It is widely recognized that the success of a PLiM programme is very dependent upon the success in integrating the programme into the plant organization and its current activities and programmes.

To launch a PLiM programme (if this has not already been done), the utility or plant should establish a PLiM group at the plant to develop a detailed plan specific to the utility organization. Then a PLiM pilot project (usually of 6 months to 2 years duration) is typically undertaken. The scope of the PLiM pilot project can vary but should include PLiM planning and some pilot ageing assessments, so that the utility PLiM team can gain significant level of experience and learning that will enable them to plan, perform and implement the full comprehensive PLiM programme. Also, procedures developed early in the PLiM Pilot Project should be updated with the experience gained in application from the pilot ageing assessments.

In addition to the plant PLiM group, a successful PLiM programme requires effective interaction with other key plant staff and groups (during assessments, they need to provide the current operational history and plant programmes) and understanding by plant staff (typically plant staff perform a detailed review of the assessment reports). This helps the staff undertake “ownership” and eventually “Do” PLiM themselves. Typically, system and component engineers, maintenance and inspection staff, reliability groups and operators all have a role to play in PLiM.

One important aspect is that understanding of the ageing assessments brings significant benefits to PLiM implementation. While various degrees of involvement of plant staff in assessments and implementation are possible, the objective is to increase the understanding of the “whys”, in order that adequate decisions can be made of what changes to make in plant programmes (these are the “hows”).

Involvement of plant staff also helps identify the training needed for effective transfer of PLiM technology. For instance, training of plant staff in ageing degradation mechanisms and in assessment techniques is important to the transfer of PLiM technology to the plant to ensure effective implementation and “adaptation” to plant specific situations.

Effective PLiM implies and requires some additional effort by utility staff as the plant ages. Hence, plant staff involvement in the PLiM programme does imply some additional responsibilities, but there are various ways to split the effort involved and the roles to minimize disruption to other day-to-day duties. The intent is to tailor the added effort to the specific utility or plant organization, which involves plant specific decisions.

However, it has been recognized that before those decisions can be made, the experience of the PLiM Pilot Programme must be obtained. It should be noted that one of the recommended Pilot Project tasks relates to developing utility specific PLiM procedures. One of these is a plant specific station instruction (which is a high level plant policy publication) that spells out who has what role in the PLiM programme and the additional PLiM responsibilities of various groups.