General MotorsCase study · Reliability & Data
Recurring Alarm Reduction
Using production data and downtime reports to cut recurring alarms by 50%.
- My role
- Controls Engineer
- Timeframe
- General Motors · Oct 2023 – Present
- Team / context
- General Motors, Warren, MI
- Tech stack
- Production data analysis · Downtime reports · PLC · Issue tracking
01
Overview
Recurring alarms interrupt production again and again. I analyzed production data and downtime reports to find which alarms kept coming back, with the goal of reducing production roadblocks and increasing system efficiency. The effort cut recurring alarms by 50%.
Alongside the analysis, I drove supplier deliverables and buyoff checklists, escalated persistent issues to senior leadership, and tracked open issues to closure, so problems were owned until they were resolved.
02
The problem & objective
Some alarms recur. Each occurrence costs attention and often production time, and fixing them one at a time doesn't stop them coming back.
The objective was to find the recurring alarms and drive them down.
03
My role & responsibilities
Controls Engineer. Delivered as part of my role as Controls Engineer at General Motors.
- Analyze production data and downtime reports
- Identify recurring alarms and production roadblocks
- Modify controls logic for approved process changes
- Drive supplier deliverables and buyoff checklists
- Escalate persistent issues to senior leadership
- Track open issues to closure on the open issues list
04
Approach & process
Gather the evidence
Start from production data and downtime reports, not anecdotes.
Find the repeat offenders
Identify which alarms recur, so effort goes where it has the most effect.
Drive fixes to closure
Track open issues with leadership, and drive supplier deliverables, until each is resolved.
Escalate what persists
Issues that keep coming back go to senior leadership and stay on the open issues list until they're closed.
05
Key features & deliverables
Recurring alarm reduction
Recurring alarms cut by 50%.
Issue tracking with leadership
Open issues tracked to closure.
06
Challenges & how I solved them
| Challenge | How I solved it |
|---|---|
| Fixing faults one at a time doesn't stop them recurring | I used production data and downtime reports to find patterns and target recurring alarms. |
07
Results & impact
- Recurring alarms cut by 50%
- Persistent issues escalated to senior leadership and tracked to closure
08
Skills demonstrated & lessons learned
Skills demonstrated: Data analysis · Root-cause thinking · Issue management · Stakeholder communication
The loudest problem isn't always the most expensive one. Data shows which issues keep costing time.
Get in touch
Let's work together
I'm open to Controls Engineer, Automation Engineer, Software Engineer, and Full-Stack Developer roles, remote or on-site. If you're building something where automation and software meet, I'd like to hear about it.
elshark.atef@gmail.com