Why Do Equipment Failures Persist? The Answer Lies in the Three Pillars of Reliability

Let’s talk about something that’s always top of mind in our industry: equipment reliability. It’s not just a box to check—it’s the foundation of safe, efficient, and profitable operations. Over the years, many organizations have adopted tools like Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM), Root Cause Analysis (RCA), and Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to enhance reliability and keep things running smoothly.

But even with these powerful systems in place, one question still lingers: “With all these strategies, why are we still dealing with equipment failures?”

If you’ve asked yourself this question, you’re not alone. The answer often comes down to how we approach reliability as a whole. And that’s where the Three Pillars of Reliability come in.

The Three Pillars of Reliability

As illustrated in the image below, Reliability is the foundation, supported by three essential pillars: Design It Right, Operate It Right, and Maintain It Right. These pillars uphold any successful reliability strategy, ensuring long-term operational excellence.

• Design It Right: Reliability starts at the beginning, with equipment designed and built to recognized standards. If the design doesn’t account for reliability, no amount of maintenance or monitoring can compensate for it later.
• Operate It Right: Even the best-designed equipment will fail if it’s not used as intended. Operating within safe parameters and adhering to best practices is essential to keep equipment running smoothly.
• Maintain It Right: Maintenance isn’t just about reacting to problems; it’s about proactive care. The right maintenance strategies, schedules, and priorities ensure equipment performs reliably throughout its lifecycle.

These pillars are deeply interconnected, and when one weakens, the others are affected. This is why failures can still happen even when everything seems to be in place.

So Why Do Failures Persist?

Here’s the hard truth: even the best systems can have blind spots. Failures don’t occur because we aren’t trying—they happen because reliability is inherently complex.

• Design issues: Equipment may not have been built to handle actual operating conditions, or it might lack safeguards against certain risks.
• Operational missteps: Operators may unknowingly push equipment beyond its limits or fail to monitor critical parameters.
• Maintenance gaps: Maintenance strategies that haven’t been updated in years can leave equipment vulnerable, especially as it ages or as operating conditions change.

Even advanced tools like RCM and RCA can fall short. For example, many RCAs are not conducted thoroughly and fail to go beyond identifying what broke, neglecting to explore why it broke or uncover the broader systemic issues.

How Do We Rethink Reliability?

If you find yourself stuck in a cycle of recurring equipment issues, it may be time to reassess your approach to reliability. The key lies in shifting focus away from isolated problems and instead examining the broader systems, processes, and leadership structures that shape how reliability is managed across your organization.

Reliability isn’t just about fixing what’s broken—it’s about building a culture and framework that proactively prevents failures while sustaining operational excellence. This requires taking a comprehensive view of several interconnected areas. Leadership plays a pivotal role: does your organization prioritize long-term reliability with clear goals and accountability? Without unified direction from leadership, even the best technical efforts can fall short.

Failures and near-misses should be treated as opportunities to learn and improve. Achieving this requires a robust investigation process that digs deeper than surface-level issues to uncover systemic causes and prevent repeat failures. Furthermore, your work processes, risk management, and quality control systems must be seamlessly integrated. Fragmented or siloed efforts can leave critical blind spots, increasing the risk of equipment vulnerabilities.

Equally important is the use of meaningful metrics to measure performance and guide improvements. Without the right indicators in place, it’s challenging to assess whether your reliability efforts are truly making an impact or simply maintaining the status quo.

By reevaluating reliability through this broader lens, you can uncover hidden gaps that might not be immediately obvious. This approach is about managing individual assets, but also about ensuring that leadership, processes, and investigations align to create a resilient and sustainable operation. When organizations address these interconnected factors, they move beyond reactive fixes and establish a proactive, forward-thinking reliability framework that drives continuous improvement.

Why Does Reliability Matter?

At the end of the day, reliability is about more than just preventing failures—it’s about building confidence. When your equipment is designed, operated, and maintained correctly, you can focus on what truly matters: running your plant safely, efficiently, and profitably.

The Three Pillars of Reliability—Design It Right, Operate It Right, and Maintain It Right—are more than just a framework. They’re a roadmap for turning failures into learning opportunities and building a stronger, more resilient operation. Failures will still happen, but when you approach reliability holistically, they become chances to improve, refine, and grow.

Ensure your reliability strategy is built on a strong foundation. Contact Becht’s reliability experts to identify gaps, strengthen your approach, and drive lasting improvements.