Assessment of critical success factors, barriers and initiatives of total productive maintenance (TPM) in selected Ethiopian manufacturing industries

Abstract

Purpose This research aims to investigate critical success factors, barriers and initiatives of total productive maintenance (TPM) implementation in selected manufacturing industries in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Design/methodology/approach This study built and looked into a conceptual research framework. The potential barriers and success factors to TPM implementation have been highlighted. The primary study techniques used to collect relevant data were a closed-ended questionnaire and semi-structured interview questions. With the use of SPSS version 23 and SmartPLS 3.0 software, the data were examined using descriptive statistics and the inferential Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) techniques. Findings According to the results of descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis using PLS-SEM, the case manufacturing industries' TPM implementation initiative is in its infancy; break down maintenance is the most widely used maintenance policy; top managers are not dedicated to the implementation of TPM; and there are TPM pillars that have been weakly and strongly addressed by the case manufacturing companies. Research limitations/implications The small sample size is a limitation to this study. It is therefore challenging to extrapolate the research findings to other industries. The only manufacturing KPI utilized in this study is overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). It is possible to add more parameters to the manufacturing performance measurement KPI. The relationships between TPM and other lean production methods may differ from those observed in this cross-sectional study. Longitudinal experimental studies and in-depth analyses of TPM implementations may shed further light on this. Practical implications Defining crucial success factors and barriers to TPM adoption, as well as identifying the weak and strong TPM pillars, will help companies in allocating their scarce resources exclusively to the most important areas. TPM is not a quick solution. It necessitates a change in both the company's and employees' attitude and their values, which takes time to bring about. Hence, it entails a long-term planning. The commitment of top managers is very important in the initiatives of TPM implementation. Originality/value This study is unique in that, it uses a new conceptual research model and the PLS-SEM technique to analyze relationships between TPM pillars and OEE in depth.