About Solutions

SMRP Solutions is published bi-monthly (six times per year) by the Society for Maintenance & Reliability Professionals, exclusively for SMRP members. Solutions articles cover the topics in the SMRP body of knowledge. Each issue’s articles will focus specifically on one of the five pillars of the body of knowledge: business management, manufacturing process reliability, equipment reliability, organization and leadership, and work management, with one issue devoted to a current industry topic each year.

Members, we want YOU to be involved in your magazine! Check out a few new features we need your help on!

Solutions Advertising
Author Guidelines
Upcoming Themes and Deadlines
Pillar Definitions and Suggested Topics

Solutions Advertising:

Advertising in Solutions is a great way to reach thousands of M&R professionals with purchasing power within their organizations. With 70% of SMRP members at the manager level, you won’t find an audience better suited to your needs. Download the media kit for 2011 or 2012.

Upcoming Deadlines:

Author Guidelines

Articles submitted to Solutions are evaluated on ten criteria:

1 . Does the article contain commercial messaging (must be removed prior to publication)?
2. Does the article inform, instruct or entertain audience?
3. Does the article cover the basics: the five W's & how?
4. Does the article cover demonstrate timeliness and relevance?
5. Does the article show imagination and creativity?
6. Does the writing have unity, coherence, and emphasis? Does it have complete, clear and logically organized information?
7. Does the article demonstrate good editing for grammar, spelling, punctuation, typos, clarity?
8. Does the article have form/style appropriate to content/purpose?
9. Does the article cite authority and sources, if appropriate?
10. Does the article provide background and perspective?

Submission Requirements
References: Authors are asked to submit all references in Chicago Style endnotes.
Format: All articles must be submitted in as Microsoft Word documents. Any images embedded in file should also be attached as .jpegs
Release: Upon selection, all authors are required to sign a release form and provide a brief bio for publication.

Please note that SMRP does not accept articles that promote an individual or company, nor do we accept articles written in first person.

Upcoming Themes:

February 2012 Issue
Theme: Business Management

April 2012 Issue
Theme: Manufacturing Process Reliability

June 2012 Issue
Theme: Equipment Reliability

August 2012 Issue
Theme: Organization & Leadership

October 2012 Issue
Theme: Work Management

December 2012
Theme: TBD

Pillar Definitions and Suggested Topics

Pillar #1 - "Business Management"
Articles in this issue should describe the skills used to translate an organization’s business goals into appropriate maintenance and reliability goals that support and contribute to the organization’s business results. Subjects would include:
Creating strategic direction and plan
Selling programs and change to stakeholders
Creating measurement and performance evaluation systems
Managing risk
Business case preparation
Communicate to stakeholders
How to plan and budget resources
Maintenance/operations performance agreements & specifications
Examples of other topics that might fit into this track are:
Contract maintenance
Custodial maintenance
Maintenance management
Total productive maintenance
Autonomous maintenance
Benchmarking

Pillar #2 - "Manufacturing Process Reliability"
Articles in this issue should cover subject areas that relate maintenance and reliability activities as part of the quality assurance and improvement of the manufacturing process of the organization. Subjects would include:
Maintain process and industry standards and specifications
Understand the manufacturing process
Manufacturing effectiveness techniques
Safety, health, and environmental issues
Manage effects of changes to processes and equipment
Examples of topics that might fit into this area also include:
Equipment replacement
Six Sigma programs
Quality management

Pillar #3 - "Equipment Reliability"
Articles in this issue should cover activities used to assess the current capabilities of equipment and processes in terms of their reliability, availability, maintainability, and criticality. This may include how to select and apply the most appropriate maintenance practices, so that the equipment and processes continue to deliver their intended capabilities in the safest and most cost-effective manner. Subjects would include:
Determine equipment and process performance expectations from the business plan.
Establish current performance levels and analyze gaps.
Establish a maintenance strategy to assure performance.
Cost-justify (budget) tactics selected for implementation.
Execute a maintenance strategy
Review performance and adjust maintenance strategy.
Examples of topics that might fit into this area also include:
Applied technology Preventive maintenance
Reliability-centered maintenance
Lubricant analysis
Vibration analysis
Infrared thermograph
Ultrasonic's
Alignment
Balancing

Pillar #4 - "Organization and Leadership"
Articles in this issue should describe the processes for assuring that the maintenance and reliability staff is the most qualified and best assigned to achieve the maintenance and reliability organization’s goals. Subjects would include:
Assess organizational competence and direction.
Develop the maintenance and reliability organization structure.
Develop the maintenance and reliability staff.
Communicate maintenance and reliability to the organization.
Examples of topics that might fit in this area are:
General communication
Writing
Speaking
The human side of maintenance
People development/training
Making presentations
Leadership
Influencing people
Handling conflict
Meeting management
Performance management

Pillar #5 - "Work Management"
Articles in this issue should focus on skills used to get the maintenance and reliability work done. These include scheduling and planning activities, quality assurance of maintenance activities, and stores and inventory management. Subjects would include:
Comprehensive work identification.
Plant-wide formal prioritization system.
Effective work planning prior to scheduling.
Effective, cooperative work scheduling and backlog management.
Effective resource management (people, materials, financial).
Document work execution and update records / history.
Equipment history review and failure identification.
Effective performance measures and follow-up.
Capital project planning.
Effective use of information technologies (CMMS, etc).
Examples of topics that might fit into this area are:
Planning and scheduling
Materials management, including warehouse
Backlog management
CMMS improvements, implementations, or usage