Sawan Jasoliya

More inventory does not always mean better availability of spares. In fact, the more unnecessary inventory you have, the less likely you are to find the exact spare you need when a breakdown happens. This thought crossed my mind when I heard about the breakdown of a bucket elevator gearbox at Sebit, West Pokot plant —a place where I worked for a short time. The plant was shut down for 12 days due to the unavailability of a spare gearbox. Unfortunately, this is a recurring issue there. There was no scientific approach to procurement—just blind purchasing to save their skins. But in reality, no one can escape the consequences of poor planning. And then there’s the bigger issue: it was an old Chinese plant. After running its full life in China and being exploited to the maximum, it was sold to Devki Group, Kenya. Imagine the situation for a mechanical maintenance engineer in a plant like this—no proper manuals, no part lists, and no structured systems. Every day and every night...

Important Note: This SOP applies to all maintenance jobs except Preventive Maintenance. For complete SOP:  Click here

Introduction: Incentivizing production in cement plants is often seen as a tool to boost output, morale, and profitability. However, the experience shared from working in three different plants reveals a darker side to this strategy—where short-term gains often lead to long-term destruction. Let's explore why production incentives, despite their apparent benefits, can turn into a double-edged sword that severely compromises the sustainability of a cement plant. 1. Focus on Quantity Over Quality Production incentives often prioritize quantity over quality. Workers and managers become laser-focused on maximizing output to achieve the incentive targets, often at the cost of the plant's health. This approach leads to: Lowered product quality : Cement produced under pressure to meet targets may not meet industry standards, damaging brand reputation. Overuse of machinery : Pushing equipment beyond safe operating limits causes excessive wear and tear, leading to frequent breakd...