THE PLANNED STATE OF TPM (PART TWO)

The opener of this two-part series explored how to implement the first four pillars of Total Productive Maintenance systems: 5S, Autonomous Maintenance, Kaizen and Planned Maintenance. Now we will discuss implementation of the final pillars, as well as some difficulties you may face, to bring your TPM implementation full circle.

PILLAR 5 ? QUALITY MAINTENANCE
Quality Maintenance aims to achieve customer satisfaction through achieving the highest quality possible, through defect free manufacturing. Its focus is on eliminating non-conformances in a systematic manner, much like Focused Improvement. We gain understanding of what parts of the equipment affect product quality and begin to eliminate current quality concerns, and then move to potential quality concerns. The transition is from reactive to proactive (Quality Control to Quality Assurance).

QM activities are to set equipment conditions that preclude quality defects, based on the basic concept of maintaining perfect equipment to maintain perfect quality of products. The condition is checked and measured in time series to verify that measure values are within standard values to prevent defects. The transition of measured values is watched to predict possibilities of defects occurring and to take counter measures beforehand.

Quality Maintenance Policy

1. Defect free conditions and control of equipment.

2. QM activities to support quality assurance.

3. Focus on prevention of defects at source.

4. Focus on poka-yoke. (fool-proof system)

5. In-line detection and segregation of defects.

6. Effective implementation of operator quality assurance.

QM Goals

1. Achieve and sustain customer complaints at zero.

2. Reduce in-process defects by 50 percent.

4. Reduce cost of quality by 50 percent.

In terms of data requirements; quality defects are classified as customer end defects and in-house defects. For customer-end data, we must get data on customer end line rejection and field complaints. In-house data includes that information related to products and processes, including:

? Severity of the defect and its contribution ? major/minor

? Location of the defect with reference to the layout

? Magnitude and frequency of its occurrence at each stage of measurement

? Occurrence trend in beginning and the end of each production/process/changes. (Like pattern change, ladle/furnace lining etc.)

? Occurrence trend with respect to restoration of breakdown/modifications/periodical replacement of quality components.

Data related to processes could include the operating condition for individual sub-process related to men, method, material and machine; the standard settings/conditions of the sub-process; the actual record of the settings/conditions during the defect occurrence.

PILLAR 6 ? TRAINING
The goal of training is to have multi-skilled, revitalized employees whose morale is high and who are eager to come to work and perform all required functions effectively and independently. Education is given to operators to upgrade their skill. It is not sufficient to have only "Know-How"; they should also learn "Know-why".

By experience, employees gain "Know-How" to overcome a problem. They do this without knowing the root cause of the problem and why they are doing so. Hence it becomes necessary to train them on "Know-why". The employees should be trained to achieve the four phases of skill. The goal is to create a factory full of experts. The different phase of skills is: Phase 1 ? Do not know; Phase 2 ? Know the theory but cannot do; Phase 3 ? Can do but cannot teach; Phase 4 ? Can do and teach.

Training Policy

1. Focus on improvement of knowledge, skills and techniques.

2. Creating a training environment for self-learning based on needs.

3. Training curriculum/tools/assessments, etc., conducive to employee revitalization.

4. Training to remove employee fatigue and on making work more enjoyable.

Training Goals

1. Achieve and sustain downtime at zero on critical machines.

2. Achieve and sustain zero losses due to lack of knowledge/skills/techniques.

3. Aim for 100 percent participation in suggestion scheme.

Steps in Educating and training activities

1. Setting policies and priorities and checking present status of education and training.

2. Establish of training system for operation and maintenance skill up gradation.

3. Training for upgrading operation and maintenance skills.

4. Preparation of training calendar.

5. Kick-off of the system for training.

6. Evaluation of activities and study of future approach.

PILLAR 7 ? OFFICE TPM
Office TPM should be started after activating four other pillars of total productive maintenance (JH, Kaizen, QM, PM). Office TPM must be followed to improve productivity and efficiency within administrative functions, and to help identify and eliminate losses. This includes analyzing processes and procedures towards increased office automation. Office TPM addresses twelve major losses:

1. Processing loss

2. Cost loss including in areas such as procurement, accounts, marketing, sales leading to high inventories

3. Communication loss

4. Idle loss

5. Set-up loss

6. Accuracy loss

7. Office equipment breakdown

8. Communication channel breakdown, telephone and fax lines

9. Time spent on retrieval of information

10. Non-availability of correct on line stock status

11. Customer complaints due to logistics

12. Expenses on emergency dispatches/purchases.

How do you start Office TPM? A senior person from one of the support functions, e.g. Head of Finance, MIS, Purchasing, etc., should be heading the sub-committee. Members representing all support functions and people from Production & Quality should be included in the sub-committee. TPM coordinates plans and guides the sub-committee:

1. Providing awareness about office TPM to all support departments.

2. Helping them to identify P, Q, C, D, S, M in each function in relation to plant performance.

3. Identify the scope for improvement in each function.

4. Collect relevant data.

5. Help them to solve problems within their circles.

6. Make an activity board where progress is monitored on both sides – results and actions along with Kaizens.

7. Fan out to cover all employees and circles in all functions.

Kaizen topics for Office TPM include inventory reduction, lead time reduction of critical processes, motion & space losses, retrieval time reduction, equalizing the work load, and improving office efficiency by eliminating the time loss on retrieval of information by achieving zero breakdown of office equipment.

The benefits of office TPM are multiple and include involvement of all people in support functions for focusing on better plant performance; better utilized work area; reduction of repetitive work; reduction of administrative costs; reduced inventory carrying cost; productivity increases; reduction in breakdown of office equipment; reduction of customer complaints due to logistics; clean and pleasant work environment.

Extension of office TPM to suppliers and distributors is essential, but only after we have done as much as possible internally. With suppliers it will lead to on-time delivery, improved 'in-coming' quality and cost reduction. With distributors it will lead to accurate demand generation, improved secondary distribution and reduction in damages during storage and handling. In any case we will have to teach them based on our experience and practice and highlight gaps in the system, which affect both sides.

PILLAR 8 – SAFETY, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT
The goal here is to achieve zero accidents, zero health damage, zero fires, etc. In this area the focus is on creating a safe workplace and a surrounding area that is not damaged by our processes or procedures. This pillar will play an active role in each of the other pillars on a regular basis.

A committee is constituted for this pillar, which comprises representatives of officers as well as workers. The senior vice president (Technical), can head the committee. Safety in the plant is given the status of utmost importance. A manager (Safety) is looking after functions related to safety. To create awareness among employees, various competitions such as safety slogans, quizzes, posters, etc. related to safety can be organized at regular intervals.

DIFFICULTIES FACED IN TPM IMPLEMENTATION
One of the difficulties in implementing TPM as a methodology is that it takes a considerable number of years. The time taken depends on the size of the organization. There is no quick way for implementing TPM. This is contradictory to the traditional management improvement strategies. Following are other difficulties faced in TPM implementation:

? Typically people show strong resistance to change.

? Many people treat it as just another ?program of the month ? without paying any focus, and therefore also doubt its effectiveness.

? Not sufficient resources (people, money, time, etc.) and assistance provided.

? Insufficient understanding of the methodology and philosophy by middle management.

? TPM is not a ?quick fix ? approach; it involves cultural change to the way things are done.

? Departmental barrier existing within Business Units

? Many people considered TPM activities as additional work/ a threat.

CONCLUSION
Today, with competition in industry at an all time high, TPM may be the only thing that stands between success and total failure for some companies. It has been proven to be a system that works. It can be adapted to work not only in industrial plants, but also in construction, building maintenance, transportation, and in a variety of other situations.

Employees must be educated and convinced that TPM is not just another "program of the month" and that management is totally committed to the program and the extended time frame necessary for full implementation. If everyone involved in a TPM program does his or her part, an unusually high rate of return compared to resources invested may be expected.

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p>From An Introduction to Total Productive Maintenance, J. Venkatesh, www.plant-maintenance.com.