My Maintenance Planning Background
I began my career on January 23, 1978, at Emsa in Meyerton, then known as Elektrode Maatskappy van Suid Afrika. Over the years, the company’s name evolved from Emsa to Ucar and finally to Graftech South Africa, where I worked until my retirement in September 2013.
Career Progression:
1978: I started as a Turner in the maintenance workshop.
1979: Promoted to Maintenance Workshop Foreman.
1981: Promoted to Maintenance Projects Engineer.
1982: Promoted to Chief Planning Officer.
During the early 1980s, I worked alongside PE Consulting, specifically the late J. Versteeg and Gary Dobson, to redesign the maintenance system based on Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) principles. We introduced Critical Path Analysis (CPA) and a comprehensive Continuous Reliability Improvement (CRI) training system. We modernized by replacing the Kardex and HP systems, and I procured the first IBM 8086 PC. I developed a full maintenance program to log breakdowns, safety reports, maintenance tasks, and scheduling.
Soon after, we implemented a complete LAN system using Arcnet as the protocol, later transitioning to Ethernet and setting up a fiber backbone network. This network hosted in-house programs I developed in Delphi and C+, covering areas such as maintenance, health and safety, training, medical information, security, and production data. We assembled our own PCs and servers with the help of LAN/IX Computer Systems, with Dr. H. Rybko and G. Gittleson playing key roles in designing the IT foundation.
In 1992, I transitioned from maintenance to IT, becoming an IT Network Engineer. Working with the IT Manager, we replaced the Prime computer running the MacPac finance system with an AS400 machine running JDE 1 World software. In 1996, when the IT Manager retired, I was promoted to IT Manager, reporting directly to Graftech America. We established a VPN between Meyerton and Parma, Ohio, installed AP, and introduced the AVAYA PBX VoIP system. My role took me to various locations around the world for meetings and conferences, including London, New York, Cleveland, Parma, Paris, Milan, Rome, Amsterdam, Windhoek, and many others.
I officially retired in September 2013 but continued working until April 2014. Reflecting on my career, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities and the many special people I worked with along the way.
Notable Colleagues: Jan Ellof, Matt Spinks, Piet Heymans, Henry Carelse, Russell Nash, Dr. Piet Barnard, Maans Pretorius, Christo Fourie, Marius Daniels, Adriaan Basson, Dr. Howard Rybko, Grant Gittleson, Gary Hope, Louis Botha, Frank Soll, Karthy Gounden, David Hilmer, Doug Pillips, Dennis Jones, and many more.
Life in Retirement:
In 2016, I began assisting SanGrafIntl with their IT needs, primarily developing solutions using Google Apps for Work. My work involved Sheets, Docs, JavaScript, as well as Domain, Email, Calendar, Hangouts, and Drive administration.
In 2020, I implemented a complete Maintenance Information System (MIS) on a Google Business platform for CIT (Carbon International Trading). The following year, I installed an enhanced version for RST Special Metals in Middelburg. The MIS, based on RCM principles, uses Google Sheets, making it easy for companies to manage the system without specialized IT knowledge. Both companies reported a significant reduction in equipment breakdowns.