Karunanithi Thanaraj is no stranger to the lubrication industry. With a career spanning over 35 years, he currently serves as the Technical Manager at SGS Testing & Control Services Singapore. So, it might seem unusual that he would want to pursue ICML certification exams applicable to all reliability community practitioners, but largely intended for non-technical personnel.
Yet his interest in the General Lubrication Concepts (GLC) and Advanced Lubrication Concepts (ALC) certifications reflects this workplace reality: lubrication reliability depends not only on technical expertise, but also on decisions made by cross-functional people across the business.
In this article, Thanaraj explains what he learned about the GLC and ALC certification examinations and the relevance of lubrication knowledge beyond traditional technical roles.
Lubrication Fluency Beyond the Technical Team
“Although I already hold lubrication and oil analysis certifications, I wanted to understand how ICML addresses the needs of individuals who may not be lubrication specialists but who are involved in decisions that affect lubricant reliability, machinery performance, maintenance costs, and asset life,” he writes. “After completing both certifications, I can honestly say that they exceeded my expectations.”
Thanaraj’s experience highlights how the value of lubrication programs can be shaped from positions well beyond the shop floor where the lubricants are actually applied and the machinery is maintained. Decisions about purchasing, storage, inventory, safety compliance, and operational budgets can significantly influence the effectiveness, and efficiency, of a lubrication program, even when the people making those decisions are not “hands-on” lubrication specialists.
“In my experience, many machinery failures do not occur due to an organization’s lack of sophisticated technology,” says Thanaraj. “Instead, failures often begin with basic lubrication mistakes such as incorrect lubricant selection, lubricant incompatibility, poor storage practices, improper handling, inadequate sampling procedures, or ineffective maintenance strategies. The GLC and ALC certifications address exactly those topics and help even non-technical learners understand their practical impact on equipment reliability.”
The organizational challenge is to ensure that non-technicians understand lubrication language and good practices, and also to help them recognize how their decisions can support—or undermine—the outcomes of those practices. Shared lubrication knowledge can lead to “lubrication fluency” among people in different roles, giving them a common basis for understanding priorities, coordinating responsibilities, and supporting reliability objectives.
Comprehension, Not Memorization
“The GLC and ALC examinations are designed to be fair, practical, and appropriately challenging, which should reassure candidates of their relevance to real-world situations,” Thanaraj says. “The questions tested comprehension rather than simple memorization. Candidates were required to apply lubrication concepts logically and demonstrate an understanding of real-world situations that maintenance organizations encounter every day.”
Thanaraj adds that he found “the examinations accurately reflect the intent of the Bodies of Knowledge,” so candidates can have confidence about the subject matter they will encounter in future interactions with hands-on lubrication colleagues.
“One of my key observations is that these certifications can be especially valuable for people outside traditional lubrication roles,” he says. “Many lubrication-related decisions are made by individuals who are not lubrication specialists. So, providing them with a solid understanding of lubricant selection, contamination control, storage, handling, and condition monitoring can prevent costly failures and significantly improve equipment reliability.”
“Overall, I believe ICML has successfully positioned GLC and ALC to bridge the gap between lubrication specialists and the wider maintenance, operations, and management community,” he says. “Their greatest value lies in creating informed decision-makers who understand the importance of proper lubrication practices that prevent many machinery failures before they start.”
The value of GLC and ALC lies in connecting lubrication knowledge with the wider responsibilities that influence machinery reliability programs. By building a shared understanding with stakeholders across functional boundaries, these certifications can help strengthen the entire lubrication ecosystem, resulting in more efficient and effective coordination of all lubrication practices.
More Information
Discover the practical impact of GLC and ALC and their place in ICML’s certification portfolio through our “Certification Paths” chart.
Organizations interested in hosting GLC and ALC group exam sessions may inquire at registrations@lubecouncil.org.