Improving manufacturing performance

摘要

This paper examines two much under-utilized Japanese techniques for improving manufacturing performance - 5S and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM). It defines what they are and the advantages that can be gained from their implementation. A step by step guide to implementation is detailed whilst acknowledging that every organisation, every country and every situation is different. To this end, a Case Study is used to illustrate how one UK manufacturing organisation in the aviation industry has adapted and adopted both these techniques in order to improve its working environment and its manufacturing capability. The case illustrates that the implementation of improvement techniques does not have to follow "off the shelf' methods that may not be relevant or practical, but can be adapted to suit the company situation and bring positive results that help achieve predetermined company objectives.