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If you've ever had to deal with unexpected equipment breakdowns, you know how much of a headache they can be. Downtime leads to delays, increased costs, and a whole lot of stress. That’s where Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) comes in – a proactive approach that helps businesses maximize equipment efficiency while minimizing breakdowns and disruptions.
But here’s the thing: a great TPM strategy is nothing without a solid work order system. Work orders are the glue that holds the entire process together, ensuring that maintenance tasks are assigned, tracked, and completed in a structured way.
In this guide, we’ll break down TPM, the role of work orders, and how you can use them to implement a successful TPM program. Let’s get crackin’!
Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is a proactive maintenance approach that emphasizes the involvement of all employees in maintaining and improving equipment reliability. It originated in Japan and is widely used in manufacturing and industrial sectors to enhance productivity, reduce downtime, and improve overall efficiency.
It focuses on eight core areas (known as the 8 pillars of TPM) like Autonomous Maintenance, Planned Maintenance, Quality Maintenance and Continuous Improvement.
The 8 Pillars of TPM serve as the foundation for transforming reactive maintenance environments into proactive, performance-driven systems. Each pillar focuses on a specific area of operational excellence, from equipment care to employee training to continuous improvement.
But here’s the secret: while the philosophy is powerful, its impact only becomes real when it’s tied to actionable, trackable tasks. And that’s exactly what work orders enable.
Let’s break down each pillar and show how work orders support its execution.
Empower operators to perform routine maintenance tasks like cleaning, inspecting, and lubricating their own equipment.
Schedule preventive tasks based on usage, age, or condition, rather than waiting for failure.
Address the root causes of equipment defects that affect product quality.
Identify and eliminate sources of inefficiency or loss through continuous improvement.
Involve maintenance and operations teams in the design and installation of new equipment.
Ensure operators and technicians have the skills to carry out TPM effectively.
Integrate safety into all maintenance processes.
Apply TPM thinking beyond the shop floor to streamline support functions.
Each pillar of TPM depends on consistent execution, clear documentation and data visibility, all of which live inside a well-designed work order system.
Before we go any further, let’s talk about work orders. What are they exactly?
A work order is a formal request to perform a maintenance task. It includes details like:
In a TPM strategy, work orders act as a structured way to ensure maintenance tasks get done properly and on time. Instead of relying on memory (or sticky notes), teams have clear instructions and accountability.
(Want a deeper dive into work orders? Check out our detailed blog on Work Orders.)
Work orders are the execution layer of TPM. Without a system for assigning, standardizing, tracking, and analyzing daily maintenance tasks, TPM goals remain theoretical.
Here’s how work orders support TPM in practice:
In short, TPM gives you the strategy. Work orders give you the system to make it stick.
When used correctly, work orders shift maintenance from reactive firefighting to a proactive, team-driven process rooted in data and accountability.
Want to see how digital work orders can power TPM? Schedule a free demo with FieldEx to learn more.
Now, let’s get practical. Here’s how to implement TPM with the help of work orders:
TPM is all about proactive maintenance. Instead of waiting for things to break down, use work orders to schedule routine inspections and servicing.
✅ Best practice: Set up automated work orders in a CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) to trigger recurring maintenance tasks at regular intervals.
In a TPM program, operators are expected to handle basic maintenance (like cleaning and lubrication), while technicians tackle more complex tasks.
✅ Best practice: Use work orders to assign specific tasks to the right personnel so there’s no confusion.
One of TPM’s goals is to make data-driven decisions. Work orders provide valuable insights into:
✅ Best practice: Log maintenance activities and analyze patterns to spot potential issues before they lead to failures.
A slow response to equipment failures = lost productivity. Work orders help streamline emergency repairs by ensuring quick task allocation and priority setting.
✅ Best practice: Set up automated alerts so maintenance teams are notified instantly when an issue arises.
TPM isn’t a one-and-done strategy – it’s an ongoing process. Work order data helps identify inefficiencies and improve maintenance workflows over time.
✅ Best practice: Regularly review work order data to refine schedules, eliminate bottlenecks, and improve uptime.
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Let’s say a manufacturing company wants to reduce equipment failures on its production line.
Before implementing TPM with work orders:
After implementing TPM with work orders:
The result? Reduced breakdowns, increased uptime, and huge cost savings.
If you want to successfully implement a TPM strategy, you need a structured way to manage maintenance tasks – and that’s where work orders shine.
By using work orders to standardize preventive maintenance, assign responsibilities, track performance, and optimize workflows, you can maximize equipment efficiency and minimize costly downtime.
Ready to take your TPM strategy to the next level with FieldEx CMMS? Reach out for a free demo today to get started! Or reach out with any questions you may have. We’re here to help.
TPM is a proactive maintenance approach focused on maximizing equipment effectiveness. It emphasizes teamwork, operator involvement and continuous improvement through standardized processes and data-driven decisions.
Work orders turn TPM theory into action. They standardize routine tasks, assign accountability, track maintenance data, and support continuous improvement by providing a clear execution framework.
The 8 pillars are:
Each supports a specific area of operational reliability and efficiency.
Work orders empower operators to take ownership of basic maintenance tasks (like inspections, cleaning, and lubrication) by assigning standardized actions they can perform daily, with clear tracking and escalation rules.
Common TPM-related KPIs include:
You can start with spreadsheets or paper logs, but a CMMS (like FieldEx) makes implementation much easier. It automates scheduling, assigns tasks, logs results, and generates reports to support TPM decisions in real time.
Start by selecting one critical asset or line. Create preventive and operator-level tasks as digital work orders, assign them clearly, and monitor results. This “pilot” builds internal support before scaling across your facility.
Using a structured work order system helps solve most of these by standardizing execution and making performance visible.
Work orders reduce unplanned downtime, improve maintenance response time, and prevent repeat failures. All of these boost the three components of OEE: availability, performance and quality.
FieldEx CMMS simplifies TPM execution by turning every TPM pillar into trackable, automated workflows. You can:
Want to see how FieldEx works? Book a free demo and explore how we help teams make TPM simple and effective.
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