A new book authored by a Missouri University of Science and Technology researcher discusses best practices on how to be an effective, results-oriented engineer by looking at real-world case studies of productive maintenance.

Dr. Elizabeth Cudney, an associate professor of engineering management and systems engineering at Missouri S&T, co-wrote “Total Productive Maintenance: Strategies and Implementation Guide,” which is scheduled for publication by CRC Press on Monday, July 13. This is Cudney’s fifth book.

The book highlights the importance of effective communication at all levels of an organization to successfully implement total productive maintenance (TPM). TPM is the practice of maintaining and improving the integrity of production and quality through all processes of an organization. Cudney’s book uses in-depth case studies to show readers on how apply TPM and step-by-step approaches to TPM integration.

“Downtime can bring any organization to a standstill. Traditional manufacturing operates under the ‘we fix it’ mentality in which the maintenance department performs maintenance activities after a breakdown,” says Cudney. “But leading the industries in your market requires predicting process issues before there is a failure. Utilizing TPM to predict, correct and communicate helps to ensure positive results for an organization.”

Cudney, who earned a Ph.D. in engineering management from Missouri S&T in 2006, joined the Missouri S&T faculty in 2007. Her first book, “Using Hoshin Kanri to Improve the Value Stream,” was published by Productivity Press in 2009. In 2013, she published her latest book “Lean Systems: Applications and Case Studies in Manufacturing, Service, and Healthcare” with Dr. Sandra Furterer and Dr. David Dietrich.

Cudney holds eight American Society for Quality (ASQ) certifications, which include ASQ-certified quality engineer, certified manager of quality and organizational excellence and certified Six Sigma Black Belt, among others. She is an ASQ Fellow, American Society for Engineering Management Fellow and Academician in the International Academy for Quality.

The co-author of “Total Productive Maintenance: Strategies and Implementation Guide” is Tina K. Agustiady, business transformation leader and master black belt at Integrated Supply Network.