RCM Overview

This online manual describes how to use the IMS-RCM tool, the applicable formulas and the theoretical background of the tool. The basic objective of the IMS-RCM tool is to support the Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) business process to deliver effective results. 

RCM is a business process that is used to achieve the desired production process output of a physical asset through the most effective maintenance approach of that asset. RCM identifies the least cost actions that - when taken - will reduce the probability of negative effects of equipment failures. RCM seeks the optimal mix of condition-based or predictive actions, with some time-based actions and some “run to failure” strategies. The RCM methodology used here is a “streamlined” approach compared to the “classical” RCM approach originally developed and used in the aviation industry – where the streamlining comes forward from focusing to dominant (recurring) failure modes. Although the “streamlined” approach is often abbreviated as S-RCM or SRCM, in this document just the abbreviation RCM is applied. 

The IMS-RCM tool online manual’s do not aim to provide a detailed RCM business process description, as it is assumed that the engineers – who will be the users of the IMS-RCM tool - are knowledgeable on the RCM business process and the application of it in practice. However to enable the IMS-RCM tool to drive value, some time is spend to explain the tool functionality in line with the relevant RCM business process aspects. Since the IMS-RCM tool is developed on the basics of the formally used RRM-RCM tool, the many years of experience from many end-users with the RRM tool were involved in the design of the IMS-RCM tool. To connect the tool functionality with the business process a summarized version of the RCM Business Process is provided.