This is a question we get more than any other. The honest answer is: most companies that try to build an RE function fail in the first year. Here's why — and the structured 90-day plan that gives you the best shot at not being one of them.
Why most RE programs fail
Before we get to the playbook, let's name the failure modes. A new RE program typically dies one of four deaths:
Failure mode 1: The first hire is also the last hire
You hire one Reliability Engineer. They arrive on a Monday, full of energy and ideas. Within three weeks, they've been pulled into firefighting — chasing a recurring crusher failure, sitting in the morning meeting, drafting an answer to an audit finding, helping the planner work through next week's schedule. Six months in, they've done no FMECA, run no RCAs, and built no capability. Twelve months in, they're either burnt out or have left.
Failure mode 2: The role is set up to fail
The job description was drafted by HR using a template from another industry. The reporting line is wrong. There's no budget for tools. The KPIs are vague. The first 90 days have no plan. The new hire — usually capable and motivated — is set up to fail by an organisation that didn't think hard enough about what success looks like.
Failure mode 3: One person, no system
The first RE is excellent. They run RCAs, they update FMECA, they build a Bad Actor list. Twelve months in, things are demonstrably better. Then they leave. Their replacement starts from scratch. The methodology lived in their head, the tools lived on their laptop. Year two looks just like year one.
Failure mode 4: Theory without execution
The RE role is filled by someone with the right qualifications — CMRP certified, vibration Cat-III, RCM facilitator credentials. But they spend their time generating reports nobody reads. They produce beautiful FMECAs that never make it into SAP PM. The theory is right; the execution loop is broken.
"All four failures share a common root cause: the program was set up without an explicit plan for how the RE function integrates with the rest of the operation."
The 90-day plan
Days 1–10: Set up the role properly
Before the first hire shows up, get these in place:
The reporting line. RE should report to the same level as the maintenance manager — not under the maintenance manager. RE is a peer function, not a subordinate one. This matters because the RE will sometimes need to challenge maintenance decisions, and that's hard to do up the chain to your own boss.
The job description. Don't use a template. The job description should specify the eight pillars covered, the methodology owned (FMECA, RCM facilitation, RCA, Bad Actor program, KPI ownership), expected deliverables per quarter, the training pathway, and what is NOT in the role (firefighting, planner backfill, dispatch).
Budget for tools. At minimum: a CBM tool kit (vibration meter, IR camera, ultrasound stick), training budget for two certifications in year one, and travel budget to visit at least one peer site as a benchmark.
Days 11–20: Hire well, brief well
The hiring profile that works:
- 5–10 years industrial maintenance experience (not greenfield engineering)
- Has actually run a wrench, not just designed one — an RE who hasn't done maintenance work struggles to earn artisan trust
- One technical credential (RCM, CMRP, vibration analysis)
- Communication ability — half the job is explaining technical findings to non-technical leaders
- Resilience — RE is a long-cycle role; instant gratification is not on offer
Days 21–45: Baseline and build
These three weeks are about building situational awareness, not delivering anything. Resist pressure to produce.
Week 1: Walk the plant. Every shift, every shop, every control room.
Week 2: Pull two years of SAP PM history. Compute reactive ratio, MTBF for the top 20 assets, top 10 cost drivers.
Week 3: Read the books. Books 1, 2, 3, and 5 are the four pillars they'll touch every day.
Days 46–60: First win
In weeks 7–8, the new RE delivers their first concrete win. This is critical — it builds credibility, proves the role to skeptics, creates momentum. The win should be: driven by the Bad Actor list (data-backed, not vibes-backed), bounded in scope, cross-functional, and measurable within 90 days.
Days 61–75: Build the methodology library
By now your RE has trust, has a baseline, and has shipped a win. Now they build the methodology that will outlast them — the FMECA template, the RCA toolkit, the criticality methodology document, the Bad Actor program documentation, the DE Management Team charter.
These artifacts should live somewhere the next RE can find them — not on a personal laptop. SharePoint, Confluence, or a dedicated AM system.
Days 76–90: Plan year one
The last two weeks are about looking forward. By day 90, your RE should produce a year-one work plan, a capability roadmap, and a handover risk register.
What to expect after day 90
Here's the honest timeline:
- Months 4–6: First wins are landing. Bad Actor list shrinking. PM compliance moving on the targeted assets.
- Months 7–9: Methodology embedding. FMECA coverage growing. The RE is now part of the operational rhythm.
- Months 10–12: Year-one results visible at the plant level. Reactive ratio dropping. Time to make the case for a second RE hire.
If you're not seeing these patterns by month 9, something is off. Most often it's that the RE has been pulled into firefighting (Failure Mode 1).
The framework that supports this work — competency matrices, training pathways, the integration with the other seven pillars — is laid out in detail in Book 8 — Integration, People, and Sustainment, particularly Chapters 5–9.