TPM is the path that leads a company to excellence.
Regardless of size or industry sector, TPM teaches healthy habits for managing the 4Ps (Processes, People, Plant = Machines, and the Products or Services it delivers).
By adopting a mental framework or paradigm centered on the 5 Gen philosophy, it helps launch a continuous learning process aimed at improving the 6 Strategies that guarantee success for every company.
What do the 5 Gen mean?
The 5 Gen represents five words in Japanese: Genba, Genbutsu, Genjitsu, Gensoku and Genri.
Problems are solved in GenbaThat is, in the place where the events occur.
It involves always applying the principle that Taiichi Ohno promulgated: Genchi Genbutsu. Which means: Go to Genba and see firsthand, with your own eyes, what's happening. Even better if you apply all your senses.
In Genba you have to identify the GenbutsuThat is, the “thing” to which the events being investigated occur.
Then you have to stop and observe the Gengitsu, that is, the phenomena, what happens, the symptoms.
It involves suspending judgment and using all five senses to comprehend. It's more than understanding; it's capturing the ultimate reality of what's happening. It requires abandoning prejudices and premeditated solutions. It involves opening up to what appears, to what reality is manifesting. It is the most difficult task….
Once the greatest amount of information has been gathered from these symptoms, the problem in question must be diagnosed and analyzed.
Before you ask yourself because Whatever happens, it is necessary to verify compliance or non-compliance with the predefined standards called Gensoku. If it does not exist, we must counter with the principles or laws in play called GenriThese laws can be physical, chemical, social, etc.
Whenever there is a Gensoku, it is advisable to verify its compliance before moving forward.
Only after their use has been verified, and if the problem persists despite compliance, is it appropriate to consider countermeasures, which will need to be further developed based on the Genri. Verifying the violation of any law or principle, that is, of the Genri, requires in-depth knowledge of the technologies involved.
The most revolutionary aspect of this method lies in the attitude This requires its correct application, which is based on suspending prejudgments and opening oneself to reality to try to deeply understand it before deciding on a course of action. It requires abandoning habitual practices and pre-established dogmas. It requires recognizing that reality is what rules.
As we said, once you understand what's happening, verify whether or not the predefined standards are met.
Years of visiting different companies show us that most problems do not have an unknown origin but are the result of non-compliance with self-defined procedures and standards.
These simple yet impactful rules form the basis of the TPM philosophy.
From there, 8 different activities are developed that make up the Pillars of the corporate building. Along with the step-by-step activities, there will be tools and techniques that will be helpful as you understand the basic philosophy behind the 5 Gen.
Like this one, there are other TPM principles that we will gradually unravel in subsequent articles.
Eng. Raul A. Perez Verzini
TPM Instructor No. 723 – JIPM
