ABSTRACT
That being said, we should all know by now that TPM is a world-class manufacturing initiative whose goal is to optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of equipment in the workplace. Operators generally know the status and condition of their equipment better than anyone. Remember my story in Chapter 3 about the operator knowing by the sound of a station that it wasn’t working properly? That is a perfect example of what I am talking about here. The operators are the first line of defense of many issues, such as detecting defects and ensuring customer satisfaction, just to name a couple. However, have you ever thought of the operators as being the first line of defense against unplanned downtime? Well, they can be.
