BEYOND BREAKDOWN - CHAPTER 1: Operational Excellence - More Than Just A Buzzword

Welcome to The Reliable Edge, where we guide leaders in transforming maintenance into a competitive edge—one proven idea at a time.

This is part of the series from the eBook: Beyond Breakdown — a practical guide packed with field-tested strategies, essential tools, and leadership insights to help maintenance and reliability professionals accelerate performance in today’s fast-evolving manufacturing landscape.

In this issue, we unpack what “operational excellence” really means for maintenance and reliability—not just as a concept, but as a way to lead more intentionally, reduce chaos, and build a system that thrives long-term.
Let’s look at what’s standing in your way… and how to turn those obstacles into a blueprint for progress.

Introduction

In 2025, manufacturing leaders face a double challenge: deliver consistent results while adapting to rapid change. Whether it’s unexpected equipment failure, workforce turnover, or shifting customer demands, reliability teams are under pressure to do more — with less.

This is where Operational Excellence (OE) becomes essential.

What is Operational Excellence?

Operational Excellence is not just about process improvement or cost cutting. It’s about building a culture and a system where continuous improvement, empowered people, and aligned processes lead to exceptional outcomes — sustainably.

At its core, OE means:

•  Doing the right things,

• The right way,

•  At the right time,

•  Every time.

It's about reliability not only of machines — but of processes, performance, and people.

The Role of Maintenance and Reliability in Operational Excellence

In a plant environment, nothing works if maintenance doesn’t work. When your machines are down, production stops, costs rise, customers wait, and morale dips.

That's why maintenance and reliability teams are no longer "back-office fixers" — they are strategic enablers of OE.

Today’s top-performing manufacturers recognize that:

• Planned, predictive, and proactive maintenance = less downtime and waste.

• Reliable equipment = consistent quality and throughput.

• Empowered M&R teams = innovation, problem-solving, and operational resilience.

Consultant Insight:

Four Guiding Principles of Operational Excellence

To embed OE into your culture, build your approach on these four pillars:

1. People Empowerment

People are your greatest asset. Engage them. Train them. Listen to their ideas. Empowerment drives ownership — and ownership drives results.

2. Problem Solving

Don’t treat symptoms. Dig into root causes. Use structured methods like 5 Whys or A3 problem solving to eliminate issues permanently.

3. Process Efficiency

Every step in your workflow should add value. Reduce delays, bottlenecks, and redundancy. The smoother the process, the better the output.

4. Sustainable Results

Short-term gains are easy. Sustained improvement is hard. Standardize successes. Monitor KPIs. Celebrate wins. Build for the long haul.

The Payoff: What Operational Excellence Delivers

When OE becomes part of your culture, the impact is felt across the business:

 Practical Tip: Start with the “3 Why” Exercise

Ask your team:

•  Why are we not hitting our targets?

•  Why does this problem keep happening?

•  Why haven’t we changed it yet?
  You’ll uncover insights that don't show up on dashboards.

 Real-World Example

At a mid-sized electronics manufacturer, the maintenance team reduced unplanned downtime by 42% in one year by implementing a daily Gemba walk, aligning maintenance KPIs with plant goals, and empowering operators to report issues early.

They didn’t hire more people or buy expensive tech — they simply aligned their team and focused on flow.

Chapter Takeaways

•  OE is a mindset and a method.

•  M&R leaders are central to business success, not secondary to it.

•  Respect, problem-solving, efficiency, and sustainable thinking are your four anchors.

•  Real change starts when you engage your people — not just your processes.

 Actionable Call to Action (CTA):

Run a 30-Day Operational Excellence Sprint
Choose one area (e.g., compressed air system, PM process, or toolroom).

• Map current state

• Identify 3–5 small wins

•  Engage operators and technicians

• Track improvements

• Share results visibly

Small wins build momentum — and momentum builds culture.

P.S.

If you found this helpful, share it with your team—or anyone else working to build reliability from the ground up.

Got thoughts, questions, or a challenge you’d like covered in a future issue? Just comment or reply—we’d love to hear from you. Your insight could help shape the next conversation.

About the Author:

Albien Leyco is a technical consultant and digital transformation advocate, a seasoned engineering and maintenance professional with over 26 years of rich and progressive experience in manufacturing industry. He has led cross functional teams across multiple plants, driving initiatives in maintenance reliability, utilities optimization, sustainable operations, and capital project execution.

Known for bridging practical execution with forward-thinking strategy, Albien helps organizations break free from reactive firefighting and shift toward proactive, data-driven maintenance—without unnecessary complexity. His approach blends deep technical know-how with real-world insight, making transformation both achievable and sustainable.