A New Year, A New Bottle

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The New Year is here and we can’t keep a lid on our excitement. As our holiday gift to you, we are providing a new sampling jar to our customers. While the bottle itself is not bigger, it is certainly better.

Keeping your concerns in mind, we’ve selected a bottle that is better equipped for sampling. Whether you have issues with leaks or are concerned about sample bottle cleanliness, this bottle is made for you.

What makes this bottle better?

  1. It’s translucent, making it easier to see the color of the sample and the fill line.
  2. It can withstand the higher temperatures that come with pulling high heat fluids.
  3. The new cap design has a wedge seal to prevent leaks. The locking feature also helps ensure the cap doesn’t loosen when the sample jar cools.
  4. When tested, this bottle’s cleanliness is comparable to the Super Clean ISO standards.
  5. With the same volume and same threads, there’s no need to change the pumps.

If you have any questions about this change, contact us at custserv@eoilreports.com. In the meantime, keep an eye out for the new bottles!

One more thing…

Happy New Year from POLARIS Laboratories®!

michelle-desjardins

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

Happy Holidays from the POLARIS Laboratories® Family

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‘Tis the season! Now is the time of the year where we gather together and enjoy the company of our friends and family. Whether you are spending this holiday season curled up by the fire or knee deep in snow, I hope you enjoy everything this time of year brings.

One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is spending time with my family at POLARIS Laboratories®. Whether it’s taking part in our annual gingerbread house competition or testing the dozens of desserts at our bake-off, I’m happy to spend time learning about my colleagues and celebrating the holiday season together.

Our team has put together a number of our own holiday traditions. One of my favorites is our holiday card contest. Here is what the little ones came up with this year.

cookies-on-horizon joy-and-peace snow-family science-in-wonderland

It has been a wonderful year at POLARIS Laboratories®, full of changes and exciting new opportunities. I want to thank you so much for playing such an important role in our business.

Happy holidays from our family to yours!

michael-desanto

Q&A: Technical Business Consultants

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Read this Q&A to learn how our technical business consultants, Randy Clark and Henry Neicamp, can help you improve your maintenance program. 

What is a technical business consultant?

Randy: I once had someone tell me that a consultant is someone who ‘borrows your watch and then tells you what time it is’. In some ways, this is true. We take an in-depth look at our customers’ fluid analysis statistical data and use this information to assist them in narrowing the focus and priorities of their maintenance program, thus achieving their goals quickly and efficiently. These goals typically include reducing unplanned/unscheduled maintenance activities, reducing cost, and ultimately increasing production by improving equipment availability.

Henry: POLARIS Laboratories® technical business consultants are STLE certified to provide training and consulting services, along with data analysis services, in an effort to help the customer maximize the return on investment of their fluid analysis program and realize Proven Impact, Proven Uptime and Proven Savings!

How do you help our partners reach their reliability goals?

Randy: We accomplish this by first understanding the goals the customer wishes to achieve, we then perform a gap analysis to understand where the customer is today in relation to those goals, and then help develop a clear road map to the objective. We do this using our ‘hands on’ experience, knowledge of industry best practices, and in-depth knowledge of fluid analysis. We then combine our skills with the customer’s knowledge of their equipment. Along the way, we identify KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) to monitor the progress. We also identify and share ‘quick wins’. Doing this accelerates the buy-in process among everyone involved and promotes the value of the program. Throughout the process, an emphasis on continuous improvement and training will play a key role.

Henry: The technical business consultants achieves this mission by  providing consulting services, sales support, customer field support, and training for public and private sessions.

What is the most common problem you see in a newly created fluid analysis program?  

Randy: Understanding the capabilities a quality fluid analysis program offers, and then aligning the goals of your program with those capabilities is essential. Many customers make a decision to start a fluid analysis program and yet do not ensure the test package selected is designed to meet those goals. Failing to properly identify, in advance, what equipment will be sampled, the frequency of the sampling interval, and the lack of proper training can be detrimental to the success of the program.

Henry: Customers do not take the time to determine the goals for their fluid analysis program (i.e. reduce downtime, extend oil drain intervals, reduce failures, extend equipment life expectancy, control maintenance and lubrication costs, etc). Secondly, customers do not submit a completed equipment list to POLARIS Laboratories® for input into our system prior to submitting their samples.

What is the best piece of advice you have for someone trying to improve their fluid analysis program?  

Randy: Establish goals, monitor progress and uphold accountability. This is best accomplished by having a program champion within the organization. This champion will ensure samples are pulled on time and pulled correctly. They will also ensure proper maintenance activity occurs following the laboratories’ recommendation. The champion will monitor progress and continuous improvement of the program, through established KPI’s, and will work with both their team members and the laboratory to optimize the value of the program.

Henry: The single most important ingredient in a successful oil analysis program is a “champion” inside it. A “champion” is a person assigned to take the lead and focus on the fluid analysis program. A “champion” should be passionate to save the company money, while working from the inside to generate greater customer implementation/compliance. A “champion” promotes the importance of fluid analysis to all maintenance personnel, and facilitates the required “behavioral change”.

What is the best way to set up a training class?  

Randy: It doesn’t get any easier than this. Simply contact a POLARIS Laboratories® technical business consultant. We look forward to discussing and preparing a customized training plan to meet the needs and goals of your organization.

Henry: Customers should contact their respective technical business consultant (east or west) directly via email or phone.

Contact Randy Clark at rclark@polarislabs.com or via phone at 317.808.3750 x. 1337.
Contact Henry Neicamp at hneicamp@polarislabs.com or via phone at 317.808.3750 x. 1339.

To learn more about our technical business consultants’ services, download their brochure.

randy-clarkhenry-niecamp

 

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

What is a Program Champion?

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Program champions are the individuals responsible for ensuring your fluid analysis program is effective. The right program champion can provide you with the continuous leadership, visibility and accountability you need to ensure your fluid analysis program is headed in the right direction.

When choosing a program champion, make sure you identify an individual who is committed to your program and capable of overseeing the people, the process and the technology from start to finish. Choosing the right champion for your team is a necessary step to ensure your equipment remains up-and-running.

If you’re interested in securing your program success, I recommend you start developing your program champion today. To help your champion make the transition, we’ve put together a checklist to guide them through the right actions to take at start-up, daily, weekly, monthly and semi-annually.

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Please feel free to download the program champion checklist. I also recommend you attend our February 3 webinar on the impact of a program champion. This 40 minute presentation is now open for registration. If you have any additional questions, please contact one of our technical business consultants, Henry A. Neicamp  at hneicamp@polarislabs.com or Randy Clark at rclark@polarislabs.com.

ieshia-hill

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