For over 20 years I have traveled to many countries and cities to bring TPM as the valuable Strategy it is within the Lean Manufacturing System. We have succeeded at different levels doing that. Some companies have really done Very Well, and saved Millions of Dollars, while others have done less of it. We know that systems do not work by themselves. It is the People supporting them who can make the difference.
Analyzing the factors that have determined the degree of success in those implementations I have made some conclusions:

Success Factors in TPM Implementation and Sustainment:

Factors that prevented TPM Implementation success:

It is important to clarify that TPM is so powerfull, that even in those cases where it was not supported enough, it produced benefits to the operation. As we have said before: “People Makes the Difference”.
There is an urgent need to make some changes and avoid the Negative Factors, therefore the need to develop a stronger system with a self-sustainable structure.

This new generation has been named:

TPR: “Total Process Reliability”

A large number of consultants have agreed on establishing a system that will allow for us to Guarantee Results. After all it is only when our Customers are Successful that we experience success ourselves. One important step in this new approach is the Strategic Productivity Partnership with our customers.

Phase 1:

TPR: “Total Process Reliability” Implementation is preceded by a detailed assessment of the current conditions. This is a formal audit measuring a wide array of factors around the organization, from Administrative issues to Customer-Service. This includes of course the processes involved in the product or services throughout the whole Enterprise.

Once we have a detailed report of these conditions that we will call: “Initial State”, we will be able to pinpoint the most important needs so we can bring the Enterprise to a World-class competitive level, as the current market demands.
This is an Analysis of the Gap (or Challenge) we need to defeat to go from the Current to the Ideal Future situation.

Phase 2:

Now we proceed to the careful selection of a Very Important Team: The Steering Council.
This Council is comprised of individuals within the Management, Operations, Administrative, and Maintenance Areas. This is a group of 5 to 12 people, depending on the size of the operation. For two or three days we will work on the Education and Training of these Council People to make sure they will be capable and willing to support the whole
TPR: “Total Process Reliability” structure. Without this, the expectations of success are slim to none.

This Council meets once per month and maintains a clear communication process towards Top Management and Everyone in the Organization about all TPR Activities, Proposals, Projects, and Accomplishments. It is at this stage when we usually will define a TPR Coordinator .

Phase 3:

Based on the audit, and having chosen and trained the Council Members, and eventually the Coordinator, the next action is to develop a Strategic Plan. This will set the priority and hierarchy of the projects. We usually will focus on machines or systems that represent a high incidence of problems and downtime. Our purpose at this Planning Stage is to attack the chronic failures and prevent repetitive-costly repairs. In this process we will look for documentation and use the experiences of Operators, Technicians, Supervisors, and Leaders from Maintenance and Production areas.   

Phase 4:

Education – Training – Execution in the Implementation Process
Depending on size and current condition of equipment and facilities in general, this process can take anywhere from some months to a few years, since we recommend a gradual implementation – One Machine or Area at a Time – through “Kaizen Events”.

TPR: “Total Process Reliability" Teams
The teams keep growing in the Continuous Improvement process and a Motivational – Competitive environment is achieved. At the beginning of this phase the consultant plays an important role into launching the training and also developing internal trainers. It is important to assess that from the beginning of the TPR Implementation, Training becomes a very important and frequent activity. To this purpose it is convenient to assign an adequate training room to the TPR activity.

Phase 5:

TPR: “Total Process Reliability" Consultant

From the beginning of the Implementation Process, the Consultant is responsible of Monitoring and Auditing the activities at 6, 12, 24, 36 and every 12 months. This is the link that closes the cycle of co-responsibility for the success of the process. This is a Strategic Partnership that assures the continuous progress of the TPR process. These audits are conducted in visits of 2 to 10 days, depending on the size of the operation. They are performed through interviews with key people, Maintenance and Inventory documentation analysis, and observations on the field. A final report helps everyone see the results.

Our most relevant results in this sustained process are: Noticeable reduction in downtime, higher reliability and availability, improved maintainability. Bottom line: More Productivity!

This Step is an ongoing Strategic Partnership Process