Requirements for TPM Activity. (2)

The main focus of Steps 3-5 is to plan the means by which the objectives of the TPM programme will be attained - in other words, to plan the TPM programme itself. 

This is the stage at which the TPM programme is designed, so as to make certain that the organisation’s medium-term business objectives will be achieved. 

The quality of the work done at this stage is key to the success or failure of the programme itself, so the planning procedures to be followed will be explained in some detail. Steps 3-5 will be explained in line with the five key terms of TPM Pre-Engineered Planning.

What is the TPM Pre-Engineered Planning Method?

TPM Pre-Engineered Planning Method is a planning method designed to link the TPM programme with the organisation’s strategic mid-term business plan. 

The above diagram gives an overview of the method. The planning process starts at the left-hand side of the chart and proceeds across to the right, culminating in the TPM kick-off. 

The left-hand half of the chart is concerned mainly with designing the targets of the TPM programme and focuses on clarifying the vision and business objectives enshrined in the company’s mid-term business plan. 

The right-hand half of the chart is concerned mainly with designing the means of achieving these targets, namely the TPM programme itself. 

It is essential to work out what kind of losses must be reduced in order to achieve the business objectives, and how much these losses should be reduced by, as well as identifying the specific improvement projects to be worked on and deciding how these will be carried out and by when they should be completed. 

Thorough planning in these areas enables everyone to understand the unfolding TPM scenario and makes it far easier for them to get on with the job.

The TPM Pre-Engineered Planning method covers a wide range of important points; however, for ease of explanation, it will be discussed in line with the following five key terms: 1. Targets, 2. Issues, 3. Projects, 4. Methods, 5. Schedules 

The preparations leading up to the kick-off will be sufficiently thorough if the planning is carefully done in accordance with the five key terms of TPM pre-engineered-planning mentioned previously: 

1. Targets

2. Issues

3. Projects

4. Methods

5. Schedules

Taking the targets (the business objectives) and developing them into action targets is a crucial part of the planning process. For example, the cost-reduction target for Product A or the target for reducing the materials that constitute part of Product A’s cost structure are business objectives. 

However, just knowing what these targets are does not tell us what we need to do to achieve them. 

We need some specific action targets which, if achieved, will cause the targets to be met (lower the material costs, in this case). 

If we calculate the required reduction in materials losses hidden within the materials costs and take these as our action targets, we will have a much better idea of what to do. 

If there is no vision, there is nothing!

The first stage in planning for TPM consists of deciding on the targets. This means creating a vision of the future that will become the strategy for the corporation or site, and then working out an individual vision for each part of the organisation based on this. 

The overall vision should not look too far into the future - three to five years ahead is sufficient.

Once the vision has been established, the next step is to ‘trend’ it.

This means preparing a trend diagram like the one shown in the above diagram that illustrates the flow of change connecting the present to the future. TPM is a feeling! The aim of doing this is to give everyone a common sense of purpose. It is much better to do it pictorially, because different people tend to interpret words in different ways. 

A clear diagram will make it much more likely that everyone will arrive at the same understanding of what needs to be achieved. Never forget this, drawing is better than text.

Using PPM (Product Portfolio Management) to objectively assess the business, together with SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) Analysis to assess the organization’s current capabilities, is a great help in establishing a vision. 

It is also important to use Gap Analysis (benchmarking) to identify where the company lags behind its competitors, and to anticipate and predict industry trends, changes in customer requirements and other developments in the business environment in order to work out where the company needs to get to.

This is what is meant by ‘trending’ the vision. Almost every company or site will already have a medium-term business plan, and they are recommended to use this plan as the basis for their vision. 

I will continue, please follow.