3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item Assessing alignment of maintenance practices to total productive maintenance best practice: a case study within a South African conglomerate(2017) Mabwe, EmmanuelIn today’s competitive world, a good maintenance approach is important for companies to remain competitive and control operational costs. There are various maintenance methods that can be applied in any organization, singly or combined, and such an approach must lead to increased availability, reliability and operability of equipment at an acceptable cost. World Class Manufacturing (WCM) has become a buzz phrase across the whole manufacturing world. Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is the cornerstone for WCM, and an integral part of any manufacturing enterprise that aspires to be world class. The purpose of the research was to carry out an assessment of alignment of maintenance practices to TPM best practice within a South African Conglomerate. The study identified current maintenance practices, challenges faced, and gaps that required improvement. It also assessed the overall alignment of such practices to full TPM implementation. A thorough investigation of current maintenance practices was done and a clear picture was established. These practices were then compared with the ideal requirements for best TPM practice and implementation. Data for the research was obtained through interviews, performance measures from reports and a confidential on line survey. Poor industrial relations, insufficient records keeping and aged equipment without any manuals all rendered it difficult to implement TPM. The results revealed that the conglomerate was in the process of implementing a maintenance program however the maintenance practices in place were not fully aligned to the requirements of TPM.