Factors influencing maintenance-related investments in industry: a multiple-case study
Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering
ISSN: 1355-2511
Article publication date: 24 April 2020
Issue publication date: 16 February 2021
Abstract
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.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank SMASh, a research project financed by VINNOVA and Production 2030. They especially thank the case companies for commitment and collaboration. This work has been performed within Production Area of Advance at Chalmers. The support is greatly appreciated.We would like to thank the case companies and all individuals who contributed to this research, for their commitment and collaboration. This work was financed by VINNOVA [grant number 2017-01652]. This work has been performed within Production Area of Advance at Chalmers. The support is greatly appreciated.
Citation
Lundgren, C., Bokrantz, J. and Skoogh, A. (2021), "Factors influencing maintenance-related investments in industry: a multiple-case study", Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, Vol. 27 No. 1, pp. 203-224. https://doi.org/10.1108/JQME-08-2018-0066
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited