A comprehensive multi-plant TPM assessment across yarn, towel, paper, energy and utilities identified chronic equipment and process losses, created a pillar-wise TPM roadmap, and set clear improvement targets for OEE, downtime, cost and yield across the value chain.
Context and Challenges
A large, vertically integrated textile and paper group with multiple plants (yarn, towel, paper, pulp, boilers, utilities and admin) had introduced TPM but was not getting consistent results across sites. Audit scores varied widely by plant and pillar, with towel and utilities showing low OEE and availability, and several areas below 40% in TPM audits. Chronic issues included:
- High downtime from mechanical/electrical breakdowns, grade/setting changes and waiting losses.
- Chronic quality and yield losses (rework, downgrade, chindi, moisture and other waste) impacting conversion cost.
- Weak standardisation and Daily Work Management; abnormalities repeated without effective root cause analysis.
- Skill gaps in operations and maintenance, and limited linkage of TPM activities to business KPIs
Our Approach
Following the same structured, four-step methodology used in other RIB Consulting case studies, the team executed a multi-plant TPM audit and roadmap exercise:
Assessment & Data Analysis
- Conducted detailed TPM audits using a standard pillar-wise checklist (Policies & Objectives, Autonomous Maintenance, Kobetsu Kaizen, Planned Maintenance, Quality Maintenance, Training & Development, Safety, TPM in Office).
- Captured and analysed 12 months of OEE, downtime, speed, quality, cost and energy data for paper machines, towel lines, yarn plants, energy and ETP/WTP.
- Computed department-wise TPM scores and identified gaps versus best-practice benchmarks.
Identification of Key Focus Areas
- Mapped major equipment and cost losses to TPM loss tree: breakdown, setup & adjustment, no-plan loss, waiting, quality and yield losses.
- Highlighted chronic bottlenecks such as availability gaps, pulp-related downtime, yarn plant yield losses (moisture/other waste) and high operating costs in ETP/WTP.
- Prioritised high-impact areas for Phase-1 implementation using the 80/20 principle.
TPM Alignment & Master Roadmap
- Defined pillar-wise objectives aligned to business KPIs (OEE, downtime, COPQ, cost/kl, yield, safety).
- Built plant-wise TPM roadmaps for Paper & Pulp, Towel, Yarn, Energy, ETP/WTP and Recovery, listing specific projects with owners, timelines and expected benefits.
Implementation Planning & Review System
- Designed Daily Work Management (DWM) and Leader Standard Work to sustain improved conditions and visualise abnormalities.
- Proposed governance through tiered reviews, audits, and periodic external audits to ensure adherence and continuous improvement.
Key Strategies Implemented
Drawing on TPM pillars and lean tools, the roadmap focused on a set of high-impact strategies similar in structure to the Salt company sales-improvement program but tailored to equipment and process reliability:
- Strengthening Autonomous & Planned Maintenance
- Introduce rigorous JH (cleaning, lubrication, inspection) steps, abnormality tagging, and hard-to-access point mapping in all plants.
- Re-design Preventive Maintenance standards using 5W1H and close loop between breakdown analysis and PM checklists to eliminate repeat failures.
- Focused Improvement (Kobetsu Kaizen) on Chronic Losses
- SMED projects on paper grade changes and towel setting losses to cut changeover and caustic wash times.
- PM Analysis and RCA on chronic defects in towel plants (rework and downgrade) and pulp-related stoppages
- Cost-loss projects in yarn plants addressing moisture loss, other waste, power and manpower productivity.
- Daily Work Management & Standard Work
- Development of 4M standards, operator work standards and Daily Standard Work for supervisors (gemba rounds, checklists, abnormality recording).
- Three-tier accountability meetings (operators/shift leaders, HODs, plant heads) with visual boards for KPIs and countermeasures.
- Skill Building through TWI & Structured Training
- TWI-based Job Instruction and Job Methods training for setters, operators and maintenance teams on critical jobs (wire change, roll change, caustic wash, setting & troubleshooting).
- Linking training curriculum to TPM projects and audit gaps to close specific skill deficits.
- Utilities & Energy Optimisation
- Systematic energy management in ETP/WTP and boilers through automation, controls, leakage elimination and improved 5S and visual management. TPM Audit Report
Results Achieved
Based on the TPM audit, baseline data and agreed Phase-1 roadmaps, the group set and began tracking clear, quantifiable improvements
- Paper plant
- Targeted downtime reduction by 15-20%, with significant reduction in grade-change and pulp-related stoppages.
- OEE improvement of 10-12%, driven by lower breakdowns and improved speed.
- Towel Lines
- Availability and performance improvement targets 12–18 point OEE gains on critical finishing sections.
- Structured reduction of rework and downgrade percentages, focusing on chronic phenomena such as mending, alterations and shade/stain defects.
- Yarn Plants
- 15% reduction in efficiency losses through projects on setting, breakdown and waiting losses.
- 10% reduction in yield loss and conversion cost via QC projects on moisture and other waste, and productivity projects on power and manpower.
- ETP/WTP & Energy Plants
- 8–10% reduction in operating cost and improved utilization of ETP/WTP through better energy management and zero-leakage programs.
- OEE improvements in TG sets and boilers, supported by skill enhancement and AM.
- Culture & Sustenance
- Improved TPM audit scores across pillars, stronger linkage between TPM and business KPIs, and a clear governance mechanism for sustaining gains. TPM Audit Report
This TPM Audit case demonstrates how a structured, data-driven assessment, combined with pillar-wise roadmaps and Daily Work Management, can unlock significant improvements in OEE, cost and reliability across a complex, multi-plant textile and paper operation