asset fail to fulfill its functions? In other words, what are the functional failures for each function?

•	What causes each functional failure? What are the failure modes for each functional failure?

•	What happens when each failure occurs? A failure effect statement describes what would happen if the failure mode were to occur.

In APM, you can use the analysis’ Information worksheet to define each asset’s functions, functional failures, failure modes, and failure effects. As the analysis progresses, you might wish to renumber failure modes, functions, functional failures, or a combination.

For more information:

•	Developing RCM2 Functions and Failure Modes

•	Renumbering RCM2 Analysis Objects

Analyze Risk and Evaluate Consequences

In the process of developing the maintenance action plan for each failure mode in APM, the analysis team answers the questions:

•	In what way does each failure matter? Assessing the failure consequences involves determining whether the failure is evident or hidden. The consequences are then categorized as being safety-related, environmental, operational, or non-operational.

•	What can be done to predict or prevent each failure? The action plan can recommend a proactive task (on-condition monitoring, scheduled restoration, or scheduled discard).

•	What should be done if a proactive task cannot be found? The action plan can recommend a default task (failure-finding maintenance, redesign, or a combination of tasks).

The team can perform failure mode risk assessment, depending on the requirements of the asset. They can also record failure data, especially if you intend to use Isograph Availability Workbench to optimize reliability programs. In APM, the Evaluation tab is used to perform the consequence evaluation and arrive at a recommended strategy. They can also evaluate the economic feasibility of implementing the recommended task.

Tip: Susceptibility to failure evaluation can also be incorporated into risk analysis. Typically, a questionnaire is used to examine the asset’s non-age related degradation patterns. It can provide an alternative to probability of failure analysis for these failure modes. For example, susceptibility evaluation can be used to determine the vulnerability of atmospheric storage tanks to corrosion under insulation or stress cracking. The evaluation can result in recommended actions, susceptibility ratings, or both.

The team can then provide detailed information about the failure mode’s action plan. The information includes the recommended action type, a description of the action, and, depending on the type of action, the P-F interval, failure-finding interval, task frequency, trade, asset operating conditions, indicators, recommended modifications, and so on.

Recommended Actions

The following action types are supported:

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Condition-Based Maintenance entails checking for potential failures so that action can be taken to prevent the functional failure or to avoid the consequences of the functional failure. On-condition tasks are so called because the items that are inspected are left in service on the condition that they continue to meet specified performance standards

•	Failure-Finding Maintenance involves checking a hidden function at regular intervals to find out whether it has failed. The intervals are calculated based on the required availability of the asset and the reliability of the protected function

•	Modification/Redesign is any one-time change to the equipment, training, maintenance or operating procedures, and so on

•	No Scheduled Maintenance means assets are left in service until a functional failure occurs, at which point they are repaired or replaced

•	Scheduled Restoration entails restoring the initial capability of an existing asset at or before a specified age limit, regardless of its apparent condition at the time

•	Scheduled Discard entails discarding an asset at or before a specified age limit, regardless of its condition at the time

•	To Be Analyzed Separately means the failure mode will be analyzed on a different analysis

•	To Be Determined is the default selection, and it means that an action type could not be determined at the time and further investigation is required

You can create or copy one or more maintenance action plans that describe failure modes and effects, as well as the recommended actions to prevent or mitigate the failures.

For more information:

•	Evaluating Susceptibility to Failure for RCM2 Failure Modes

•	Performing RCM2 Failure Mode Risk Analysis

•	Performing RCM2 Risk Analysis with Weighted Severities

•	Viewing Risk Analyses for RCM2 Failure Modes

•	Recording Failure Data for RCM2 Analyses

•	Evaluating RCM2 Failure Mode Consequences

•	Recording and Reviewing RCM2 Failure Mode Details

•	Adding Symptoms to an RCM2 Failure Mode

•	Copying RCM2 Failure Modes

Develop and Implement Action Plans

You can evaluate the economic feasibility of implementing the proposed maintenance tasks. Then develop the action plans for the selected strategy by describing tasks, determining frequencies, and more.

In some cases, you might need to create secondary action plans for failure modes. For example, a failure mode might require a condition-based maintenance task to check for signs of wear, a secondary modification to procedures (for example, training for maintenance personnel), and scheduled restoration in the future. You can add secondary actions as you are developing the analysis, or you can add them later.

For more information:

•	Evaluating the Feasibility of RCM2 Maintenance Tasks

•	Developing Primary RCM2 Action Plans

•	Creating Secondary RCM2 Action Plans

Add Inspection Tasks and Indicators to Action Plans

An inspection task is a standard task that lists the indicators to be read to perform an asset inspection. You can add an existing standard task to the action plan or create one from scratch or from a template. When you create an inspection task from scratch, you can add new indicators or specify a dynamic route to collect existing indicators for route assets.

Depending on the type of action, you can create or select indicators to monitor assets for potential failure. When you have developed action plans, you can generate a report that shows how indicators are distributed on standard tasks.

For more information:

•	Adding Inspection Tasks and Indicators to RCM2 Action Plans

•	Reviewing Indicator Collection Information on an RCM2

Add Corrective Tasks, Documents, and Follow-up Work to Action Plans

Depending on the type of action, you can create or select one or more corrective tasks to support the recommended action. If the asset is to be modified or redesigned, you can assign a standard document to the action plan. You can also assign work requests and work order tasks for follow-up work.

For more information:

•	Adding Corrective Tasks to RCM2 Action Plans

•	Adding Follow-up Work to RCM2 Action Plans

•	Adding Standard Documents to RCM2 Action Plans

Add Critical Parts to Action Plans

For all types of analyses and recommended actions, you can add a list of the materials needed to perform the action. Select from the parts catalog or define non-cataloged items, providing their part IDs, names, and quantities.

If you maintain a resource catalog in APM (and interoperability is not enabled for the site), you can select material resources from the catalog.

You can also develop a catalog of parts for use in the site’s analyses.

Note: To use this functionality in APM, you must enable feature 42. In the Enterprise window, select the Customization Center view and the Enabled Features tab. Click Browse, select “Support for critical parts identification on a maintenance action plan”, and click OK. If APM is running as a smart client, click Refresh Enabled Features on the server. Then restart the client to use the functionality.

For more information, see Adding Critical Parts to RCM2 Action Plans.

Using Isograph Availability Workbench

Using the integration functionality in APM, you can export failure modes from analyses in APM to the Isograph Availability Workbench (AWB), where you can analyze and optimize the data. You can then import optimization results into the APM analysis, review the recommendations in the Optimization view, and make appropriate changes to the action plans.

 

Before you can export failure modes, you must have installed the Availability Workbench with a valid license. Your APM license must include the Reliability Strategy Development and Implementation and Performance Management modules, and the modules must be active on the sites where you want to use the functionality.

For information about using this functionality, see APM Integration Guide for Isograph Availability Workbench.

Add More Information to Failure Modes

Using the Details tab on the Maintenance Action Plan window, you can assign a failure type and classification to the failure mode and record usage details (criticality, duty code, and severity of usage). The Details tab displays information such as review requests and root causes.

If required by your organization, you can also add symptoms to failure modes. A symptom is a keyword or phrase that summarizes the evidence that an operator, engineer, or technician would see when the failure occurs or is about to occur. For example, “trip-alarm sounds” could be defined as a symptom. Symptoms are assigned to MTA2, RCM2, and RBI failure modes to help maintenance personnel track asset faults to the failure modes that could cause them. Symptoms are listed in the Fault Diagnosis Guide, a report you can print for the site, an asset, or a strategy development analysis.

For more information:

•	Recording and Reviewing RCM2 Failure Mode Details

•	Adding Symptoms to an RCM2 Failure Mode

Work With the Decision Diagram

The decision diagram provides a graphical representation of the results of the analysis. The diagram contains 27 decision boxes, each representing the answer to a question or series of questions associated with the failure mode evaluation. Included in each box is a count of the failure modes that answered the questions positively and the percentage that the count represents of the number of failure modes analyzed.

For more information:

•	Viewing the Decision Diagram for an RCM2 Analysis

When you are working on an individual maintenance action plan, you can select the Details tab to see where it fits into the decision diagram.

Copy Functions and Failure Modes

Whether you are developing failure modes or action plans, you can use the Copy Failure Mode wizard to copy functions, functional failures, failure modes, and action plans to similar assets. The wizard is especially useful when you have analyzed one branch of the asset hierarchy (for example, the many assets associated with haul truck #1) and then wish to copy the failure modes to a similar set of assets (haul truck #2). During implementation, use the wizard to efficiently update failure modes by copying indicators, standard tasks, jobs, and procedures into the target analysis.

For more information:

•	Copying RCM2 Failure Modes

Monitor the Status of Analyses

Monitor the status of an analysis by reviewing failure modes and marking them “Facilitation Completed” and “Implementation Completed”. When implementation has been completed for all of its failure modes, change the analysis’ status to “Analysis Completed”.

If your organization uses the APM formal approval process, it is typically employed to vet the analysis when implementation has been completed for all failure modes. When the analysis has been approved, you can close the analysis.

You can define action plan task statuses for use with failure modes and action plans in addition to the statuses provided by APM (Facilitation Incomplete, Facilitation Completed, Implementation Completed, and Implementation Not Required). Facilitators and implementers can then use the additional statuses to co-ordinate their efforts, for example, marking an action plan for follow-up or review.

For more information:

•	Changing the Status of RCM2 Failure Modes and Analyses

•	Sending an RCM2 Analysis for Approval

•	Working with RCM2 Action Plan Task Statuses

View Information About the Analysis

At any time, you can review analysis summaries or detailed information about an analysis’ status and history. The Analysis Summary view provides information about the RCM2 analysis’ assets, action plans, indicators, tasks, and jobs. The Implementation view provides a list of action plans, their failure modes, recommended actions, corrective tasks, and indicators. You can also review the reliability programs for the analysis assets.

You can also print several reports from the analysis, including lists of action plan details, functions, functional failures, and failure modes. You can also print the decision worksheet and decision diagram.

For more information:

•	Viewing Information About an RCM2 Analysis or Template

•	Reviewing RCM2 Assets’ Reliability Programs

•	Viewing RCM2 Failure Modes and Action Plans

•	Printing RCM2 Analysis Reports

APM provides key performance indicator (KPI) templates for RCM2 analyses:

•	Number of new RCM2 analyses this month

•	Number of new RCM2 failure modes this month

•	Number of new RCM2 failure modes in the last 12 months

•	Cumulative count of all RCM2 failure modes

•	Number of new failure modes this month developed in MTA2 and RCM2 analyses

•	Number of new failure modes in the last 12 months developed in MTA2 and RCM2 analyses

•	Cumulative count of all failure modes developed in MTA2 and RCM2 analyses

For more information, see Creating Performance Indicators From a Template.

Link Action Plans to Projects

When the recommended action is to modify or redesign the asset, you can link the action plan to a project to plan and track the modifications.

For more information:

•	Linking RCM2 Action Plans to Projects

•	Working With a Project’s Links to RCM2 Action Plans

Create RCM2 Templates

A strategy development analysis template is a group of settings that can be used as the basis for a strategy development analysis (MTA2, RCM2, SIF, or HAZOP). A template identifies failure modes for a type of asset, rather than for a specific asset. Similarly, it refers to indicator templates and task templates, not to specific asset indicators and standard tasks. It includes an operating context for assets and a maintenance strategy for each of its failure modes. In addition, an RCM2 template identifies functions and functional failures.

You can create RCM2 analysis templates, organize them in a hierarchy, and move them between sites.

For more information:

•	Creating an RCM2 Template

•	Viewing RCM2 Template Hierarchies

•	Setting up a Hierarchy for RCM2 Templates

•	Moving an RCM2 Template to a Different Site