Factors influencing maintenance-related investments in industry: a multiple-case study

• Purpose: The purpose of this study is to ensure productive, robust and sustainable production systems by enabling future investments in maintenance. This study aims to provide a deeper understanding of the investment process and thereby facilitate future maintenance-related investments. The objectives are to describe the investment process, map the decision support and roles involved and identify factors influencing the process. Design/methodology/approach: The study was designed as a multiple-case study, with three industrial cases of maintenance-related investments. A structured coding procedure was used to analyse the empirical data from the cases. Findings: This paper provides a deeper understanding of the process of maintenance-related investments. Eleven factors influencing the investment process could be identified, three of which were seen in all three cases. These three factors are: fact-based decision-support, internal integration and foresight. Practical implications: Investments in modern maintenance are needed to ensure productive, robust and sustainable production in the future. However, it is a challenge in manufacturing industry to justify maintenance-related investments. This challenge may be solved by developing a decision-support system, or a structured work procedure, that considers the findings of this study. Originality/value: From this study, an extended view of the relation between quantifying effects of maintenance and maintenance-related investment is proposed, including surrounding factors influencing the investment process. The factors were identified using a structured and transparent coding procedure which is rarely used in maintenance research.

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Maskinteknik -- Produktionsteknik, arbetsvetenskap och ergonomi (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Mechanical Engineering -- Production Engineering, Human Work Science and Ergonomics (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Case study

Manufacturing

Investment

industrial maintenance

Publikations- och innehållstyp

art (ämneskategori)

ref (ämneskategori)