Lean Thinking Support Techniques
TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) is the Lean system for maximizing equipment efficiency by actively involving production operators in the care and monitoring of equipment. The goal is to eliminate the six big losses that reduce OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness): breakdowns, setups and adjustments, micro-stops, reduced speed, defects and rework, and start-up losses.
TPM is not a maintenance program; it is a plant management system that redefines the boundaries between production and maintenance, transforming operators from passive machine users into the first guardians of their efficiency.
The Pillars of TPM
Self-maintenance
Production operators handle first-level maintenance activities—cleaning, inspection, lubrication, minor adjustments—freeing up specialized maintenance technicians for more complex interventions. Autonomous maintenance is built progressively through training, visual standards, and periodic audits.
Scheduled maintenance
Specialized maintenance is evolving from reactive (intervening when the machine breaks down) to preventive and predictive (intervening before failure occurs). The result is a reduction in unplanned downtime and control over maintenance costs over time.
Focused Improvement (Kobetsu Kaizen)
Small, multidisciplinary teams—production, maintenance, engineering—analyze the specific losses of each plant and design targeted solutions. This is the mechanism through which TPM generates structural improvements, not just routine maintenance.
Training and skill development
No TPM pillar functions without operators and maintenance personnel who understand how the machines work, can recognize anomalies, and have the skills to intervene at their level of responsibility.
When to apply TPM
TPM is the appropriate tool when the reliability of facilities is a critical factor for the continuity of the production flow. It applies when:
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Unforeseen failures interrupt the flow unplanned and represent a significant source of inefficiency
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The OEE is significantly below the industry benchmark (typically less than 65–70% in manufacturing settings)
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Maintenance is managed in a predominantly reactive rather than preventive and predictive manner.
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The goal is to involve production operators in equipment care, reducing reliance on specialized maintenance for first-level interventions.
TPM is particularly effective in manufacturing contexts with complex plants, automated lines, or processes where an unexpected failure halts the entire production.
How to measure TPM effectiveness — OEE
The TPM benchmark indicator is OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), calculated as the product of three factors:
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Availability — percentage of planned time the plant is actually operational (without breakdowns or unplanned downtime)
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Performance — actual system speed compared to theoretical speed (without micro-stops or slowdowns)
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Quality — percentage of conforming parts produced on the first pass (without defects or rework)
An OEE of 100% is theoretical. Benchmarks for a well-managed manufacturing plant range from 75% to 85%. Measuring the baseline OEE before implementing TPM is the first mandatory step of the program.
The most common errors in TPM implementation
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Start TPM without measuring initial OEE — Without a clear baseline for availability, performance, and quality, it is impossible to measure progress and demonstrate the economic value of the program.
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Limit yourself to autonomous maintenance without training the operators — Assigning maintenance responsibilities to those who lack the skills to perform them generates frustration, errors, and safety risks. Training is an integral part of the program.
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Do not involve specialized maintenance in the project — TPM requires a redefinition of roles between production and maintenance. If maintenance perceives the program as a reduction in its role, the project encounters resistance that compromises its results.
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Apply it to all systems simultaneously — the TPM will be launched on bottleneck machines or those with the lowest OEE. Spreading efforts across the entire machine park dilutes resources and delays visible results.
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Consider it a project with an end date — TPM is a permanent management system. When management's attention wanes after the initial phase, results quickly regress to baseline levels.
TPM in the World Class® Lean Method
In the Lean World Class® method, the TPM is the pillar that guarantees the stability of the plants as a necessary condition for the production flow to run without interruption. Without plant reliability, tools like One Piece Flow or Kanban cannot express their full potential.
Want to see how TPM is applied in a real project? Discover the method Lean World Class® developed by Bonfiglioli Consulting
