Unique Japanese system to be promoted among local companies

By Bandula Sirimanna

A unique Japanese system of Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is to be popularised among Sri Lankan companies. The Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance has taken measures to create awareness on eight pillars of TPM covering the entire organisation including supply chain, sales and marketing among local fabrication, assemble and process industries.

Workshops seminars and lectures will be conducted to promote this concept among local companies. The General Manager, Loadstar Pvt Ltd and the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance (JIPM) accredited TPM instructor, Thilak Pushpakumara told The Sunday Times FT that Unilever Sri Lanka and Premium Exports Ltd have implemented TPM and they received TPM excellence award from the JIPM .

He said that TPM visibly transforms the work place and raises the level of knowledge and skill in production and maintenance workers. It also helps to restructure the corporate culture through improvement of human resources and plant equipment. Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) in administrative and support departments plays an important role in backing up production activities, he said.

Eight pillars of TPM are focused improvement, autonomous maintenance, planned maintenance, education and training, quality maintenance, early management, administration and support, safety health and administration. He added that this method aims at establishing a corporate culture that will maximise production system effectiveness, prevent losses, minimise defects and break downs in the entire production system.