Among the many tools in the Lean Manufacturing arsenal, Autonomous Maintenance has been identified as one of the Corner-Stones of Improved Effectiveness.
Our Autonomous Maintenance Program aims at developing an Organization-Wide culture where All associates at All levels and Areas of Responsibility discover the advantage of engaging into keeping the productive capacity of the enterprise at its optimal performance.
Important semantic equivalents between
[Lean] and “Traditional Manufacturing”…
[Associates] = “Employees”
[Areas of Responsibility] = “Depart-ments”
[Leaders] = “Supervisors and Managers”
[Leadership] = “Authority”
Team Work
The kind of Team Work concept promoted by Autonomous Maintenance promotes a higher level of cooperation among the whole population of the Enterprise. This of course produces a better culture where communication is optimized thus easing problem resolution processes. As a result, everyone gets a fulfillment feeling, which makes them happier. Quality gets a vital boost under such environment.
Productivity
When everyone perceives and understands the importance and benefits of preserving the productivity in all the assets, a critical switch of mindset takes place. No longer “that is not my job” responses. Total involvement means that we all feel like, and Are the owners of our operation. At this point, we all know the answers or at least know where to find them.
Serious Training
To achieve this, the sporadic and shallow training which is usually the norm in the industry, turns into an everyday more detailed activity, in which we all are constantly learning from each other. This has been a breakthrough, since it increases our general knowledge of the business and improves our self-esteem.
Maintenance Technicians no more…
We don’t need the Maintenance Technicians any more… to take care of minor issues, so now they can devote their attention to more significant improvements in our tools, machines, and installations. As a result, the plant has a more reliable operation, which reduces cost and improves profits.
Motivation
One critical ingredient of Autonomous Maintenance is Motivation. It is necessary to make sure that we all perceive benefits from its implementation. In order to do that, leaders, operators, and technicians must receive a thorough training on the Kaizen principles. Continuous Improvement presents everyone with countless opportunities to ease our jobs and increase our results.
All this derives into a natural “Pride” for all the participants.
Our Autonomous Maintenance Program
Our program establishes a self deployment process. Once a “Pilot” team gets the initial training and motivation, and each participant experiences immediate improvements, the culture keeps strengthening and spreading through all the areas of responsibility.
Here are some of the basic components of our
Autonomous Maintenance Program:
The origin of most conflicts: Poor Communication
How can I contribute to improve it?
What is Kaizen?
Why should we participate?
What is in it for ME?
Learning, it is fun!
Cooperation is in our nature
We all need each other
What can I improve today?
How do I get others to support my project?
Recognition, the most valuable reward
The best way to earn the respect of others
Bringing equipment features to “Like New” or better
Making it easier all the time
What is “Maintenance?”
What is “Reliability?”
Using the right tools
Safety as priority number one
The “One Point Lessons”
Hands On – the best learning strategy
Choose a project
Commitment from everyone
The Pride of Realization
Taking advantage of My Resources
Role models
Behavior models
Continuous Improvement is That
What makes me valuable?
KPIs and my Score-Card
Value-added and non-value-added activities
Leaders required – Bosses not needed
Environment Choices
Focus on particular issues of each organization
We Can Help!
After more than 30 years serving a wide array of industries and customers, we have kept developing this program, and keep it constantly updated. It is the core component of TPM. This program is delivered in three to four days combining classroom sessions and hands-on implementation. The size of an optimal team is 6 to 10 participants. It is recommended for the team to be comprised of a balanced number of operators, technicians, administrative associates, and leaders. Genders should reflect the general population of the Enterprise.
TPM
in America
