Rockland Physical Asset Management

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗠𝗠𝗦 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻 — 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗶𝘀.

A quick internet search will tell you that 𝟲𝟬–𝟴𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗠𝗠𝗦 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹.

Why does this keep happening?

Because the foundation is wrong before the system ever goes live.

Teams assume the information needed to populate the CMMS “must exist somewhere.” They assume it’s organized. They assume it’s accurate. They assume people will “figure it out.”

Meanwhile, the reality is this:
- The information isn’t there.
- The structure isn’t defined.
- The hierarchy isn’t clear.
- And the setup — the part everyone thinks is “just admin work” — gets rushed or ignored.

And then we wonder why even the most intuitive systems become a maze.

A few familiar lines I hear far too often:
“Of course someone has that information… (somewhere).”
“We don’t want to waste time on that admin stuff.”
“They’re resourceful — they’ll figure it out.”

Let me share a secret.

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 means someone succeeds in spite of the circumstances.

Do you really want that to be the story of your brand‑new CMMS?

If you want a strong foundation — one that actually supports reliability, planning, and decision‑making — check out the rest of my A Guide To series. I break down the fundamentals that most organizations skip, and the consequences they pay for it later.

Because effective asset management doesn’t happen by chance.
It happens by design. If you don't set your assets up to be effectively managed, don't be surprised when they become unmanageable.

A Guide to Equipment Numbering – Creating intuitive Physical Asset Hierarchies “Effective asset management does not happen by chance—it happens by design.” Have you ever wondered why some companies excel in maintenance while others constantly struggle with inefficiencies? The answer often lies in their foundation.

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#maintenance #reliability #assetmanagement | Mike Arsenault, P.Eng, RSE, CET I want to thank the hard-working folks over at Reliable ♾️ for the incredible work they do and the consistently high-quality content they share on , , and . I'm both excited and grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this growing body of knowledge t...

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Are you managing your assets effectively? | Mike Arsenault, P.Eng, RSE, CET posted on the topic | LinkedIn 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮....

The Role of Prospect Theory in Asset Management and Reliability How Natural Psychological Responses Impair Decision-Making and Impede Improvement Introduction Why do so many asset management and reliability initiatives stall — even when the math seems to make sense? The answer lies not in spreadsheets, but in psychology. Organizations often justify these inves...

A Guide to Maintenance Program Development – Supporting Efficient Maintenance Management Executive Summary “Effective asset management does not happen by chance—it happens by design.” This article presents a structured approach to developing effective maintenance programs that align technical ex*****on with business objectives.

I once knew a man who could pound nails with his hand,
Then they invented the hammer.
The man grew sour when he lost all his power,
And the people helped nail the tower.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸: 𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝟴𝟬%

It’s often said that 20% of the people do 80% of the work. Why?
Not because the rest lack value, but because the effort and skill required haven’t been made accessible to everyone.

If we want broader participation, we need to lower the threshold to contribute—through better tools, clearer processes, and smarter systems.

𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗲𝘀.
𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿.

Standards Stabilize Organizations (SSO)

“Your system is perfectly designed to give you the results that you get.” - W. Edwards Deming

It’s important to remember: the systems and standards we operate within are often the result of someone’s best worst idea at the time of their creation.

This includes our maintenance strategies and preventive maintenance (PM) routines.

Standards are meant to be living—constantly evolving to ensure they’re delivering the outcomes we need.

Intended or not, your company’s current results are a direct reflection of those systems.

If you want better outcomes:
· Redesign the standards
· Monitor their impact
· Keep iterating

Otherwise, remember…

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” - attributed to Albert Einstein.

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

As the wise Ron Moore once said:

“If the change process takes longer than the organizational or executive attention span, it is doomed to failure.”

It’s not just about outlasting attention spans—we also have to 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿.

With every new executive comes a fresh wave of ideas, priorities, and marching orders. For reliable employees, this can create a constant state of flux. In such an environment, change efforts can feel like the “flavour of the day”—just another initiative to wait out. That mindset builds the very culture that “eats strategy for breakfast.”

Change can be 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹, 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗰—but only if it’s anchored to something 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝘄𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴.

During my time in the military, I was introduced to a simple but powerful tool: 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 (𝗥𝗢𝗘).

Just a pocket-sized card, written instructions—clear, direct, shared by all.

These weren't just words on paper. They were our 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱.
Every single one of us, new or seasoned, was held to them.
No matter who was in charge, our ROE didn't change.
In chaos, they provided clarity. When S&%T hit the fan—we knew exactly what was expected.

As attention spans dwindle and turnover tests our course, we need to 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽.

I’ve shared this before, but it bears repeating:

“If you do not set it up for effective management, do not be surprised when it becomes unmanageable.”

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀, when implemented correctly, are 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
They outlast the moment.
They guide leaders—no matter how new.
They are our organizational 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

To be effective, they must be written.
In times of flux, you don’t rise to the level of your ambitions—you fall to the strength of your systems.

So remember, 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.

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𝗢𝗻 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲, 𝗢𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻, 𝗢𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁—𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴? | Mike Arsenault, RSE, CET, EIT 𝗢𝗻 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲, 𝗢𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻, 𝗢𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁—𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴? Every project manager knows the mantra: deliver the asset on time, within scope, and within budget. Success is measured by meeting these target...

Effective maintenance management does not happen by chance - it happens by design.

A Guide to Creating Physical Asset Hierarchy – A systems approach | Mike Arsenault, RSE, CET, EIT Effective maintenance management does not happen by chance—it happens by design.