Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to develop a preventive maintenance (PM) model that encounters the problems of traditional methods of conducting PM within high component/machine variety environments. Design/methodology/approach -A new platform to conduct planning of the PM actions by using clustering based on the Group Technology concept to create PM virtual cells of equipment/machines is introduced. A real case study at Arab Potash Company was used to illustrate the model. The component/machine variety that requires PM at the considered company is in thousands of items. Findings -PM for high component/machine environments are not enough addressed in the literature. The concept of clustering and similarity coefficient was used and found very useful to model this situation. Practical implications -The proposed procedure will assist maintenance managers/engineers in too many ways. It will help to optimize the inventory of the spare parts, and to create standard process plan for executing the preventive maintenance operation. Originality/value -This paper presents a new procedure to implement preventive maintenance in high component/machine environments using clustering technique concept. Models that address this concept are rare and very limited in the literature.

No abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the understanding of sustainability of the faculty members in higher education in Saudi Arabia. One of the main objectives is to explore how they implement sustainability in the courses offered in one of the major non-profit private universities in Riyadh. Findings: A survey was conducted among the faculty members to investigate their awareness on this topic. Survey results were compared between the different departments to understand how the faculty members can contribute to sustainable education if they increase their knowledge through training and workshops related to the topic. The comparative analysis allows us to define the guidelines to build a strong institution that presents itself as a leader and change-driver in the Gulf region. The survey was done among the limited number of faculty members in the benchmark university, searching for answers about sustainability using the top-down methodology. The survey fulfilled the original aim of developing an evidence base of faculty members existing expertise, experience and interest in sustainability. The survey is also an important step to embed sustainability into the benchmark university. It also provides an opportunity to reflect and put forward suggestions on what it means to have sustainability as a core value and strategic priority.

The paper presents a new procedure to compare relative efficiency between two EDs. It can be applied to any healthcare facility.

No abstract