Machinery Lubrication May June 2014 May June 2014 | Page 28

ML

CERTIFICATION NEWS
BY SUZY JAMIESON, ICML

World-Class RELIABILITY
STARTS with a Solid Foundation
When it comes to developing, implementing
and sustaining a reliability-improvement
program, long-term success ultimately
depends on a solid foundation. Indeed, it is
the foundation that will determine whether
the current initiative will be just another fad
or actually achieve the results you have set
out to accomplish. It is also important to

know the elements that are in place will
withstand the test of time and weather the
storms that will inevitably come your way.
Sometimes we overlook the obvious. As a
society, we invest considerable time and
energy aiming for great heights yet often
forget that crucial ingredient for making

Benefits of ICML Certification
Quality certification programs not only can provide standards and guidelines for
professional recognition but also a multitude of benefits for individuals, organizations
and industry.

For Individuals
Earning an ICML certification acknowledges your expertise in machinery lubrication
and/or oil analysis to troubleshoot and ensure reliability of lubricated equipment. The
lubrication and oil analysis community, your employer, clients and peers will recognize
your ICML credential as a symbol of the skills and knowledge you’ve gained through
experience. ICML certification shows that you are a professional with the ability to
successfully utilize machinery lubrication and/or oil analysis for your organization or
client.
As an ICML-certified professional, you also receive the following benefits:
• Industry recognition of your knowledge and proficiency in machinery lubrication
and/or oil analysis techniques.
• Logos and a certificate to enable you to identify your ICML-certified status to
colleagues or clients.

For Employers and Organizations
Through certification, organizations can maximize their return on investment in oil
analysis. ICML certification delivers the following benefits:
• A standardized method of determining training needs and measuring results
• A reliable benchmark for hiring, promoting and career planning
• Employee recognition and rewards that validate their expertise
• Improved employee ability to ensure machine reliability
• Quality assurance for outsourced oil analysis and lubrication services

For Industry
Certification brings much-needed credentials to an up-and-coming lubrication and oil
analysis community. Benefits to the community include:
• Respect for oil analysis and lubrication professions
• Increased professionalism within the community

26| May-June 2014 | www.machinerylubricationindia.com

sure we do not fall flat on our faces once we
have reached the top. In other words, you
have to crawl before you can walk. No
matter how great an idea seems in theory, it
is a long, uncertain journey from design to
actual results, especially for anything
worthwhile.
As with most other things in life, you must
start at the bottom. In the case of reliability
programs, this means the hands-on
personnel, the shop-floor staff or the
technicians. They are the human foundation
of any reliability-improvement program.
Without them, their buy-in and a solid
foundation of technical skills, no amount
of reliability theory, philosophy or trendy
gadgetry will make the program stand
when it is shaken — and it will be shaken.
After all, as any maintenance and reliability
professional knows, things do not always
go according to plan.
Be sure to value and respect the technicians
and the crucial role they play in the outcome
of any plant reliability-improvement
program. It is in your best interest to
recognize the direct impact they have on
the culture change. Respecting and
supporting them in their professional
development and teaching them not only
what they should or need to be doing but
also why will make all the difference.
Common sense and mutual respect can go
a long way, even in our plants. Give
technicians a solid start by providing them