What does it really take to keep 81 manufacturing sites around the world running at world-class reliability standards?

In this episode, I sat down with Pablo, the Reliability Champion at SKF, the world’s leading bearing manufacturer, to find out. And this chat was packed with gold.

Pablo opened up about how SKF have built something seriously special. Their Maintenance Excellence system brings together the best of Japanese TPM and reliability-centered maintenance to create a global standard that actually works, site to site, culture to culture.

But here’s the standout bit for me. It’s not just about the systems or tools. It’s about the people. SKF have cultivated a real community of over 400 maintenance professionals across the globe. They’re not just clocking in and out. They’re sharing wins, solving problems together, and raising the bar as a unit.

We also talked about their week-long Maintenance Excellence Bootcamps run across three continents, combining deep-dive training with hands-on work to embed excellence into their culture. Add in their push towards smarter CMMS rollouts and the integration of AI for predictive maintenance, and it’s clear these guys aren’t just keeping up. They’re leading the way.

The part that stuck with me most was this quote from Pablo:

"You can have the most perfect system in the world, but if the people aren’t on board, it’s worthless."

That hits home. It’s not the tech. It’s the trust. It’s the culture. It’s the belief that people make reliability real.

Whether you’re running one site or a global operation, there’s something in this conversation for everyone who believes in better maintenance. Tune in and see how SKF keep evolving while staying true to what matters most: people, purpose, and precision.

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In this episode, I sat down with Joseph Anderson from Reliability X for one of the most honest and refreshing conversations I’ve had on reliability. We didn’t just talk tools, data, and KPIs… we talked about what really matters: people.

Joseph shares his own journey, from what he calls being a “defect initiator” (yep, he says he would’ve fired himself back then!) to becoming a leader who changed plant performance by focusing first on the people behind the machines. What really hit me was when he mentioned that maintenance departments have an 80–85% divorce rate. It stopped me in my tracks. That stat alone says it all: reliability is about more than machines. It’s about creating workplaces that don’t destroy home lives.

What I love about Joseph is he breaks down reliability into simple human truths. Relationships between operators and maintenance, leaders who actually listen, collaboration over blame. He even draws lessons from his time running restaurants to show how these principles go beyond manufacturing—they’re about how we treat people, full stop.

We also got real about why companies trip themselves up: blaming individuals instead of fixing broken systems, chasing completion rates instead of real results, buying the latest tech without teaching people how to use it properly, and cutting costs today only to pay big later.

Through it all, Joseph keeps coming back to the same truth: when people know you care, they’ll care for the equipment. It’s that simple.

If you lead a maintenance team, run a plant, or just want to get better at building a strong, reliable culture, this one’s for you. As Joseph says:
"Maintenance is simple. Don’t overcomplicate it. Don’t make it harder than it needs to be."

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What’s the real value of reliability in your organisation?

It’s a simple question—but one that’s often overlooked before businesses jump into big investments in technology or strategy. And yet, it’s the question that sits at the heart of effective asset management.

Over the years, working closely with a wide range of organisations, we’ve seen a common pattern: many skip the most important first step—getting crystal clear on what reliability actually means for their business. Without that alignment, even the best condition monitoring tools or maintenance strategies can miss the mark.

In this episode, we talk about how to build a strong business case for reliability—one that really connects with leadership and drives decisions. We also unpack why Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is such a powerful metric. It gives a full-picture view by balancing availability, performance, and quality—essential ingredients for any reliability programme. Measuring these before you start sets the stage to show true financial impact down the line.

Here’s a stat worth paying attention to: about 80% of equipment failures are preventable. But prevention doesn’t start with gadgets—it starts with understanding. Too often, companies rush into solutions without first figuring out why their assets are failing in the first place. We share a real-life example of a site that almost spent a fortune on sensors that would’ve only covered 20% of their critical equipment. A solid assessment saved them from a costly misstep.

The real game-changer? It’s not tech—it’s people. Awareness and training spark the kind of cultural shift that keeps reliability efforts alive and thriving. When everyone—from the shop floor to the boardroom—understands their role in keeping things running, that’s when real transformation happens.

Whether you’re just getting started or trying to breathe new life into an existing programme, this episode lays out a roadmap to make reliability a true business driver—not just a technical checkbox.

Tune in now and learn how to ignite your organisation’s reliability journey.

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