Total Productive Maintenance - TPM
Prevent losses proactively.
Sustain equipment performance.
GIC Vietnam independently assesses how businesses implement and sustain TPM against certification criteria, based on actual practices, records and operational data. Certification helps businesses demonstrate conformity with requirements, strengthen coordination between departments and identify priorities for improving equipment management and production operations.
TPM creates value through equipment and people
Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is an approach to sustaining and improving the effectiveness of production systems through the participation of all personnel, focusing on loss prevention, equipment condition and operating practices. In the approach developed by the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance (JIPM), TPM connects maintenance with improvement, quality and safety throughout the life cycle of the production system.
Reduce production interruptions
Detect abnormalities early, maintain operating conditions and organise appropriate maintenance to reduce breakdowns, unplanned downtime and recurring incidents.
Use equipment effectively
Identify losses from downtime, reduced speed, changeovers and defects; use data to prioritise issues for improvement.
Shared participation, clear responsibilities
Clarify responsibilities and coordination among operators, maintenance, quality and management personnel; sustain equipment care and improvement in daily work.
Certification scope: TPM implementation at a defined plant, workshop, production line or group of equipment. The scope needs to clearly identify the operation, maintenance and improvement activities, and the responsibilities of the departments involved. GIC Vietnam reviews the suitability of the scope against the applicable certification scheme.
From equipment care to evidence of loss reduction
The assessment combines on-site observation, discussions with personnel and cross-checking of records and data over successive periods to examine how the business prevents losses, addresses abnormalities and sustains improvements.
The eight main pillars of TPM: JIPM presents the following eight pillars as a basis for implementing TPM. Activities and implementation arrangements should suit the production characteristics, equipment and losses to be controlled.
| TPM Pillar | Business Practices | Examples of Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Focused Improvement | Identify losses and prioritise issues; set objectives, analyse causes, implement improvements and monitor their effectiveness. | List of losses; baseline data; improvement objectives and team responsibilities; records of cause analysis and results before and after improvement. |
| Autonomous Maintenance | Operators clean, lubricate and inspect equipment in accordance with instructions and within their competence and assigned duties; identify, report and coordinate responses to abnormalities. | Equipment care instructions; shift assignments; inspection checklists, abnormality records and the results of actions taken at the equipment. |
| Planned Maintenance | Plan and carry out maintenance based on equipment criticality, condition and failure history; arrange resources, spare parts and post-maintenance checks. | Equipment register; maintenance plans, work orders and records; failure history; spare parts management records and check results before equipment returns to operation. |
| Quality Management | Identify and maintain equipment and process conditions that ensure quality; control parameters, prevent defects and avoid recurrence. | Conditions and parameters to be controlled; quality checkpoints; scrap and rework data; records of defect cause analysis and the results of actions taken. |
| Education and Training | Determine the competence required for each task; provide training and on-the-job instruction, and assess the practical competence of operations, maintenance and support personnel. | Skills matrix; training needs, plans and records; instruction materials; practical competence assessment results and records of additional training. |
| Safety, Hygiene and Environment | Identify safety and health hazards and factors affecting the environment; control risks during operation and maintenance, and monitor the effectiveness of preventive measures. | Risk assessment records; safe work and hazardous energy control instructions; workplace condition inspection results; waste management and incident response records. |
| Early Management for Product and Equipment Development | Apply lessons from production, operation and maintenance when developing products and designing or selecting equipment; consider quality, manufacturability, operability and maintainability from the outset. | Product design review records and equipment specifications; lessons learned from operations; trial production, commissioning and handover results, and records of issues resolved before full production. |
| Office TPM | Improve information flow and coordination among purchasing, stores, planning and other support functions; reduce waiting, errors and interruptions affecting production and maintenance. | Coordination procedures; purchasing, inventory and planning records; data on request processing times, errors and delays in obtaining materials or spare parts; results of support process improvements. |
Measurement to identify losses: Businesses may monitor overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), mean time between failures (MTBF), mean time to repair (MTTR) and other relevant indicators. Data before and after improvement should use the same scope, definitions and calculation methods, with comparable measurement periods. Changes in products, operating load or production schedules that may affect the results should be explained.
Certification aligned with the scope of TPM implementation
Before the assessment, GIC Vietnam agrees with the business on the scope of TPM implementation, sites, production lines, equipment groups, related activities and certification criteria. The conditions for certification, validity period and ongoing requirements are also clarified in accordance with the applicable scheme.
What does your business receive?
- Assessment report: Sets out the level of conformity with requirements, evidence of actual practices, data reviewed and areas requiring corrective action or improvement.
- A basis for prioritising improvements: Assessment findings help the business identify improvement opportunities, select actions and assign appropriate responsibilities.
- A TPM certificate when requirements are met: Specifies the scope, basis of certification and validity period.
The certification process
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Agree the scope and plan
GIC Vietnam receives the application and reviews the implementation status; agrees the scope, criteria, records and data to prepare, assessment duration, fees and schedule.
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Assess practices and data
The assessment team observes on-site activities, interviews personnel, samples and cross-checks records and data, and consolidates and discusses findings with the business.
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Address nonconformities
The business addresses nonconformities, identifies their causes and takes corrective action. GIC Vietnam reviews the evidence and carries out additional checks where necessary.
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Review and certification decision
The review of assessment documentation and the certification decision are carried out by personnel who were not involved in the assessment. A certificate is issued when the business meets all requirements of the applicable scheme.
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Maintain TPM and undergo subsequent assessments
The business sustains TPM practices, monitors results and reports relevant changes; cooperates with surveillance and reassessment activities under the applicable scheme.
Evidence must demonstrate sustained implementation: Equipment condition and actual practices at the time of assessment need to be cross-checked against records of operation, maintenance, abnormality handling and improvement over successive periods. The period covered and amount of evidence required are determined by the applicable scheme, taking account of equipment operating and maintenance cycles.
Prepare for an assessment of actual operations
Businesses should review information, records and assessment arrangements in the following four areas:
- Scope and contact persons Identify sites, production lines, the equipment register, work shifts, departments involved and personnel responsible for TPM.
- Current procedures and practices Prepare TPM objectives, assigned responsibilities, operating and equipment care instructions, maintenance plans and procedures for handling abnormalities.
- Data and improvement records Compile operating logs, downtime and maintenance records; quality data, monitored indicators and calculation methods; improvement records and effectiveness reviews over successive periods.
- On-site assessment arrangements Arrange observation during appropriate operating periods, with relevant personnel available for discussion and records ready for cross-checking; agree site access conditions, safety requirements and information confidentiality arrangements.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far should a business have progressed with TPM before assessment?
TPM practices should be in place within the proposed certification scope, with clear responsibilities and evidence of operation, maintenance, loss monitoring and improvement. When applying, the business provides information on its implementation status and available data so that GIC Vietnam can review and propose an appropriate assessment plan.
Are 5S and periodic maintenance sufficient for TPM certification?
5S and periodic maintenance provide a foundation for TPM implementation. Certification also considers the involvement of operators and relevant departments, loss identification, quality and safety control, and sustained improvement. Applying 5S and periodic maintenance alone is insufficient to conclude that TPM certification requirements have been met.
Can a single production line or group of equipment be certified?
Businesses may apply for certification covering a specific production line or group of equipment. GIC Vietnam reviews the boundaries, operation and maintenance activities, and related support functions to determine whether the scope is suitable under the applicable scheme. Claims and use of certification must remain within the certified scope.
Is a specific OEE level or zero incidents required for certification?
TPM aims to prevent and eliminate losses. Certification conditions, indicators to be reviewed and required levels of conformity are defined by the applicable scheme. OEE is considered alongside loss data, control measures and evidence of improvement under the specific operating conditions. Certification does not guarantee that equipment will remain free from incidents.
Is GIC Vietnam certification the same as a JIPM TPM Award?
These are separate activities. The TPM Awards programme is organised by JIPM to assess and recognise achievements in TPM implementation. GIC Vietnam TPM certification is carried out under the applicable certification scheme and criteria; it neither replaces nor is equivalent to receiving a JIPM TPM Award.
How long is certification valid, and how is it maintained?
The validity period, surveillance, reassessment and change notification requirements are defined by the applicable certification scheme. GIC Vietnam provides specific information before the process begins. The business needs to sustain TPM practices, monitor results, retain evidence and address nonconformities as required.
How are fees and timelines determined?
Fees and timelines depend on the number of sites, the scale and complexity of production lines and equipment groups, work shifts and the status of TPM implementation. GIC Vietnam proposes a plan and quotation based on the application information. Certificate issuance depends on the assessment results, completion of corrective action and the certification decision.
Discuss your TPM certification needs
Please provide information about the sites, production lines or equipment groups proposed for certification, the scale of operations and the status of TPM implementation. GIC Vietnam will guide you through the application process and propose a suitable plan and quotation.
