We were recently contacted by one of our clients to convey how their TPM efforts were progressing… Can you pick out the most important thing?
“Here in our shop introducing TPM, performing work on a 5 year old lathe. Took 2 days to clean/inspect and identify needed improvements. On day 3 the operators came in and found some leaks because they can now be seen. So we’re doing more cleaning to isolate source.
Our maintenance folks were outstanding, working with us both days all day and fixing things on the go. They had already made some hidden things visible by adding plexiglass and have added more to allow visibility of gauges, etc.
Initial TPM Scan score 73%. Post-Scan score is 86% with items identified that will put us in the 90’s when complete. 40 yellow tags thus far.”
Did you find the most important thing? In a word “ATTITUDE”. That’s right, viewing the process as finding positive opportunities for beneficial change. We’ve had clients recoil at the thought of having their machines “look like a Christmas tree”, with tags hanging off them, because they don’t see the tags as the opportunities they represent to produce an optimum state/condition; rather, they see the tags as indications of failures.
NOT SO! Tags show present state limitations which is the first step to the future state of optimum performance. Tag proudly and think of it in the positive light it deserves.