Realizing Your Return on Investment, One Step at a Time

realizing-your-roi

Whether your goal is to save money on equipment repairs or eliminate any excessive downtime, fluid analysis is an incredible diagnostic tool for enhancing maintenance programs. Used correctly, it can result in increased productivity, reduced maintenance costs and a serious boost in profits.

With the right combination of expert input and high level software, maximizing the Return On Investment (ROI) of your fluid analysis program is simple. If you’re ready to take action to discover your ROI, follow these ten simple steps.

  1. Set goals you can reach. If you’re not sure what your goals should be, our team at POLARIS Laboratories® can help you set manageable targets for your business.
  2. Designate a program champion. In addition to an experienced, well-trained team of maintenance professionals, a program champion can serve in a leadership role. Under their guidance, your program is sure to stay on track.
  3. Decide what to test. Make sure your test package reflects your maintenance needs. Whether you’re looking to extend drains or reduce downtime, your tests should reflect those predetermined goals.
  4. Establish a sampling frequency. There is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to sampling frequencies. When deciding your sampling frequency, be sure to take into account the recommendations of the original equipment manufacturer, the equipment’s environment as well as well as the timing of the sample.
  5. Have a complete view of your equipment. The more you know about your equipment, the more information you can supply. This information is critical as data analysts work to provide in-depth comments and recommendations.
  6. Take action to minimize your sample turnaround time. Pre-logging your sample information online, providing clear instructions and tightly closing all sample lids are all good ways to help ensure a fast turnaround time.
  7. Once you receive your reports, take action! Receiving the reports is not enough, you must review the data analyst’s recommendations and take action to address critical reports. This could mean anything from ordering more testing, re-sampling, monitoring a unit or taking immediate action.
  8. Organize your data. Use a data management system to run reports and identify trends within your data.
  9. Continue monitoring your fluid analysis system. Make sure you’re taking appropriate action and providing feedback to the laboratory on actions taken.
  10. Choose the right laboratory. Choose an accredited laboratory that fits your program needs.

Keeping clear, detailed accounts of your management reports and your actions taken will not only help you realize the ROI of fluid analysis but also help you show others the value of your program.

For more information on maximizing the ROI from your fluid analysis program, download this technical bulletin.

scott-cherniwchan

 Proven Impact. Proven Uptime. Proven Savings.
Let us prove it to you.

2016 Customer Summit Keynote: Oliver Luck


Have you registered for the POLARIS Laboratories® 2016 Customer Summit? If so, you might have noticed a highly successful NFL quarterback on our program lineup.

This year’s keynote address will be presented by Oliver Luck, a noted college athletic director, the Executive Vice President of Regulatory Affairs with the NCAA and a former Houston Oilers quarterback with five back-to-back seasons in the NFL.

Since his retirement as a NFL player, Luck has worn a number of hats including, the CEO of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority, WVU’s Director of Athletics and, currently, the Executive Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at the NCAA.

Embracing this position, Luck has gathered together all the regulatory functions of the NCAA under one umbrella ­­– enforcement, academic, and membership affairs and the eligibility center.

An in-demand speaker on leadership and success, Luck will be sharing his own personal experience with building program champions. Trading his Oilers helmet for oil analysis, he will also touch on the benefits of compliance and the importance strong leadership has on organizational success.

If you’re interested in hearing Luck speak, be sure to register for the 2016 Customer Summit!

Proven Impact. Proven Uptime. Proven Savings.
Let us prove it to you.

Published August 9, 2016

We’ve Crunched the Oil Analysis Numbers for You

Many companies using oil analysis know how it benefits their maintenance program, but few take the time to quantify the impact, let alone count the savings. When the time comes to justify expanding an oil analysis program, there’s little hard data to show management. This problem is common enough that we wanted to give our customers the ammunition they needed.

We asked 600 oil analysis users about their actions and how it affected their equipment, and the results were telling:

A Bigger Impact:
 96% of oil analysis users saved time submitting sample info online
 84% fewer unexpected breakdowns

More Uptime:
•  
34% doubled their drain interval
 90% believe equipment is more productive over its lifetime

Visible Savings:
•  
63% set and adjust preventive maintenance using management reports
 87% are more confident in equipment reliability using oil analysis

What numbers do you need to prove oil analysis works? Download the 2015 Benchmark Study or one of our case studies to back up your claim with numbers.

Proven Impact. Proven Uptime. Proven Savings.
Let us prove it to you. 

2016 Customer Summit: Featured Opportunities


We’re not lying when we say the POLARIS Laboratories® Customer Summit is a one of a kind experience. Featuring a wide variety of events and a diverse speaker lineup, we’ve taken every step to ensure that you leave our summit with all the tools and tactics to apply oil analysis best practices to your program.

Read on for a complete breakdown of what our summit has to offer!

General Sessions
From a dynamic keynote address to presentations from leaders in the industry, our general sessions are packed full of information to help you become an oil analysis program champion.

Facility Tours
As you register, you’ll have the option to choose between attending one of two different company headquarters: POLARIS Laboratories® or Allison Transmission. Both tours offer a behind the scenes look at the company’s business.

Pre and Post Summit Workshops
If you’re looking to maximize your summit experience, pre and post summit workshops, presented by our technical business consultants, are available. Whether you’re looking to learn more about advanced data interpretation or building successful metrics, we can help you with these sessions!

Networking
You’ll have the opportunity to meet and greet with industry peers.

Breakout Sessions
In between our general sessions are a number of breakout sessions led by experts in the industry. As you register, you’ll have the option of choosing which event is the best fit for your needs.

Customer Appreciation Event
The customer appreciation event will take place at the NCAA Hall of Champions, featuring a fully interactive space where visitors can compete both virtually and hands on through sports simulators, a 1930s retro-style gymnasium, a ski simulator and more.

Packed into just three days, our program offers you and your team all the information you need to transform your maintenance program. For more information on our event speakers and workshop topics, check out our schedule of events!

Register today to join us in Indianapolis September 19-21 and grow your equipment maintenance expertise with POLARIS Laboratories® this year.

Proven Impact. Proven Uptime. Proven Savings.
Let us prove it to you. 

Published August 2, 2016

Responding to Severity Reports

responding-to-severity-reports

No equipment is safe from the wear and tear that comes from operating in the harsh conditions of a mining site. The challenging environment, along with the extreme load variations and the high costs involved in equipment replacement, makes avoiding catastrophic failure exceedingly important.

Many mining companies turn towards fluid analysis as a means of avoiding the high replacement costs associated with these extreme conditions. In fact, routine testing helps maintenance professionals identify problems in their equipment before full scale failures occur. Utilizing fluid analysis allows managers to take control of their reliability programs.

Read the Full Case Study

 

Tracking Sources of Contamination

tracking-sources-of-contamination

It’s no secret contamination has a negative impact on machinery. The trouble is, potential sources of contamination can be found in a number of common locations. The key is knowing how to track down the source and drive action to limit the impact it has on equipment.

A leading manufacturer of engines, filtration, and power generation products, established diesel fuel quality, oil drains, engine oil, hydraulic and transmission, engine failure and cooling systems were hot button topics for their company as well as their customers. After identifying these pain points, they determined contamination was an issue they wanted to actively help their customers address and alleviate.

Read the Full Case Study

 

Optimizing Program Management

The backbone of every oil analysis program is the efficiency of the program’s management system. Managing equipment in an organized manner is a vital step towards saving time, reducing errors and accurately tracking the return on investment (ROI).

A leading company in the oil and fuel industry uses POLARIS Laboratories® program management software, HORIZON®, as the centerpiece of their maintenance management system. Focused on improving their program organization, they found that using this system helped increase their overall productivity

Read the Full Case Study