ABSTRACT
A distinctive feature of total productive maintenance (TPM) is its development through companywide participation in small group activities. This chapter examines some of the distinctive features of TPM small groups, how they are organized, their roles at every level, and how they can be supported through careful planning, management, and leadership. TPM activities are not voluntary but part of people's daily work. This is one of the basic differences between TPM activities and Quality Control (QC)-circle activities. QC circles are always formed on employees' own initiative and consist mainly of front-line people. Senior-management small groups consist of department or section managers led by the company CEO or a plant superintendent. Their role is to establish basic TPM policy and objectives in line with plant or company business policy. The role of front-line small groups is to develop an effective autonomous maintenance program. The success of small group activities depends on three factors: motivation, ability, and opportunity.
