Expert Interview with Ricky Smith

Meet Ricky Smith, a veteran Maintenance Leadership Advisor dedicated to assisting maintenance and reliability professionals with ideas and recommendations. He is an alumnus of the University of Georgia, and is certified in CRL, CMRP, and CMRT. In 2007, he worked as a Facilities Investigating Officer for the US Army Walter Reed Medical Center. His recommendations for facility improvements were also presented to Congress in the final report. He has served as Past Chairman of SMRP’s Oil and Gas Special Interest Group and as Principal Reliability Advisor at Allied Reliability Group. After a brief retirement, Ricky now freelances as a Maintenance Best Practices Instructor and Advisor.

As part of the "Masterminds in Facility Management" blog post series, Ryan Chan, CEO at UpKeep, interviewed Ricky Smith to learn more about the intricacies of facility management.

Ryan Chan: So, Ricky, how did you get into this industry?

Ricky Smith: I started out working as a maintenance technician for Exxon, and I really love maintenance. I started going to school at night, ultimately got a degree, and then I got even more excited about it. I started traveling around the world, optimizing maintenance for a company I worked for in 1980. Since then I’ve traveled to around 50 countries and worked with all kinds of companies and all kinds of people. The people are the same and the problems are the same. The equipment is there, but training people how to use the software, and then actually using the software, is a challenge.

Ryan Chan: What made you want to write books and publish studies about it?

Ricky Smith: It’s out of frustration because people don’t have that knowledge. There’s not much money in writing books [about maintenance]. There’s no best author list in maintenance. Everyone who writes maintenance books is there because they’re concerned and they want to share their knowledge with people.

Ryan Chan: So what are the biggest challenges around the topic of education?

Ricky Smith: Education is knowledge. We have to put information out there that people grasp and say “I want to know more.” Until you realize you have a problem, you’re not going to find a solution to the problem. The education that comes with Certified Reliability Leader certification is basic, it’s simple. And people understand it, and they want more. That’s why it’s a good starting point.

Ryan Chan: You’ve been working in this industry for more than 37 years. What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned along the way?

Ricky Smith: I’ve learned that the best companies in the world follow best practices. What really surprises me is how little some companies have grown and how much money they leave on the table as a result.

Ryan Chan: What are some tips you can give other facility managers trying to improve their career.

Ricky Smith: Certified Reliability Leadership (CRL) certification is a great first step. And it’s not just for facility managers. It’s to educate some of the other people who are influential, i.e. a maintenance technician, or anyone else who is an important part of facility maintenance.

Ryan Chan: Any other tips for people in the industry?

Ricky Smith: Go visit a world-class facility. They’re few and far between, but they are out there.

Ryan Chan: Is there a belief you have regarding maintenance that other people might not agree with?

Ricky Smith: Preventive maintenance is a big deal. Many people don’t understand the importance of preventive maintenance, and most companies don’t have good procedures for PM. We need to change the way people think and change the culture. Companies need to implement PM and PDM programs and put up a sign that says “No reactive maintenance allowed.” Just start with one asset, just pick one and focus on preventive maintenance for it, no reactive maintenance.

Ryan Chan: Tell us about your newest project and where people can learn more about it.

Ricky Smith: I’m working on a book now that takes a little bit different approach to maintenance than other books. It’s almost finished, so it will be released soon, probably first quarter 2018. LinkedIn is the best way to find out more. I'm under Ricky Smith CMRP.

https://www.amazon.com/Rules-Thumb-Maintenance-Reliability-Engineers/dp/0750678623

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This interview was conducted by Ryan Chan, the CEO of UpKeep Maintenance Management. UpKeep is a trusted computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) providing a complete maintenance solution for any industry. It is a modern, intuitive, and efficient work order management system proven to simplify the workflow process. UpKeep reduces downtime and paperwork, and improves communication between managers and technicians – all from a mobile device. Simplify your maintenance and start your free trial today.