TPM Series: Defect Tagging as a Visual Control

Defect Tags are great tools and visual aids for both operations and maintenance to use to identify equipment defects.

The 2 key advantages of Defect Tagging are:

1. Other operators and maintenance people can see that a defect has been identified and that a work order has been created.
2. When a work order has been made, and the repair planned and scheduled, the maintenance mechanic can see exactly where the defect is located on the piece of equipment.

In addition to Defect Tags, there are Opportunity Tags. These tags, colored differently from Defect Tags, highlight areas of improvement on a piece of equipment. Opportunities are not issues that are a concern for equipment reliability; they are ways to optimize the equipment for maintenance work or operation.

Defect and Opportunity Tags represent a continuous improvement practice. Such a practice is necessary for implementing and embedding the practices and philosophy of Total Productive Maintenance, or as we call it Total Process Reliability.