Why Implementing a TPM Program in Agriculture?

por José Luis Pulido | Dec 21, 2021 6:21:34 PM

 

Casa Sauza tpm in agriculture

Since 2014, the subject of agriculture took up the challenge to implement the TPM methodology on its field activities. The main goal was to eliminate production losses due to the equipment state, and maintaining them in the best possible way to keep producing high-quality products at its maximum capacity.

Which has been the Main Goal of the TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) Implementation in the Casa Sauza Agriculture?

Throughout the TPM Implementation, different goals have been planned, We will mention the most important ones in this blog, such as:

  • Cultural change in operators
  • Technical training when implementing
  • Maintenance training

The Cultural Change when Implementing the TPM

The cultural change that occurs in operators when adapting themselves to this methodology, has been the principal challenge we have had because many of them have been resistant to an attitude change in their job. This obstacle is caused due to a different cultural background belonging to many generations back in terms of working in the fields. They had problems taking into count all the different steps that this method suggests.

Therefore, after almost 3 years of implementation, there still exist some operators resistant to change. The challenge we face is the same, because we want our workforce to accept this methodology not as an organization imposition, but as a new culture and method that improves their work activities and results in many ways.

The Training when Implementing the TPM

Implementing the TPM

To train the operators who didn't have any technical training, was our biggest challenge. We were able to overcome with the support from the Human Resources Department, which created along with the providers some training courses regarding tractor's maintenance and systems, such as:

  • Neumatic System
  • Mechanic System
  • Electric System
  • Hydraulic System

The operators without any tractor maintenance abilities were another important challenge that we are constantly overcoming with the help and support from the H.R Department, who keep implementing the TPM methodology.

¿How is the TPM method experienced by our people?

An example of this was an operator certification in tractor's maintenance, who was also certificated as an internal instructor and imparted a training course to other 53 tractor operators. Nowadays, the operators working in Casa Sauza know how to maintain their equipment by themselves, without needing an outside provider to come an fix their tractors or special machines. By achieving this goal, we allowed the operators to see their equipment not only as a tool given by the company but as something of their own that they have to take care of.

An interesting story told to us by one of our operators, was about one day when the latest model tractor was offered to him due to all the years he had been working in the Tequila Industry. He just needed to give his old tractor (that had more than 10 years) to another operator with less time in the company.

The surprising part of the story that mesmerized the supervisor and his work team, was that he refused to accept the new tractor, because he felt the old one as something of his own, on account of all the caring and maintenances that he had learned to provide to it with the implementation of the TPM method. He said: "I wouldn't trade it for anything else".total productive management in agave field casa sauza

So this man decided to keep his old tractor that was more than 10 years old than getting a late model one. For our company, it meant a lot when listening to this story because we are hoping that with the next steps of this implementation, we will achieve that the 100% of our employees could feel not just their tractors but all the equipment surrounding their daily activities as their own. This way they will take care of them, maintaining them and take advantage of them to obtain the best high-quality results with zero accidents, zero defects, and zero re-doings.

In Casa Sauza we want to be the first company implementing the TPM methodology in our field operations, heading to excellence and becoming a worldwide industry. Keep reading if you want to know more about:

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