Presentation I was asked to give to a conference of condition monitoring and maintenance people. Outlines some of the postgrad programs available around the world, Many are taught using off-campus learning. (I led the Monash MRE for 16 years (now Federation Uni).

1. STUDY & CAREER PATHS FOR
CM/MAINTENANCE & RELIABILITY
PEOPLE
Ray Beebe
MCM Consultants Pty Ltd

2. Reliability & Maintenance
engineers?
• Reliability engineers: not governed by day-
to-day operations; strategic focus; develop
programs that provide the framework for
maintenance.
• Maintenance engineers: immediate
equipment functionality; implement
strategies developed in co-operation with
reliability engineers.

3. STUDY? WHY?
Want to
learn?
“Read a
book?”
Gain a
formal,
valued
qualification
Interest:
sheer joy
of
learning
Equip for
promotion/
career
change
Mental
challenge
Boss
says
so!

4. MY STORY IN FORMAL PG STUDY
 Early in career (at RMIT):
 Maths 5
 Machinery Vibrations
 Later:
 Accounting (TAFE course).
 Later (Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education):
 Project management
 Engineering Supervision
 Even later: (APESMA)
 Financial accounting for engineers

5. OUTCOME
 Early in career (at RMIT):
 Maths 5 Dropped out – irrelevant
 Machinery Vibrations Dropped out – irrelevant
 Later:
 Accounting (TAFE course). Instructor at info session-
said I should just read a book!
 Later (Gippsland Institute of Adv Education):
 Project management Passed
 Engineering Supervision Passed
 Even later (APESMA):
 Financial accounting for engineers Passed

6. OTHER STUFF I DID
 18 short courses run by employer in technical
topics and management development
 4-week course at Melbourne University Business
School
 MEngSc(Research) (egotrip to keep up with my
offspring!)
 Ongoing learning – avid reading, writing, speaking,
conferences, meetings.

7. SURVEY (62 RESPONSES) ON OUTCOMES OF
COURSES
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Participate in more challenging
projects
More valuable contribution
Decision making improved
Enjoy w orking more
Applied/gained new external
position
Received promotion - internal
Effective communicator
Strongly agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly disagree
Not applicable
(Beebe and Hodkiewicz, 2005)

8. What is your basic technical discipline?
Mechanical
Electrical
Electronic/Mechatronic
Management
Other
Chemical/Process/Oil&
Gas

9. What industry do you currently work in?
Mining/mineral
processing/refining
Defence (military &
civilian)
Manufacturing
Utility (gas, water,
power)
Petrochemical
Service
Provider/Consultant
Government
Warehouse/logistics
Timber/pulp&paper
Transport (air, road,
rail)

10. Describe your job when you started your
studies.
Reliability
Engineer
Maintenance/
CM Engineer
Strategic
Planner
Maintenance
Supervisor
Maintenance
Technician
Project
Manager/
Manager
Operations
(Engineer/
Manager)
Other

11. Top 3 technical:
Reliability and Risk Based Inspection methods
Failure modes and effects analysis
Failure mechanisms & Root cause analysis
Top 3 management:
Life cycle costing and NPV methods
Risk assessment
Budgeting and capital expenditure
Note: Some of these are not in traditional BE programs
Educational drivers summary

12. Observations
People in reliability have a wide variety of educational
backgrounds and experience.
Reliability: a job people “move” into, not an early career choice
Few of the skills used by reliability engineers are taught in BEs.
Many reliability professionals do targeted education in the form
of university-coordinated postgraduate studies, vendor- supplied
or institution organised training.
Lots of engineers, but relatively few have undertaken PG
reliability education

13. SOME COURSES
Wollongong
Uni
EIT
UniWA
Asset
Mgt
CQUni
MaintM
gt
Federation
Uni MRE
APMM

14. COURSES IN GENERAL: UNIVERSITIES
 Graduate Certificates
 4 subjects, usually over 1 year
 Conditional entry if no BE degree
 Articulation on to GradDip (on results)
 Graduate Diplomas
 8 subjects, usually over 2 years
 Entry via articulation from GradCert
 Articulation on to Master’s (on results)
 Master’s degree
 8 subjects if BE entry
 4 more subjects if articulating
 Or, some Unis - dissertation after GradDip

15. COURSES IN GENERAL: RTOS
 Certificate IV
 4 subjects, usually over 1 year
 Diploma
 8 subjects, usually over 2 years
 Advanced Diploma
 8 subjects
Australian Qualifications Framework - AQF - sets out
the requirements and differences between the
levels

16. APMM GROUP (PERTH)
 Certificate IV Workshops (6 days)
 Principles of Maintenance Management
 Scope Management
 Planning and Scheduling Techniques
 Cost Management
 Occupational Health and Safety
 Performance Indicators in Maintenance Management
 Maintenance Operations Planning
 MS Project Basic/Intermediate
 Assessment by competency-certified process

17. APMM GROUP
 Diploma Workshops (6 days) (completion of
Cert IV required first)
 The Maintenance Working Environment
 Root Cause Analysis
 Project Human Resources Management
 Managing the Maintenance Inventory
 Reliability Centred Maintenance
 Quality Management
 Assessment by competency-certified process

18. CQUNIVERSITY
 Graduate Certificate in Maintenance Management
 Graduate Diploma in Maintenance management
 Master of Maintenance Management
 Print study materials
 Residential schools
 Assessment by assignments – no exams

19. CQUNIVERSITY
 Introduction to Maintenance Engineering
 Establishing the Maintenance Strategy
 Maintenance Organisation
 Maintenance Systems & Documentation
 Maintenance Leadership
 Advanced Condition Monitoring
 Turnaround Management
 Maintenance Materials Management
 Auditing Maintenance Systems

20. EIT TECHNOLOGY (PERTH)
 Advanced Diploma in Plant Engineering (one of
several available)
 18 months by e-learning: 72 webcasts
 Manuals provided.
Modules:
 Plant Engineering Fundamentals
 Plant Operations and Facility Management
 Electrical Equipment and Technology
 Pressure Vessels and Boilers
 Mechanical Components
 Hydraulics and Pneumatics

21. EIT MODULES (CONT’D)
 Pumps and Seals
 Thermodynamics, Compressors, Fans and Blowers
 Piping, HVAC and Materials Handling
 Noise and Vibration
 Structural and Civil Engineering Concepts
 Project Management
 Process Management
 Energy Management
 Instrument and Control Engineering
 Maintenance Management
 Environmental Engineering and concepts
 Safety Management
 Soft skills

22. FEDERATION MRE
 Graduate Certificates:
 Maintenance Management
 Reliability Engineering
 Graduate Diploma in Engineering Maintenance
management
 Master of Maintenance and Reliability Engineering
(Note: These programs were offered by Monash
University from 1990 to 2014, when Monash gave its
Gippsland Campus and all its resources to the new
Federation University)

23. Federation Uni subjects (called courses)
Terotechnology and life cycle costs
Maintenance management
Industrial techniques in maintenance management
Asset management techniques
Quantitative techniques for asset management
Machine condition monitoring and fault diagnosis
Risk engineering
Maintenance and Reliability Engineering Project
Basic quantitative skills for reliability engineering
Understanding reliability
Advanced reliability
Reliability applications

24. ABOUT FEDERATION MRE
 Taught by 8 people: 1 on campus, the rest
“sessionals”
 Study materials and teaching on line using
MOODLE.
 Assessment by assignment and examination
(except 2 units that have project type assignments)
 Exams run anywhere in the world (even on a ship).
 Commonwealth Supported Places available but
limited – full fees then (tax-deductible)
 No residential attendance (did up to 2009)

25. WOLLONGONG UNI
 Grad Cert (4 subjects)
 Master’s (8 subjects: 6 core and choice of 3
electives)
 Master’s has options: course or dissertation (worth
2 subjects)
 Modular workshops and on-line content
 Face-to-face sessions weekly in Sydney

26. UOW SUBJECTS
 Modelling of Engineering Management Systems
 Financial Management for Engineered Assets
 Project Implementation and Outsourcing
 Life-Cycle and Risk Management
 Maintenance Requirements Analysis
 Systems Reliability Engineering
 Elective Subjects
 Infrastructure Decision Support
 Asset Management System Design
 Managing People in Organisations
Or
 Dissertation

27. UWA
 Asset management and Reliability Engineering –
short course
 Weekly night classes on campus in Perth
 Other courses in block sessions - three 2 day
sessions or 8 days of workshops
Now included in Master of Executive Engineering
(new 2014) and MBA

28. OTHERS IN AUSTRALIA
 Vocational Graduate Certificate in Physical Asset
Management: Chifley Business School and GHD
 3 x 2-day courses, plus workplace tasks)
 Graduate Cert/Dip/Master’s of Infrastructure
Engineering and Management: Monash University,
Civil Engg Dept
 Off-campus learning, civil engg focus
 Institute of Quality and Asset Management – certs
and diplomas

29. AND, OUTSIDE AUSTRALIA (SOME):

Manchester University Maintenance engineering and asset
management (DE option)
University of Aberdeen Safety engineering, reliability and risk
management
Heriot Watt University Safety, Rick and Reliability engineering
(DE only)
Rutgers University Quality and Reliability engineering
University of Arizona Reliability and Quality Engineering
(DE only)
University of Maryland Reliability Engineering
University of Tennessee Reliability and Maintainability Engineering
(some by DE)

30. UTK’S SUBJECTS
Core Courses:
 Introduction to Mathematical Statistics
 Introduction to Reliability Engineering
 Introduction to Maintainability Engineering
 Process System Reliability and Safety
Electives:
 Applications of Linear Algebra in Engineering Systems
 Applications of Multivariate Statistics and Process Modeling and Data
Analysis
 Modern Transform Methods
 Random Process Theory for Engineers
 Statistical Methods in Industrial Engineering
 Reliability of Lean Systems
 Mechanical Vibrations
 Equipment and System Prognostics
 Empirical Models for Monitoring and Diagnostics

31. UTK’S SUBJECTS (CONT’D)
Also Statistics Electives:
 Statistical Techniques in Industrial Processes
 Analysis of Lifetime Data
 Statistical Methods
 Applied Linear Models
 Design of Experiments
 Data Mining
 Applied Time Series
 Categorical Data Analysis
 Applied Multivariate Methods

32. ABERDEEN SUBJECTS
 Fundamental Safety Engineering & Risk Management
Concepts
 Statistics & Probability for Safety, Reliability & Quality
 Fire & Explosion Engineering
 Offshore Oil & Gas Production Systems
 Advanced Methods for Risk & Reliability Assessment
 Applied Risk Analysis & Management
 Process Safety & Reliability
 Human Factors
Individual Project
 For full-time students taking the MSc Program

33. RUTGERS
Students must take 7 core courses and select 1 elective from the list provided.
o Core Courses
Production Analysis
Quality Management
Systems Reliability Engineering I
Systems Reliability Engineering II
Statistical Quality Control I
Life Data Analysis
Design of Experiments
 Electives
Forecasting and Time Series Analysis
Simulation of Production Systems
Manufacturing Processes and Control
Maintenance Modeling and Optimization
Software Reliability I
Probability
Applied Stochastic Processes

34. STORIES OF SOME CAREER OUTCOMES
 Some comments noted over the years from
students/graduates
 Most from around Australia, but also in every
continent (OK, not Antarctica!)
 Monash Uni – but similar feedback would be
expected from other courses
 Wordy slides, but kept as they are worth reading

37. A
 My Grad Dip gave me the framework to understand
in depth how a large maintenance department
should run and the confidence to stand up there
and tell it how it is!
 Set me up for a career in helping organisations
close the gap.
(Set up own company).

38. B NEW STUDENT IN THE UK: BEFORE
 Have spent a fair bit of time over the last few
months looking (and speaking with course
coordinators) at eg xxxxxxx uni, yyyyyyyy Uni (only
35 miles from my home so would've been ideal)
and zzzzzzzz Uni who all do something
similar. However, not wishing to be patronising
their modules did not seem as interesting, courses
were less flexible and the universities were not as
highly ranked (not even close) in global terms as
Monash. In addition, their course coordinators were
not as helpful- costs were all much of a muchness
though.

39. B ...AND AFTER….
 ….has been of huge worth ….
 … accountants need to be made aware of potential
pitfalls that they can make… could lead to the demise of
the organisation. It needs good solid engineering
arguments with a knowledge of life-cycle costing to
make this clear to all and MRE gave me the mix
between engineering and management required in
modern industries or with hi-tech assets.
 Being qualified in a subject that the organisation has
bought into (my manager was my project sponsor) led to
him taking a deeper look at the subject and ultimately
gave him faith in me and what I'm qualified to provide.
 The number of positions I have been offered since
receiving the Master’s degree has been incredible

40. C THE OAM…
 “For meritorious service in the fields of Marine
Engineering and Engineering Management”
 Captain XXXX has been an outstanding advocate
of technical excellence and engineering reform over
a long period, and he took the initiative in
addressing systemic weaknesses and commencing
correction action of cultural deficiencies in the
maintenance of the Fleet’s aging Amphibious and
Afloat Support ships. He worked tirelessly to
improve engineering standards and took a leading
role in initiating the reinvigoration of consistently
correct maintenance approaches in the Fleet.

41. D
 I have been offered a job with another company as
a reliability manager. It would not be fair to not give
any credit for this opportunity to the Monash MRE
program. This program more than prepared me for
the interview and we had a good candid discussion
about where they are and where they need to go.
I'm very much appreciative to you and Monash for
this program.

42. E
 The presentation was given to my planning team
yesterday afternoon and some actions have been
planned to be taken as a result of the presentation.
Planners showed great interest in the topics and
the presentation did turn out to be a very
contributive and useful to the operation of
maintenance planning office. Thanks a lot!
(Feedback on work done for an assessed
assignment)

43. F
 I have found the unit (indeed all four units) that I
have undertaken in the Maintenance Management
program to have been of real value within my job
role as a maintenance practitioner.
 Thanks for the level of feedback on previous
assignments from this and other units. Not an
experience I'm used to after studying at xxxxxx
xxxxx. Greatly appreciated.

44. G
 This assignment asked me to provide a policy and a
manual for “your organization”. I work at the xxxx
refinery in xxxxxx.
 Therefore, the information included in this assignment is
real information… I was intrigued by the thoughts of a
Reliability Policy. Until I took this unit, I had never
heard of a Reliability Policy and had never seen one.
Today, I showed my assignment to my supervisor. I
discussed the advantages of having a Reliability Policy
with him and suggested that he discuss developing a
Reliability Policy with our plant leadership team. He was
open to this suggestion.
 One reason that I like taking the courses is that I feel
that I can apply them directly to what I am doing at work.

45. H
 I've been at xxxxxxx Power Station for 3 years now
as the Maintenance Manager and loving it. There's
certainly some issues here but we'll steadily work
through those.
 Success in my mind was no doubt due to the
Master’s course and how I applied it at my last job
(and the opportunities available and taken there
too, of course). …. I certainly consider the Masters
one of the best career moves I've ever made.

46. I
 Please find attached Assignment 3. I believe this
has directly impacted my career, as I have been
successful in furthering my career with xxxxxxx, at
the LNG plant in yyyyyy.
 I will fill the role of Maintenance Team Leader,
starting in Mid October - busy couple of months
ahead!!!!

47. J AND K
 Applied my learning from the unit I studied, and
gained $US80000 value for my company. (US)
 I would say that the MRE studies got me through
the front door and through the selection criteria and
then my experience got me over the line. More
significantly the MRE studies gave me the
confidence to apply for the job (I ended up with 5
offers) and made me want to work directly in the
MRE field.

48. L
 I still work in Offshore Oil & Gas Industry and have
earned a wider appreciation and respect for my
documented operational skills.
I have just left xxxxxxxx in Korea after over 3 years.
Next week I start with a company in Norway as their
Project Manager for some contracts in Rio de
Janeiro. The company appreciate very much the
experience and skills of grey-haired personnel and
especially the effort of graduating with a Master’s
Degree at the age of 57. The oil industry is
booming and skill shortage requires those > 55's to
be appreciated and sought after for their skills.
(Student from Norway, but mostly working
elsewhere)

49. M
 I have gained a lot from it. It has given a lot of
structure to things I had learned on the job, as well
as the huge amount of new stuff I have learn.
 It has been influential in getting 3 jobs so far. ( The
first job as a Maintenance Planning Superintendent,
a second job as a Senior Project Engineer in
Argentina, and now my current job as Regional
Maintenance Manager).

50. AND LASTLY….N AND O
 I got a new job based on the fact that I had applied
and been accepted into the course…..
(I do not recall him completing it..!)
 Continuing to enjoy the unit, except I showed my
boss this assignment which I completed primarily in
my own time and he liked the fault tree and wants
me to produce a FTA for conductors and connectors
giving me more work. Great stuff! as my employer
and I are getting value out of it, I don’t know about
the extra work for me though!
:-)

51. TWO FINAL STORIES
 The Graduate Certificate …. was instrumental in
helping me become Production Supervisor at a new
plant. A great opportunity for further advancement,
apart from about $40K increase in salary
 Within the two years from enrolment I have gone
from a project 2I/C co-ordinator to a maintenance
superintendent, adding around $35K to my salary.
Your masters program has been a big contributor to
this. The content is the underlying factor with which
individuals can build the confidence needed to take
the next step".

52. SOURCES OF INFO
 Apmm.com.au
 CQU.edu.au
 EIT.edu.au
 Federation.edu.au
 Uow.edu.au
 UWA.edu.au
 www.iq-am.com.au
 And to verify accreditation:
 aqf.edu.au
 teqsa.gov.au

53. WHAT’S NEXT?
 Point for discussion: is there such a thing as
overskilling?
 What will YOU do now?