Reliability Assistant

CutsforthReliability Assistant

Cutsforth Reliability Assistant

Step 1 of 7 - Welcome

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Welcome to the Cutsforth Reliability Assistant

Use this assessment tool to enter input about your current reliability program. Our experts will assess your current operating level against industry standards and best practices, and identify options for improvement.

With this tool, you will:

Learn about different aspects of the Asset Management and Equipment Reliability Capability Matrix.
Score your current operational level for each capability area.
Receive a follow-up report identifying how you compare with current industry best practices
Schedule a call with one of our experts to review the report conclusions with you and discuss next steps

This assessment tool covers only a small part of the entire capability matrix that you would discuss in a formal Workshop with Cutsforth. The survey has 5 sections, each with 4 questions for a total of 20. This will give you an initial assessment against industry best practices and identify areas for potential improvement.

Before you begin the assessment, watch the video below to learn more about the Cutsforth Reliability Services Team and the experience and capabilities they bring to the discussion.

Asset ID and Criticality List

The foundation of any effective reliability program is knowing what you have and what matters most. This section assesses how well your organization identifies, classifies, and governs its asset inventory and criticality rankings.

1. Master Equipment List - A Master Equipment List (MEL) is established, consistently maintained, and applied across all plant assets. Equipment records include unique identifiers, make, model, serial number, and key technical specifications. Please select your current operating level:

1. Master Equipment List - A Master Equipment List (MEL) is established, consistently maintained, and applied across all plant assets. Equipment records include unique identifiers, make, model, serial number, and key technical specifications.

Please select your current operating level:

Industry Leading: recognized best practice, continuously improving

Strong: well established, consistently executed, minor gaps only

Developing: in place and functioning but improvement opportunities exist

Early Stage: partially in place, inconsistently applied

Minimal: exists in name only or very limited application

Not in Place: no meaningful capability exists in this area

Not Applicable / Don't Know

2. Criticality Ranking Process - All systems and components are classified by criticality (Critical, Important, Run-to-Repair) using defined criteria that consider component functions, service conditions, and duty cycle. Classifications are documented and accessible. Please select your current operating level:

2. Criticality Ranking Process - All systems and components are classified by criticality (Critical, Important, Run-to-Repair) using defined criteria that consider component functions, service conditions, and duty cycle. Classifications are documented and accessible.

Please select your current operating level:

Industry Leading: recognized best practice, continuously improving

Strong: well established, consistently executed, minor gaps only

Developing: in place and functioning but improvement opportunities exist

Early Stage: partially in place, inconsistently applied

Minimal: exists in name only or very limited application

Not in Place: no meaningful capability exists in this area

Not Applicable / Don't Know

3. Failure Mode Identification - System functions and failure modes are identified, documented, and understood for critical and important assets. This information is used to inform maintenance strategies and monitoring priorities. Please select your current operating level:

3. Failure Mode Identification - System functions and failure modes are identified, documented, and understood for critical and important assets. This information is used to inform maintenance strategies and monitoring priorities.

Please select your current operating level:

Industry Leading: recognized best practice, continuously improving

Strong: well established, consistently executed, minor gaps only

Developing: in place and functioning but improvement opportunities exist

Early Stage: partially in place, inconsistently applied

Minimal: exists in name only or very limited application

Not in Place: no meaningful capability exists in this area

Not Applicable / Don't Know

4. Single-Point Vulnerability Analysis - Single-point failure vulnerabilities that could affect safety or plant reliability are systematically identified, evaluated, and addressed to the extent practical. Please select your current operating level:

4. Single-Point Vulnerability Analysis - Single-point failure vulnerabilities that could affect safety or plant reliability are systematically identified, evaluated, and addressed to the extent practical.

Please select your current operating level:

Industry Leading: recognized best practice, continuously improving

Strong: well established, consistently executed, minor gaps only

Developing: in place and functioning but improvement opportunities exist

Early Stage: partially in place, inconsistently applied

Minimal: exists in name only or very limited application

Not in Place: no meaningful capability exists in this area

Not Applicable / Don't Know

If you had the power to make one change for your organization in the Asset ID and Criticality area, what would you change?

If you had the power to make one change for your organization in the Asset ID and Criticality area, what would you change?

System and Component Health Monitoring

Knowing the health of your critical assets in real time is essential to moving from reactive to predictive maintenance. This section assesses the maturity of your condition-based maintenance program, inspection practices, and how effectively monitoring findings drive maintenance decisions.

1. CBM Program Coverage - A Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) program is in place for critical and important plant equipment. The program scope is clearly documented and condition monitoring tasks are systematically assigned to applicable components. Please select your current operating level:

1. CBM Program Coverage - A Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) program is in place for critical and important plant equipment. The program scope is clearly documented and condition monitoring tasks are systematically assigned to applicable components.

Please select your current operating level:

Industry Leading: recognized best practice, continuously improving

Strong: well established, consistently executed, minor gaps only

Developing: in place and functioning but improvement opportunities exist

Early Stage: partially in place, inconsistently applied

Minimal: exists in name only or very limited application

Not in Place: no meaningful capability exists in this area

Not Applicable / Don't Know

2. Component Ownership - Clear ownership is established for each critical and important component. Owners are accountable for evaluating component health as part of the CBM and equipment inspection programs. Please select your current operating level:

2. Component Ownership - Clear ownership is established for each critical and important component. Owners are accountable for evaluating component health as part of the CBM and equipment inspection programs.

Please select your current operating level:

Industry Leading: recognized best practice, continuously improving

Strong: well established, consistently executed, minor gaps only

Developing: in place and functioning but improvement opportunities exist

Early Stage: partially in place, inconsistently applied

Minimal: exists in name only or very limited application

Not in Place: no meaningful capability exists in this area

Not Applicable / Don't Know

3. CBM and Maintenance Workflow Integration - Condition monitoring findings from CBM, equipment inspections, and operator observations are consistently reviewed, acted upon, and fed back into the maintenance planning and scheduling process — creating a closed loop between monitoring data and maintenance execution. Please select your current operating level:

3. CBM and Maintenance Workflow Integration - Condition monitoring findings from CBM, equipment inspections, and operator observations are consistently reviewed, acted upon, and fed back into the maintenance planning and scheduling process — creating a closed loop between monitoring data and maintenance execution.

Please select your current operating level:

Industry Leading: recognized best practice, continuously improving

Strong: well established, consistently executed, minor gaps only

Developing: in place and functioning but improvement opportunities exist

Early Stage: partially in place, inconsistently applied

Minimal: exists in name only or very limited application

Not in Place: no meaningful capability exists in this area

Not Applicable / Don't Know

4. Health Reporting - Component and system health reports are regularly produced, summarizing equipment condition and needed corrective actions. Reports are used to drive prioritization of maintenance and capital decisions. Please select your current operating level:

4. Health Reporting - Component and system health reports are regularly produced, summarizing equipment condition and needed corrective actions. Reports are used to drive prioritization of maintenance and capital decisions.

Please select your current operating level:

Industry Leading: recognized best practice, continuously improving

Strong: well established, consistently executed, minor gaps only

Developing: in place and functioning but improvement opportunities exist

Early Stage: partially in place, inconsistently applied

Minimal: exists in name only or very limited application

Not in Place: no meaningful capability exists in this area

Not Applicable / Don't Know

If you had the power to make one change for your organization in the System and Component Health area, what would you change?

If you had the power to make one change for your organization in the System and Component Health area, what would you change?

Management and Business Culture

Reliability excellence is as much an organizational challenge as a technical one. This section assesses whether your leadership structure, roles, accountability practices, and goal alignment create the cultural foundation needed to sustain a high-performing reliability program.

1. Defined Roles and Responsibilities - AM/ER roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, documented, and communicated for all key organizational groups — including Engineering, Maintenance, Work Management, Operations, and Supply Chain. Position descriptions exist for all key roles. Please select your current operating level:

1. Defined Roles and Responsibilities - AM/ER roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, documented, and communicated for all key organizational groups — including Engineering, Maintenance, Work Management, Operations, and Supply Chain. Position descriptions exist for all key roles.

Please select your current operating level:

Industry Leading: recognized best practice, continuously improving

Strong: well established, consistently executed, minor gaps only

Developing: in place and functioning but improvement opportunities exist

Early Stage: partially in place, inconsistently applied

Minimal: exists in name only or very limited application

Not in Place: no meaningful capability exists in this area

Not Applicable / Don't Know

2. Leadership Policy & Guidance - Leadership has established clear policies and a management model that provides guidance for AM/ER processes, procedures, and performance expectations. The policy framework is documented and actively referenced. Please select your current operating level:

2. Leadership Policy & Guidance - Leadership has established clear policies and a management model that provides guidance for AM/ER processes, procedures, and performance expectations. The policy framework is documented and actively referenced.

Please select your current operating level:

Industry Leading: recognized best practice, continuously improving

Strong: well established, consistently executed, minor gaps only

Developing: in place and functioning but improvement opportunities exist

Early Stage: partially in place, inconsistently applied

Minimal: exists in name only or very limited application

Not in Place: no meaningful capability exists in this area

Not Applicable / Don't Know

3. Accountability & Consequence Management - Leadership and management consistently apply appropriate consequences — positive and negative — for workforce behaviors related to AM/ER performance. The workforce is held accountable to execute AM/ER functions and meet business plan goals. Please select your current operating level:

3. Accountability & Consequence Management - Leadership and management consistently apply appropriate consequences — positive and negative — for workforce behaviors related to AM/ER performance. The workforce is held accountable to execute AM/ER functions and meet business plan goals.

Please select your current operating level:

Industry Leading: recognized best practice, continuously improving

Strong: well established, consistently executed, minor gaps only

Developing: in place and functioning but improvement opportunities exist

Early Stage: partially in place, inconsistently applied

Minimal: exists in name only or very limited application

Not in Place: no meaningful capability exists in this area

Not Applicable / Don't Know

4. AM/ER Goals and Performance Alignment- AM/ER goals are established, documented, and aligned with overall plant and departmental performance objectives. Defined metrics are in place, performance is reviewed regularly, and there is clear line of sight between individual, team, and organizational reliability targets. Please select your current operating level:

4. AM/ER Goals and Performance Alignment- AM/ER goals are established, documented, and aligned with overall plant and departmental performance objectives. Defined metrics are in place, performance is reviewed regularly, and there is clear line of sight between individual, team, and organizational reliability targets.

Please select your current operating level:

Industry Leading: recognized best practice, continuously improving

Strong: well established, consistently executed, minor gaps only

Developing: in place and functioning but improvement opportunities exist

Early Stage: partially in place, inconsistently applied

Minimal: exists in name only or very limited application

Not in Place: no meaningful capability exists in this area

Not Applicable / Don't Know

If you had the power to make one change for your organization in Management and Business Culture area, what would you change?

If you had the power to make one change for your organization in Management and Business Culture area, what would you change?

Condition Monitoring Technologies

The right technologies, properly deployed and consistently used, are what turn a maintenance program from time-based to condition-based. This section assesses the breadth, application, and effective utilization of the condition monitoring tools available to your organization.

1. Technology Breadth and Deployment - A broad set of condition monitoring technologies is available and deployed, including vibration monitoring, infrared thermography, electrical signature analysis, oil analysis, and NDE. Technologies are applied to all critical and important equipment. Please select your current operating level:

1. Technology Breadth and Deployment - A broad set of condition monitoring technologies is available and deployed, including vibration monitoring, infrared thermography, electrical signature analysis, oil analysis, and NDE. Technologies are applied to all critical and important equipment.

Please select your current operating level:

Industry Leading: recognized best practice, continuously improving

Strong: well established, consistently executed, minor gaps only

Developing: in place and functioning but improvement opportunities exist

Early Stage: partially in place, inconsistently applied

Minimal: exists in name only or very limited application

Not in Place: no meaningful capability exists in this area

Not Applicable / Don't Know

2. Personnel Competency - Personnel responsible for applying condition monitoring technologies are adequately skilled — whether internal staff or contracted resources. Training programs and qualification standards are in place and current. Please select your current operating level:

2. Personnel Competency - Personnel responsible for applying condition monitoring technologies are adequately skilled — whether internal staff or contracted resources. Training programs and qualification standards are in place and current.

Please select your current operating level:

Industry Leading: recognized best practice, continuously improving

Strong: well established, consistently executed, minor gaps only

Developing: in place and functioning but improvement opportunities exist

Early Stage: partially in place, inconsistently applied

Minimal: exists in name only or very limited application

Not in Place: no meaningful capability exists in this area

Not Applicable / Don't Know

3. Diagnostic Utilization and Follow-Through - Condition monitoring technologies are consistently utilized to generate actionable diagnostic findings. A structured review process exists, clear ownership is assigned for follow-through on identified anomalies, and findings are fed back into the corrective action process in a closed loop. Please select your current operating level:

3. Diagnostic Utilization and Follow-Through - Condition monitoring technologies are consistently utilized to generate actionable diagnostic findings. A structured review process exists, clear ownership is assigned for follow-through on identified anomalies, and findings are fed back into the corrective action process in a closed loop.

Please select your current operating level:

Industry Leading: recognized best practice, continuously improving

Strong: well established, consistently executed, minor gaps only

Developing: in place and functioning but improvement opportunities exist

Early Stage: partially in place, inconsistently applied

Minimal: exists in name only or very limited application

Not in Place: no meaningful capability exists in this area

Not Applicable / Don't Know

4. Software and Alarming Capabilities - Software platforms support automated alarming, trending, and notification based on condition monitoring data. Users can configure alert thresholds and receive timely notification of anomalies. Please select your current operating level:

4. Software and Alarming Capabilities - Software platforms support automated alarming, trending, and notification based on condition monitoring data. Users can configure alert thresholds and receive timely notification of anomalies.

Please select your current operating level:

Industry Leading: recognized best practice, continuously improving

Strong: well established, consistently executed, minor gaps only

Developing: in place and functioning but improvement opportunities exist

Early Stage: partially in place, inconsistently applied

Minimal: exists in name only or very limited application

Not in Place: no meaningful capability exists in this area

Not Applicable / Don't Know

If you had the power to make one change for your organization in the Condition Monitoring Technologies area, what would you change?

If you had the power to make one change for your organization in the Condition Monitoring Technologies area, what would you change?

Advanced Diagnostics and ML/AI

Advanced diagnostic tools and AI-driven analytics represent the leading edge of reliability practice — but only when the organization is ready to use them effectively. This section assesses your current application of pattern recognition, machine learning, and structured diagnostic workflows to support confident, data-driven maintenance decisions.

1. Advanced Pattern Recognition - APR software is deployed and actively used to detect subtle equipment degradation trends that fall below traditional threshold-based alarm limits. Coverage includes critical and important equipment. Please select your current operating level:

1. Advanced Pattern Recognition - APR software is deployed and actively used to detect subtle equipment degradation trends that fall below traditional threshold-based alarm limits. Coverage includes critical and important equipment.

Please select your current operating level:

Industry Leading: recognized best practice, continuously improving

Strong: well established, consistently executed, minor gaps only

Developing: in place and functioning but improvement opportunities exist

Early Stage: partially in place, inconsistently applied

Minimal: exists in name only or very limited application

Not in Place: no meaningful capability exists in this area

Not Applicable / Don't Know

2. Machine Learning and AI Application - Machine learning and AI tools are applied to reliability and diagnostic workflows. Models are trained, validated, and maintained to support accurate fault detection and equipment health assessment. Please select your current operating level:

2. Machine Learning and AI Application - Machine learning and AI tools are applied to reliability and diagnostic workflows. Models are trained, validated, and maintained to support accurate fault detection and equipment health assessment.

Please select your current operating level:

Industry Leading: recognized best practice, continuously improving

Strong: well established, consistently executed, minor gaps only

Developing: in place and functioning but improvement opportunities exist

Early Stage: partially in place, inconsistently applied

Minimal: exists in name only or very limited application

Not in Place: no meaningful capability exists in this area

Not Applicable / Don't Know

3. Diagnostic Decision Support - Structured diagnostic workflows and clear escalation criteria are in place to support confident maintenance decision-making from complex monitoring data. Analysts are equipped with processes and tools that reduce dependence on deep specialist expertise for interpreting multi-signal alerts. Please select your current operating level:

3. Diagnostic Decision Support - Structured diagnostic workflows and clear escalation criteria are in place to support confident maintenance decision-making from complex monitoring data. Analysts are equipped with processes and tools that reduce dependence on deep specialist expertise for interpreting multi-signal alerts.

Please select your current operating level:

Industry Leading: recognized best practice, continuously improving

Strong: well established, consistently executed, minor gaps only

Developing: in place and functioning but improvement opportunities exist

Early Stage: partially in place, inconsistently applied

Minimal: exists in name only or very limited application

Not in Place: no meaningful capability exists in this area

Not Applicable / Don't Know

4. Advanced Diagnostic/ML/AI - The organization has the data quality, analyst skills, defined workflows, and governance processes in place to effectively adopt and sustain advanced diagnostic and AI/ML tools — including ongoing validation and maintenance of model performance over time. Please select your current operating level:

4. Advanced Diagnostic/ML/AI - The organization has the data quality, analyst skills, defined workflows, and governance processes in place to effectively adopt and sustain advanced diagnostic and AI/ML tools — including ongoing validation and maintenance of model performance over time.

Please select your current operating level:

Industry Leading: recognized best practice, continuously improving

Strong: well established, consistently executed, minor gaps only

Developing: in place and functioning but improvement opportunities exist

Early Stage: partially in place, inconsistently applied

Minimal: exists in name only or very limited application

Not in Place: no meaningful capability exists in this area

Not Applicable / Don't Know

If you had the power to make one change for your organization in the Advanced Diagnostics and ML/AI area, what would you change?

If you had the power to make one change for your organization in the Advanced Diagnostics and ML/AI area, what would you change?

Next Steps

Thank you for using the Cutsforth Reliability Assistant. When you complete the information below and submit, we will generate a report comparing your current operation against industry average and best practices. At that time we will reach out to schedule a follow up call to review findings with you.

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