How To Turn TPM PROGRAM Into Success.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]otal Productive Maintenance (TPM) is a process /system primarily applicable to the manufacturing and processing industries. Successful implementation of TPM enhances the productivity and efficiency of manufacturing facilities by minimizing waste of the time, effort and material. Implementing a TPM program is however not simple.
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TPM requires a thorough assessment of the current manufacturing system, identification of specific areas of improvements, finalizing the type and extent of changes needed in the system and making those changes across the facility in a phased manner. This definitely is not one man’s job.
The success of TPM implementation is based on several factors including but not limited to TPM readiness of the specific facility, employee awareness, and participation and the capabilities of your TPM consultant who will guide the process. How To Turn TPM PROGRAM Into Success. Let’s take a look at them in detail.
Educating employees across the company about TPM and how it can prove beneficial in the long run is an important pre-requisite for implementation. Starting with the top management, staff must wholeheartedly appreciate the potential for improvement and strive to achieve the same.
Tackling resistance to change and promoting a great rapport between production and maintenance teams is vital for the TPM efforts to pay off. The staff on the shop floor and maintenance personnel will need to work together for the company to see the results of TPM in action.
The transition to TPM cannot happen without the workforce being fully committed to the cause, and this can only be achieved if the Top management is first convinced of the benefits that can be derived by implementing TPM. The first step is for the management to believe that there is scope for improvement even in the best of systems. In case the company is already facing problems in terms of order fulfillment, capacity optimization or quality there is all the more reason to handle such issues proactively rather than wait for the trouble to surface and then address it.
As a TPM Consultant or evangelist, it is an important part of your job to get the top management nod for going ahead with implementation.
Driving home the goals of TPM; Zero Defects, Breakdowns and Accidents and Zero if not minimum waste will help people in higher ranks better appreciate the scale of improvement one can expect if the process is executed successfully. TPM is focused on proactive maintenance of equipment and machinery, among other things and regular maintenance /servicing incur costs. It is but natural for companies to keep costs low but not at the expense of losing customer confidence arising due to delays and poor quality of deliverable as a result of breakdowns and malfunctions.
A clean and hygienic decluttered shop floor with just the right materials in their right place simplifies the effort needed in locating materials, apart from providing a good work environment. With employees already motivated to do their jobs proactively, implementing TPM may not be that demanding. Adopting the 5S workplace management methodology is bound to increase the chances of successful TPM initiative as the staff members are adequately skilled to carry out their tasks under minimum or no supervision.
Training shop floor employees and machine operators on how best to use machinery, spot problems if any and rectify them if possible is a must to achieve autonomous maintenance. Skilled operators can detect, resolve or report problems in a timely manner, avoiding costly equipment breakdowns or faults. Daily inspection and cleaning routines and checklists to determine the health of machinery come in handy when trying to trace the root cause of problems as well. How To Turn TPM PROGRAM Into Success.
Setting goals in line with TPM and formulating detailed processes/instructions on how to achieve these goals is a must for visible results. Identifying quantifiable Key Performance Areas (KPA), tracking them and rewarding employees for achieving targets are an integral part of TPM implementation.
Drawing up guidelines for Autonomous Maintenance by individual machine operators, schedules for preventative maintenance for the maintenance team make doubly sure that the manufacturing facility is fully functional and safe, capable of servicing orders without any delays or defects.
TPM implementation is not a one-time effort. It takes effort and commitment to sustain and build on the results of implementation through continuous improvement. TPM training imparted to employees and the guidelines as well as processes established must be periodically reviewed and fine-tuned to ensure that causes for equipment failure, faults, and downtime, reduced output, increased set-up /processing time, defective products are detected and fixed in a timely manner.
Skill and knowledge gaps must be regularly addressed and collective responsibility of production and maintenance teams highlighted to make sure that common goals of TPM are achieved. How To Turn TPM PROGRAM Into Success.
Teaming up with a seasoned and reputed TPM consultant or agency is no doubt important for your TPM program to be fruitful. Backed by years of TPM implementation expertise across different companies, subject expertise as well as industry-specific best practices, they are fully capable of turning your TPM initiative into success, provided you and your workforce are ready to embrace the strict regimen for improving productivity and efficiency of men and machines at the workplace.
TPM Initiatives are typically structured around the 8 pillars of the TPM methodology after careful study of the current production system in place: They are focused on:
The success of the exercise depends on how well each of the factors is addressed!
How To Turn TPM PROGRAM Into Success
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