In the cover article for the September 2013 issue of pumps & System, “A big Picture Evaluation Can Big Saving,” the author advocated a systems approach to pumping system efficiency improvements. The author note that the most common source of wasted energy in these systems are pumps that are not properly sized for their current applications, resulting in excessive throttling of the pump flow and operation of the pump outside its best efficiency point (BEF). This type operation can produce high levels of vibration that culminate in damage and the abbreviated functional lives of the bearings and mechanical seals can serve as a harbinger of other maintenance issues resulting from the off-design operation of the pump equipment.