We’ve been busy helping clients save money, and yes, it involves an acronym.
Not another acronym!
Failure Reporting, Analysis and Corrective Action System … sounds complex, right? FRACAS can be as simple or as complex as you make it.
But let’s start with a simple question. Why is it important?
Simply put, an effective FRACAS can be the key to improving your equipment maintenance strategy or service strategy … thus saving money; improving your equipment availability … thus saving money, and in the long term, improving your equipment reliability … wait for it … thus saving money.
Anybody want to save some money?
Let’s start with a definition. If you googled “fracas definition”, the first thing Google gives you is:
• a noisy disturbance or quarrel.
• synonyms: disturbance, brawl, melee, rumpus, skirmish, struggle, scuffle, scrum, clash, fisticuffs, altercation; informal scrap, dust-up, set-to, donnybrook; vulgar slang: shitstorm
Much to my amusement, after reading the above I said, ‘Yeah, a failure can certainly create any of the above, particularly the vulgar slang definition’. This led me to the realization that whoever came up with the acronym must have been a genius! FRACAS was first introduced by the Navy. Now wait, before you pass out from laughing, I’m ex-Navy. And it just so happens that it (FRACAS) was first rolled out in the mid-80s … which by coincidence, happened to be around the time I was on active duty. You know, in retrospect, I’m pretty sure it was the skirmishes, melees, scuffles and dust-ups that I was continually up against with the equipment that I was supposed to operate and maintain–just one “fracas” after another–that ultimately lead to FRACAS as a methodology being rolled out! Hence, the genius of the US Navy!
Hey, it’s my story.
Simply defined, FRACAS is a closed-loop system designed to ensure that: failures are reported; some type of analysis is performed to determine the root cause of the failure; and corrective action is put in place to prevent recurrence of the failure.
FRACAS is not simply for equipment-related failures. It can be used to manage and improve any product or process: whether it be manufacturing, service-related, running a maintenance department, etc.
In future FRACAS Tips, I’ll discuss each of themajor aspects of FRACAS.
Until then, ask yourself how failures are currently being reported. How are you determining the root cause? How do corrective actions get put in place?
If you’d like to learn more about how to improve systems engineering & integration on your next well control equipment project, call us at 281-378-1597 or email us. We can help turn around your existing project or ensure that you get the next one right.
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