Based on US experiences imported to Japan by Seiiki Nakajima, TPM was invented and implemented by Nippondenso (harness supplier of Toyota). It was almost immediately introduced by the Toyodas into the Toyota Production System in the early 1970s. It has a life of its own, since it is a Continuous Improvement discipline. It was until 1988 when Seiichi Nakajima published his TPM books in English that the TPM process started in some Western factories. Now, it is evolving into TPR.
Through the 50+ years I have been involved in the manufacturing environments, the one thing that has been present at all times is Change. So it is not surprising that some of the Continuous Improvement strategies are now seen in a different way. The competition for all manufacturers has redefined itself and new ways of doing things are constantly emerging.
In the consulting arena, we are also constantly faced with the need for evolution. The TPM approach has been enriched through the time, and is no longer exclusively focused on the well-being and performance of the equipment. Today, the consideration of productivity, profitability, and management performance are being included in a new concept named “Total Process Reliability” or TPR.
The traditional OEE formula is now being added a new factor: “Uptime Utilization”. With this, not only we have a measurement of the Availability, Performance, and Efficiency of the machine, but also value the management of the plant to utilize the equipment at top levels of its capacities.
For many years I have been combining the indispensable management training on the cultural change, with the TPM implementation, since without that synergy, the effects of an implementation would vanish almost immediately. TPR establishes this synergy in itself and helps companies enjoy a higher, long lasting performance. The management team reaches a stronger awareness of their accountability to keep the effort fructifying. The relationship with their associates on the floor turns into a quality bondage and creates the necessary cooperation environment to produce more quality and quantity. The facility becomes more comfortable for everyone and looks better in the eyes of the visitors, especially customers. It is a win-win situation for all.
In the past, TPM was a program where the efforts were put on the shoulders of the employees, some times, there was so much confusion that only people from maintenance were sent to the training. In many cases the results were quite cosmetic and superficial. In the best cases we saw some commitment from the management team, but still they would feel detached from the responsibility to succeed in the implementation.
The TPR Implementation process will be more “invasive”. No longer the top management team will be able to ignore what is being done. They all will need to become involved in the projects. The payback? Better ROI from each project and a new level of commitment from everyone.
An authentic leadership attitude will bring the renovated TPR culture to every spot in the organization. It will focus not only on the typical transformation processes that take place in the manufacturing plant, but also on the administrative and management tasks. From now on, we will keep publishing more articles around this new concept. Feel free to ask any questions.
