Forward: If device management is not done properly, it is likely due to the following reasons....

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There are indeed many challenges associated with equipment management, such as a lack of attention from management, it not being among the company’s key priorities, and limited impact on performance, among others. But for those working in equipment management, the more significant reasons are probably the following: 1. Lack of willingness to do the job. Equipment maintenance is a technical task, but often it’s not that people can’t do it – it’s that they don’t want to do it, which is why they can’t do it! The complexity of equipment maintenance poses a challenge for many companies, as they struggle to find effective incentives. Skilled workers work themselves to exhaustion yet earn similar incomes; as a result, even those who are capable stop working, and those who were already not performing well become even less diligent. There are already plenty of maintenance workers, yet it seems like there’s still not enough… To motivate technical staff, it is necessary to engage them fully, to transform organizational goals into individual goals for each person, so that they feel that they are working for their own benefit and thus develop motivation. It is also important to distinguish between those who are capable and those who are not, so that everyone will strive to do their best. A prerequisite for this is that everyone’s responsibilities must be clear, and the goals must be defined. 2. Lack of willingness to learn: Just like in the field of medical equipment, progress stops once learning ceases, but many maintenance workers are unwilling to take the initiative to learn, even though there is a significant gap in their technical skills. The main reason is the lack of an incentive mechanism that ensures higher income for those with higher skills; if one has to work, they have to work more, and working more leads to mistakes – so who would still be willing to be skilled? Once such a mechanism is established, people will naturally develop the motivation to learn, and will be willing to make efforts to improve their income and reputation ； Once such an atmosphere is established, there are many ways to proceed; every equipment failure, especially those that are typical, becomes an excellent teaching tool, and people are then more willing to truly carry out the \"three no-lets-go analyses\". 3. Failing to carry out maintenance: Many faults have precursors, which are first reflected in minor changes during operation, such as sounds and vibrations – changes that operators are most likely to notice. The maintenance carried out by operators can be very simple – sometimes as simple as a daily check – but it is crucial; it allows for the detection and elimination of numerous potential problems, enabling many faults to be addressed before they even arise. After many failures occur, a retrospective analysis shows that most of them are related to basic maintenance; as the saying goes, \"Loosen one screw and a beam will break; remove one brick and a wall will collapse.\" Therefore, full participation in equipment maintenance is the foundation for breaking through bottlenecks. 4. Failing to focus on practical implementation: Everyone is seeking advanced management models and attending various training sessions; one concept today, another model tomorrow – in reality, what everyone does is more or less the same. We are also carrying out inspections and holding pre-shift meetings on a daily basis; we report in accordance with the \"three no-lets-pass\" principle every time. So why is there such a big gap between us and others? It’s not about concepts and models; the key lies in implementation! I’ve been to many companies where visual management in equipment management seems to be well implemented, but upon closer inspection, it’s actually not necessary at all. Because of \"the need for operations\" or \"orders from superiors\", some visualization work has to be done; once it’s completed, that’s it. When there are obvious alarms on the instruments, no one pays attention to them or asks about them – and that’s where the difference lies. 5. Failing to identify priorities: After one training session, a equipment manager came to me and said that his company had not previously had a dedicated equipment department, so equipment management was in a chaotic state. Once he took charge, he implemented comprehensive management reforms in the face of a severely disorganized situation; however, he faced unprecedented resistance, with some maintenance workers even resorting to physical violence… Many people may encounter similar situations – how should one deal with them? A “comprehensive push” without focusing on key areas is clearly not effective; just as in a patient with chronic illness, multiple symptoms stem from one underlying cause, it is necessary to identify the one or two key issues and focus efforts on resolving them, while ignoring other less important matters. Once you take care of these one or two things personally, you’ll find that many other “illnesses” have already been cured. 6. No contingency plans: The “hostage-taking on 8/23” incident is considered the worst rescue operation in history, yet the Philippine police still make excuses such as heavy security responsibilities and insufficient police forces. Don’t these words sound like what our equipment staff would say? Many of our maintenance workers, and even management staff, spend most of their working day \"waiting for disasters to occur\" – they rush to fix the equipment when it breaks down, and once it’s fixed everything is fine again; then they wait for the next disaster to happen. As a result, there are more and more problems, and their work becomes increasingly busy. 7. Focus on the facts: Looking back at past failures, you will find that many of them repeat themselves! The reason is that the principle of “not letting go of anything” became a mere formality, without truly analyzing the issues at their root. When the same fault keeps recurring, when the same issue arises over and over again, and when the same component keeps breaking down, have you ever considered the underlying reasons? Many recurring faults can actually be completely resolved; the key lies in whether one is good at identifying them. 8. Trapping ourselves – How many problems are caused by us ourselves? Many poor maintenance* habits are often the \"culprits\"; it is we ourselves who cause the problems! The three essential tools of a repairman: \"wire, zip ties, and tape\". Problems such as poorly connected wires and relays that aren’t secured are all too common; when the distribution cabinet is opened, it looks like a mess ； When the device gives an alarm, just short-circuit it… Repeatedly “dealing with it in a sloppy manner” leads to one problem after another! 9. Lack of coordination in management: Maintenance workers are under the responsibility of the equipment department, while the branch factory fails to cooperate, blames them, and complains; it seems as though the two parties are inherently at odds ； The maintenance staff were assigned to the branch plants, while the Equipment Department was only responsible for conducting simple inspections, issuing notices, and imposing penalties; the two parties still failed to integrate ； Actually, it’s not about whether the repair workers are together or not; the key lies in how they are managed. Whether it’s a branch factory or the equipment department, everyone shares the same goals; the only difference is the focus area. Therefore, it’s necessary to clearly define each party’s role and responsibilities in order to sort out these two areas. The same is true for the relationship between the equipment department and the procurement department; in many companies, equipment procurement follows a pattern similar to \"passing the baton\", with a separation between technical aspects and business considerations. As a result, the equipment purchased may seem inexpensive, but its actual operating costs are high, and it even happens that changes are made to the equipment right after it has been purchased... This lack of coordination in management is a typical example of working without clear accountability! 10. Stagnation – TPM aims to maximize overall efficiency, and innovation in terms of equipment is crucial in this regard. However, in reality, many equipment operators are passive or even inactive. Some managers have an exclusive mindset, thinking things like “It won’t work here,” “You don’t understand our industry,” “It’s been done this way for years, so it can’t be wrong,” and so on. Many opportunities for innovation are overlooked, and even when tasks are assigned by managers, they are merely carried out perfunctorily... This is related to motivation on the one hand, and to innovative ways of thinking on the other; most importantly, it is related to mindset. In short, there are many factors that hinder the improvement of equipment management. You can consider the characteristics of your own company and focus on addressing those aspects that are most critical.