AMMMMMMMMS

Really it's AMMS, which is a CMMS for doing PM's. Right. So AMMS stands for Automatic Maintenance Management System, which is really a CMMS: Computer Maintenance Management System, for doing PM's, or preventative maintenance. Laymen's terms: a computer program that automatically tells you when to do preventative maintenance on a piece of equipment - maintenance to prevent a break. And why am I writing about all these crazy acronyms? Well that's because I just started using AMMS to help design our site's PM program. Which although it's not as cool as a Gucci fashion show, is pretty neat! I'm learning a new-to-me computer program and I'm working on something that will save the company money, because it's better to run the line as scheduled instead of having to stop and wait for a broken machine to get repaired. It's a little frustrating just because the program doesn't contain normal shortcuts, like ctl+f for finding an entry, so I have to just look through all the entries for something, but like I said, I think it's pretty cool to do.

More Risk Assessments!

I'm doing more risk assessments, whoopee! haha. I don't mind, I actually enjoy doing them, I think it's really neat to evaluate area/equipment/task and determine the possible risk of exposure. As I mentioned, I've already completed risk assessments on all the lines on the production floor, now I'm doing every product specifically on a line. So if one line has five different products it can run, I will do five separate risk assessments in addition to the one I've already done on the line. If one product runs on several lines, I will still do it per line, so there will be multiple options for that one product. Largely all I do is copy/paste from the original line assessment and figure out if there's anything new or any changes. However, I have spent a lot of time making it easier to go out on the floor with a guide to determine changes resulting from the different product. To do so, I've gone back to my original assessments and established baseline products - common products for that line that reflect normal use of stationary equipment. For instance, on Polar, a production line, Original Klondike bars are the baseline product. I designed several spreadsheets that progress through the line as I would on the production floor (mix tanks to boxes) to make it easier to note changes. Sometimes we run Reese's Klondike bars on Polar, the main difference here is the barrels of peanut butter and the chopped up pieces of Reese's cups that are added into the product. Because of the two additives, there are three new tasks that need to be added and one new piece of equipment. All the changes go into the master spreadsheet with the baseline product assessment so when I go on the floor with the print out, I can just reference the correct number. Pretty cool stuff.

An update

They say no news is good news... Well I guess that's true, nothing essentially bad is happening, but nothing too great either. I find I really miss being with friends, I feel really alone down here. Often I think if I had a car things would be better, I could get to the beach easier, I could join a community sports team, but the truth is, I don't have a car, and I'm not getting one. So here I am. Work is going well, I'm currently waiting for tomorrow for a meeting with a coworker to map my risk analysis onto a new system of safety maps. That's really all I have to write about, hopefully a more substantial topic surfaces this week.

What About Outside of Work?

What do I do outside of work? Unfortunately, not a whole lot. After work, on weekdays, I typically only have a few hours before bed, so I spend that time cooking dinner, eating, washing dishes, reading, watching tv, etc. On the weekends, I have more time to do fun activities. As a reminder, I live alone and I have no friends here that I can just "hang out" with. It is quite a change from being on a campus of 46,000 students, but as an only child, I have quickly adapted. I find I am exploring some of my favorite hobbies that were not feasible in college, such as baking. I love to bake, and I love having my own kitchen! I also can take the bus to the beach, which I have done a few times, but lately it's been too chilly or rainy. I find I can cope with the time, but I greatly miss being surrounded by friends and people my age. When talking to other co-ops within Unilever who are placed alone in locations, like myself, we have similar experiences with a lack of things to do, mostly due to a lack in companionship. I strongly recommend that during an interview with a potential employer for an internship, you inquire if you will be placed at a location with other interns. Even if these interns are not your bestfriends, it's still nice to see a familiar face.