Total Productive Maintenance is well known in its abbreviated form – TPM has origins from Japan. It is a well structured and scientific method refined with many iterations for getting best and sustainable results.
TPM is not only for machine intensive organisation. The approach and methodologies can be applied in the office environment also.
When TPM methodology is implemented in an organisation, it helps in improving overall performance of business by
TPM is adopted company-wide and compliments many other parallel programmes on Operational Excellence such as Lean Manufacturing, Total Quality Management, Theory of constraints, Six Sigma. TPM is characteristically applied to equipment with emphasis on input and causes. TPM emphasizes realization of ideal conditions to achieve the goal of Zero BAD which is total elimination of Breakdowns, Accidents and Defects.
TPM has a very meaningful definition and philosophy which has expansion for each letter as follows:
T stands for Total which includes
Total involvement of members from top management to frontline members.
Total Elimination of losses, breakdowns, accidents, and defects
P Stands for Productive which means
The overall pursuit of improving production efficiency.. productivity or effectiveness
M stands for Maintenance which means
Key characteristics of TPM
TPM methodology is designed to achieve overall improvements in plants that are beyond machinery.
Jishu Hozen – JH or Autonomous Maintenance - AM which is a key differentiator from traditional Preventive maintenance PM is that operators or the frontline members take ownership of operations and basic maintenance of the equipment.
Equipment Management in the modern era began with Preventive Maintenance and improved further into productive maintenance. This originated in the United states as PM and had a high focus on the maintenance department.
TPM is also called as productive maintenance with total participation involving every level and every function of the organization has helped Japanese companies to be in the top of world in productivity, quality and cost advantages
Related Article– How To Customise TPM Implementation To Suit Your Organization Culture
The ultimate goal of TPM is Zero BAD
Zero breakdown
Zero Accident
Zero Defects
Key pillars of TPM are
Focussed improvements
Autonomous Maintenance
Planned maintenance
Early Management
Quality Maintenance
Skill training
Administrative and supporting functions.
Safety, Health, and Environment.
TPM helps in improving business results dramatically and enables safe, pleasant and productive workplaces by optimizing and improving teamwork between people working in different functions and roles. TPM is also widely used in specialized process industries for achieving cost effective operations where equipment reliability and need to operate for long hours without stoppage is important. In such areas, even a minor stoppage or breakdown of one single piece of equipment or component can result in plant shutdown.
Major credit for formulating and documenting the structured implementation of TPM goes to Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance – JIPM. Knowledge and implementation experience of other methodologies such as Lean, TQM, Six Sigma, Lean Six Sigma can complement implementation of TPM more effectively.
Evaluating the effective implementation of TPM involves
Whether the company has realized the intended benefits
Related Article– How operational excellence through TPM, Lean, TQM, TOC and 5S help organisations improve performance? – Case Studies & Success Stories
Intangible benefits of implementing any programme such as TPM, Lean, TOC, TQM or Lean Six Sigma should be considered important, It should be at least acknowledged.
Some of the intangible benefits of TPM are
Creating of safe working environment
Brand image and good will
Some of the initial steps of implementation of Structured TPM are
Launch TPM introductory education to every team member
Form small group
Select group leaders
Related Article– Can we use best practices as combination of Lean, TPM, TQM, Kaizen, Six Sigma?
After this, each group needs to understand its present position and circumstances – as is the situation, identify the problems faced by its part of the organisation , determine the ideal condition to aim for and opportunities available. With this, aim to set up consensus and aligning team thinking.
Even though TPM can be implemented with inhouse resources, it has always worked by taking help of experienced and reliable consultants of TPM from Industry. TPM consultants from Seven Steps are veterans in their industry and have working and consulting knowledge of over 20 – 30 years each and combined experience of over 200 years.
Seven Steps Business Transformation Systems – SSBTS is Consulting company of Seven Steps Group. We have various specialities and have dedicated consultants for
- TPM Consulting
- Lean Consulting for manufacturing,
- Lean consulting for services
- Lean consulting for hospitals
- Lean consulting for retail
- Lean consulting for supply chain and logistics
- Lean consulting for construction
Where hands on implementation support is needed, it is supported by Seven Steps Business transformation system which is a consulting company specialized in implementation of Lean manufacturing, Total productive Maintenance, Theory of Constraints, Six Sigma.
Our customers have got significant benefits in saving of Cost of poor quality apart from gaining increased market shared, reduced logistics/air shipment costs.
Some of the flagship training programmes conducted at Seven Steps Academy of Excellence are:
Six Sigma Yellow Belt
Skill development programme – Campus to Corporate – Precision Engineering
Lean Experimental Learning Programme