This paper intends to highlight the importance of the maintenance activity for all kind of companies in general and for the water treatment companies in particular. To attain this objective a literature review on the evolution of the maintenance concept, the relation between the production function and the Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) and the factors that influence the success of TPM is performed. To demonstrate the contribution of the maintenance activity for the improvement of the performance of companies especially for the water treatment companies a case study of a Portuguese company belonging to the water treatment sector is performed. The case study company is considered important for the water treatment sector since it has an annual capacity of treatment and distribution of 41 million m 3 of drinking water to approximately 438,000 inhabitants spread over a geographic area that represents 15% of the Portuguese territory. Thus, the analysis of the case study company, named as Water Company, aims to demonstrate the importance of the implementation of an adequate management and deployment of appropriate maintenance activities, mainly the Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), which seek to promote organisational synergies, corporate sustainability and success in the investment plan currently in force in this Portuguese sector.

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