Case studies

Relevant service: Business Transformation, Operational Excellence, Total Productive Manufacturing
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Implementing TPM at a European Life Sciences Company

About the Company

The site is part of a European Life Sciences company which employs over 35,000 worldwide. The site produces finished oral solid dosage pharmaceuticals in tablet, capsule, and sachet formats. Liquid drop manufacturing and packing operations are also onsite.

The Challenge

The facility has been using tools such as Lean & Six Sigma since 2006. The site identified an opportunity to continue its operational excellence journey by using TPM as one of the core enablers.

What We Did

We began with an initial diagnostic and scoping study to clearly understand the site’s needs, ensuring organizational buy-in to the TPM approach and process. The transformation journey included intensive, hands-on, 4-day TPM practitioner training workshops to build foundational skills. Pilot projects were launched with detailed rollout planning and robust program governance. Progressive coaching and mentoring were provided for middle and senior management, empowering them as TPM pillar champions. Focused improvement activities, such as Value Stream Mapping, 5S workplace organization, and precision changeovers (SMED), were implemented to drive efficiency. We introduced Early Equipment Management and TPM for design as well as Total Productive Administration for manufacturing support functions. Regular, evidence-based TPM audits and reviews were conducted from both top-down and bottom-up perspectives, complemented by an annual 50-point maintenance strategy review to ensure sustained success.

Results

Over a six-year period, the site achieved remarkable improvements in operational performance. Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) increased from 32% to 63%, nearly doubling productive capacity. Equipment failures were reduced by sixfold, significantly lowering repair costs and cutting minor stops by 65%. The production plan improved from 73% to 100% on-time in full (OTIF), enabling substantial capacity growth. The site also enhanced labor utilization across all key processes, increasing overall efficiency. Additionally, batch interval completion times were dramatically reduced from 29 days to just 9 days, highlighting the sustained impact of the transformation.

Framework

Total Productive Manufacturing

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