What is TPM ?

TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) is a new work system that addresses the interface problems between a company's maintenance organization and its production organization.

Most industries today are organized with maintenance on one side and operations on the other.

Although both sides have the same goal–to be a productive unit in a company making a profit – the organizational line frequently gets in the way, causing delays and production stoppages.

TPM provides a mechanism for both sides to work together as a team to improve product quality, equipment availability, and equipment reliability.

TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) is the initial phase of an overall strategy called   Total Productive Management.

Total Productive Management involves skill transfer at many different levels In an organization.

Total Productive Maintenance (the subject of this book) deals specifically with the operations-maintenance relationship.

TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) combines operators and mechanics into a single team which identifies existing tasks that cause delays, create waste, and reduce productivity.

The organizational line which normally separates the maintenance and operating functions is replaced by a "shared task zone" in which both parties are trained and certified to safely perform tasks identified by the team.

The end result is that, on as as–needed basis, operators perform some tasks that were once thought to be "maintenance" tasks, and maintenance personnel perform some tasks that were once thought to be "operations" tasks.

Whenever a task in the "shared task zone" needs to be performed, the individual who spots the problem can promptly take corrective action without going through two or more layers of supervision to get the message to the maintenance or operations person who is designated to do the work.

Two further outcomes of TPM are that operators assume more ownership of the equipment and mechanics become more process oriented.

When these attitudes are evident, the focus of TPM then changes to using the team to eliminate unnecessary tasks and improve the equipment.

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