Total Productive Maintenance - The road to almost trouble-free production - Part Two

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TPM Deployment Steps

TPM is a programme that significantly affects and changes the relationship between departments and employees, even if it is not its primary goal. Therefore, changes need to be made gradually, step by step, so that the next stage can be built on solid foundations. If a company decides to implement TPM, the decision must be clear and irreversible.

Preparatory phase

The purpose of the preparatory phase is to prepare the company for the implementation of TPM in an organizational and knowledge-based manner. The quality of the preparation phase determines the quality and success of the following phases. The formal preparation phase consists of five steps.
 

1. Publication of the decision to introduce TPM
The decision is based on the company's management and should be communicated through all communication channels. Company-wide meeting, e-mail communication and publishing in a race magazine. The decision to implement TPM must be responsible and management must be aware of changes in the company's culture as well as changes in their own work. Last but not least, it must have a clear way of financing the TPM in advance. Underestimation of this step is often the cause of tragic failures and frustration in the following steps and phases. The justification for introducing the TPM should be based on a rational consideration of its benefits and should not be a decision “because others have it“.

2. Introductory training and publication campaign

Before implementing TPM, all employees must be familiar with the idea, philosophy and tools of TPM. TPM notification must be made consistently and in such a way that it is available to every employee. It is good practice for top management and specialists to receive training and seminars organized by professional training companies that can answer practical questions about TPM and highlight possible implementation risks. They can also use practical examples to motivate and guide trainees to their own solutions.
Operator-level training is provided by either internal staff or external companies with experience in TPM implementation. Although this step does not seem important, it is not. Workers need to know what awaits them, what the pitfalls of new activities are and what they will achieve after the introduction of TPM. This will help change employees' internal attitudes from refusing to accepting change.

3. Creating a team to support the implementation of TPM
TPM is implemented through small working groups, which are vertically interconnected within the entire company structure. Each level has its own working group, of which the member is a member of a hierarchically higher group. This means that if a TPM implementation working group is created on the line, a member of the TPM implementation working group is also a member. From the group in the focus is a nominated member to the group for the implementation of TPM in the company. The following are groups at the management level of the company, plants and the entire corporation. This structure will ensure effective communication across the entire organization, from the line to top management. Effective information transfer is necessary for at least two reasons. Top management decisions are communicated downwards efficiently and without distortion, and problems from lower structures quickly escalate to higher structures. The working groups should be composed of permanent staff with extensive experience, with the temporary committees serving as subsidiary bodies. Working in a workgroup is a full-time job, which is worth noting before running the entire program. The working groups are responsible for preparing the TPM policy, setting objectives and playing an irreplaceable role in implementing and managing autonomous maintenance and continuous improvement processes.

4. Determination of basic TPM policy and goals

TPM's basic policy must become part of the company's general business policy. TPM's policy is based on the company's market situation, general goal and development plan. Politics is the collective work of top management and preparatory working groups for TPM.
The TPM policy is directly linked to the TPM program expressed in terms of objectives. TPM objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable and time-bound. General, non-specific goals are confusing and impossible to navigate. Objectives should, if possible, be expressed in numbers.
The basic policies and objectives of the TPM then form the annual policies and annual objectives of the TPM. These documents have a limited validity and must be checked regularly. Meeting goals must be honest, as obscuring problems can make matters worse and, as a last resort, the entire TPM program can fail.

5. Draft TPM master plan

The master plan of the TPM must decide on the activities aimed at fulfilling the defined goals of the TPM. This is a very important step because it forces employees to think about achieving their goals as effectively as possible and change the current situation to a goal. One of TPM's main activities is the pillars' action plan. Other planned activities include the introduction of diagnostics and predictive maintenance, equipment management, product development and the design of new equipment.

It is necessary to realize that all activities require financial, time and personnel planning. The master plan should cover all activities of the individual pillars and support activities.
 

Introductory phase

6. TPM initiation

TPM initiation should be a cultured and motivating meeting for all company employees. In Japan, it is customary to invite representatives of suppliers and customers to this meeting. At the meeting, the company's management reaffirms its commitment to implementing TPM and will present TPM's master plan. At the same time, it summarizes the work of teams in the preparatory phase of TPM implementation.

Implementation phase

7. Building a corporate culture in order to maximize production efficiency

The seventh step is aimed at eliminating losses in any form. The main responsibility for the activities is taken over by the pillar of continuous improvement through the targeted elimination of small-scale losses (Kaizen) led by the activities of small groups. The autonomous maintenance pillar gradually passes on the knowledge of maintenance staff to the operator through a program divided into steps, where each step is audited and the transition to the next step is possible only after successful internal certification. The scheduled maintenance pillar implements a predictive and preventive maintenance program based on objective metrics. The training and education pillar is gradually preparing employees for new skills and creating groups of operators who are able to perform several activities in a qualified manner.
This step is a stress test for the implementation of TPM, because the approaches and activities of operators, maintenance workers, but also middle and senior management are changing radically. There are many more activities on the shoulders of operators than before and they will be overloaded without eliminating inefficient actions. It should not be forgotten that all activities associated with this step are aimed at increasing the efficiency of production, because production is the primary mission of the manufacturing company.

8. Building an early management system for new products and equipment

In activities where the organization seeks to maximize production efficiency, the individual pillars gather useful information about current equipment and products. They will reveal shortcomings in the form of hard-to-reach places of facilities, places with a risk of accidents, improperly designed procedures and the like. All these findings are reflected in the activities of the pillar responsible for the installation of new equipment and the production of new products. This pillar, in close cooperation with the suppliers, should reflect the knowledge gained in step 7 when designing the equipment so that they go to full capacity immediately after the installation of the equipment. Likewise, the design of the product should be pre-adjusted to avoid the formation of non-conforming pieces. Activities aimed at so-called vertical ramps help to reduce losses due to improper design, whether of equipment or product.
In the case of new equipment, the design should meet the condition of easy maintenance, without accidents, perfect cleaning and detection of abnormalities. At present, it is necessary to introduce sensors to check the parameters characterizing the condition of equipment that can be used in predictive maintenance programs.

9. Building a quality management system

The quality management pillar is responsible for this activity. Its task is the operation of the equipment, the modes of equipment failure and the consequences of the failure in relation to the quality of production or safety of production. It also deals with processes, their possible failures and the consequences of failures. For critical points of the process or equipment, it defines parameters and their scope, which will ensure the production of identical products. The pillar of quality management also includes the elimination of nonconforming products using tools to identify the root causes.

10. Building an efficient administration and support departments

Production is the most important object that TPM focuses on. However, it would not be able to function effectively without support departments. Take, for example, the fact that many machines need a medium in the form of compressed air, coolant or steam to operate. The media is produced in auxiliary plants, such as the boiler room. The failure of the boiler room machinery then has a direct impact on the efficiency of the production equipment and thus of the entire company. Production efficiency is also significantly reduced by inefficient planning, in which production plans change chaotically. Therefore, other departments must be involved in the TPM program to assist the production in its operation. The processes running in the auxiliary departments are optimized in the same way as the production processes, and therefore the pillar of continuous improvement plays a key role in this activity. The pillar of autonomous maintenance and preventive maintenance comes to the aid of boiler room workers. Neglecting the importance of auxiliary departments can slow down the effect of improving production operations. Last but not least, the involvement of other departments leads to an improved sense of collective responsibility for the company's results.

11. Building a safety, health and work environment management system

The pillar for safety, health and the working environment is responsible for its activities. Their goal should be to create a safe and healthy environment. Workers only feel good in an environment that is pleasant, clean and safe. Great emphasis must be placed not only on primary safety, but also on workplace ergonomics. Unnatural work movements or positions, poor visibility, which puts unreasonable strain on the eyes, noise, odour, all this affects work performance. Neglecting improvements in this area leads either to an increase in injuries or an increase in the number of occupational diseases.

Maintenance phase

The implementation of the TPM program does not end the performance of activities. TPM's goal is not to formally establish teams and groups, but to constantly strive to improve the company's performance in all areas. That is why TPM is so often seen as a tool to change the culture of the company or the whole corporation. After the successful implementation of TPM tools, it is necessary to ensure the continuity of activities.

12. Maintaining the TPM program and increasing goals

All organizational units of the company participate in this point of the program. As management has taken the initiative in the initial stages, in the phase of continuous improvement, management is the main motivator. An annual increase in goals with the right incentive program can build a world-class company in a relatively short time. After reaching OEE above 85%, the company can apply for the so-called “PM price“, which is awarded annually by the Japanese Institute for Plant Maintenance. Belonging to the world's top is certainly a competitive advantage and belonging to a team that has managed to obtain such a rating is extremely motivating for everyone. But even here, it must not be forgotten that the purpose and mission of TPM is not to win awards, but to increase competitiveness in today's dynamic period.

TPM implementation and maintenance issues
 

The ideal map is the TPM implementation plan. However, the world is real and the challenges society can face are often crucial. I would like to select a few circumstances that may jeopardize or destroy the entire TPM program

• Weak involvement of top management

TPM requires the involvement of all departments, including management. However, it happens that the management is not willing to change their habits and TPM understands the new responsibilities of other employees in order to increase the company's efficiency. He understands his own role as supervisory or sanctioning. However, without proactive and motivating management, TPM fails. Finally, how can we expect activity from subordinates when management has given up an active role?

• Management impatience

Managers often have unrealistic ideas about the effectiveness of TPM. Their exaggerated expectations are the result of a lack of knowledge. TPM sees this as a miracle wand that will eliminate problems in an instant. Unfortunately, TPM is more of a systematic program of change that the company is gradually improving. The results can show up over years, depending on the initial state. In this situation, management often leaves the activities and stops engaging.

• Bad formulation of goals and their unplanned change

In order for employees to understand the importance of TPM, goals must be formulated clearly and unambiguously. A clear wording also applies to a clear explanation of what the goal will bring. Along with numerical expression, it is a necessary condition for understanding the meaning of TPM. Unfortunately, goals are often vaguely defined and have nothing to do with everyday reality on lines or departments. It even happens that in the period when they are to be fulfilled, they will change. This confuses the whole system and employees feel that the goals serve exclusively for the personal career growth of the management and not to change the state of the company.

• Excessive formalization of parameters and results

It is advisable to inform all employees about the results of the activities of individual pillars or groups. However, this should not happen in the form of a huge number of graphs and numbers posted on the company's premises. It should not be forgotten that too much information is as ineffective as too little information. Information noise then masks important facts. Not to mention that maintaining a bureaucratic information table takes time that can be used more efficiently.

• Separation of pillars from reality

The activity of all pillars is closely linked to practice. It is a big mistake to solve problems in meetings without the participation of those concerned. The planning of the pillars on the routes should be carried out with the participation of the crew and should aim to eliminate the main and specific problems. Creating artificial activities where it doesn't make sense is a waste of resources

• Implementation of tools only in part of the company

This issue affects all TPM tools, including 5S. It happens that the so-called pilot plant or line on which the TPM tools are implemented. Other lines are connected gradually, at several monthly intervals. This approach is flawed for several reasons. In the first place, the company is divided into two different operations, as if they were two companies. One follows the TPM, the other does not. This creates a misunderstanding of the personnel who have to carry out TPM-related activities. Another problem is the unpreparedness of operators from lines where TPM is not implemented. When switching to a line where the TPM is at a certain stage, it inevitably fails due to inexperience and ignorance of the tools. Therefore, the best approach is to implement TPM elements across the board, step by step, and in each department.

• Neglecting 5S

A necessary condition for the introduction of TPM is the dispositional solution of the workplace. This simple tool will allow you to experience the sense of ownership that is needed to implement autonomous maintenance tools. It often happens that 5S is implemented formally and not in the whole organization. It may even be the case that administrative departments, including 5S management, will refuse on the grounds that it is not necessary in non-productive areas. This is a gross mistake, as 5S also helps to identify potential losses in the auxiliary departments and has a motivating effect on production operators.

• Competitiveness of the pillars

Due to the weak creation of culture in society, there may be disputes about the importance of the activities of individual pillars. Here, the role of management is to plan activities so that they do not collide with each other, but complement each other. If the pillars do not work together to achieve a common goal: to increase production efficiency, TPM fails.

Conclusion:

Although TPM was created in the past, it is still the most comprehensive way to increase business efficiency. The reason is the widespread introduction of the same principles for each department, the requirement to involve all employees and a clearly defined goal in which everyone participates. Like the ship's crew, the company's personnel have their specific tasks, but they are goal-oriented. In the event of problems, management must be present to unite the crew and prevent the ship from sinking. And just as naval officers must be aware of the achievability of the goal, they must be able to motivate the last lifeguard and show how to deal with the problem through their own efforts. Without this approach, the ship will be lost in the unpredictable waters of the ocean. I wish you a successful voyage.

You can find the next training date here: TPM - Total Productive Maintenance