Abstract
In order for manufacturing organisations to preserve and enhance their organisational competitiveness, it is imperative that they maintain optimal levels of overall equipment effectiveness. Overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) is a widely and well accepted measure of manufacturing plant performance. Low OEE suggests high manufacturing costs and in-turn low organisational competitiveness. As such, manufacturing organisations have adopted numerous techniques such as lean manufacturing and six-sigma in order to continually enhance their OEE. Nevertheless, total productive maintenance (TPM) is a business tool that is used in industry to improve organisational manufacturing capabilities. The techniques of TPM can hence be used to enhance the OEE of the organisation. It follows that the OEE of manufacturing companies is adversely affected when the principles of TPM are neglected in the manufacturing process. This research investigates what the effects of TPM initiatives are on OEE and how such effects are brought about through the various pillars of TPM. The research activity is done by method of case study on a production line where TPM was introduced where production reports, archival data and interviews were employed with reference to the period between August 2017 and October 2018 over-which TPM was implemented. It was found that through the adoption of TPM techniques on the production line the OEE was increased as the various losses of OEE were reduced. Furthermore, the logic behind how the various pillars of TPM inhibit respective OEE losses was explored, analysed and outlined in this work. Industry practitioners can use this work as a reference to promote the introduction of TPM initiatives in manufacturing organisations so as to preserve competitiveness and boost economic growth. The logic behind how the TPM pillars affect respective losses of OEE can be used by industry practitioners to target relevant specific losses in their organisations which may be causing economic loss. On the other hand, scholars and academics can employ this work as reference for future research and development.
M.Ing. (Engineering Management)