Launching TPM: Why Your Master CIL List is the Cornerstone of Success
Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is not a quick fix—it’s a culture shift. And like all major transformations, the success of TPM hinges on how you begin. Before the first deep clean, there’s critical groundwork that must be done. This step is often underestimated, but skipping it leads to confusion, inefficiencies, and avoidable setbacks.
In this article, we'll show you how to develop the CIL Master List.
Step 1: Gather Your Equipment History & Existing Workloads
Before jumping into AM Step 1 (Cleaning and Inspection), gather all relevant documentation. This provides a 360° view of the equipment’s history and current care.
Here's what to collect:
Maintenance Preventive Maintenance Schedules (PMs)– from your CMMS or paper logs
Sanitation PMs– allergen, daily, weekly, and CIP-related tasks
Operator Routine Tasks– current cleaning, inspections, and first-line maintenance
Maintenance Work History– repairs, breakdowns, replacements, and any chronic failures
This gives insight into high-risk components, identifies repeat offenders, and helps prioritize where to apply extra due diligence.
Step 2: Build a Master CIL List
This document will serve as your TPM Bible. It brings clarity to roles, standardizes expectations, and forms the backbone of your AM Steps. Each row represents a task; each column adds dimension to ensure clarity, traceability, and continuous improvement.
Recommended Columns for the Master CIL List:
Field | Purpose |
UID | Unique identifier for tracking |
Machine | Equipment name or ID |
Component | The part being maintained |
PM Name | Title of the task |
Description | What needs to be done and why |
CIL Class | Cleaning, Inspection, Lubrication, or Combo |
PPE | Safety gear required |
LOTO | Lockout/Tagout needed? Yes/No |
Bearing Type | Internal / External / Guarded |
Type of Lubrication | The type of lubrication required for the lubrication point. |
Amount of Lubrication | Amount of lubrication required and method to apply |
Transfer Step | AM Step when the task transitions to Operators |
Baseline Time | Ideal task time (initial baseline) |
Current Time | Actual observed time |
Assigned To | Who currently owns it |
Frequency | Daily, Weekly, Monthly |
HTR (Hard to Reach) | Accessibility challenge (Yes/No) |
SOC (Source of Contamination) | Risk potential (Yes/No) |
Improvement | Notes for future enhancements |
MWG / AWG | Task led by Minor Working Group or Advanced Working Group |
Step 3: Treat It Like a Living Document
Don’t let this become another dusty spreadsheet. This Master CIL List evolves as your TPM journey progresses. New tasks, new risks, and process improvements should be added in real time.
Use it to:
Facilitate AM Step transitions
Monitor improvement gains (task time, ownership)
Standardize roles and expectations
Prioritize upgrades or redesigns
Keep track of all SOCs, HTRs, and I/G lubrication points that need conversion in later steps.
Pro Tip: Use this Master CIL list in Kaizens, AM Step meetings, and audit reviews. It becomes your baseline, your scorecard, and your playbook for sustainable success.
Keep this document alive—as issues arise or tasks evolve, update the list. The more visibility and ownership you build in early, the stronger your TPM maturity will become.
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