Measuring the status and alignment of maintenance and manufacturing strategies – the development of a new model and diagnostic tool

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to outline the development of a new conceptual model and the associated diagnostic tool which can measure the status of maintenance and manufacturing strategies and how well they are linked together. Design/methodology/approach -The new model was developed in two stages. First, a conceptual framework was produced and then a holistic diagram. From this theoretical model a diagnostic tool was generated. This tool was then verified and tested during an empirical research phase which produced four extensive and detailed case studies. A brief overview of one of the case studies is provided in this paper. Findings -It was found that the conceptual model provided an accurate representation of the strategic processes and links which should exist in a manufacturing plant. Moreover the diagnostic tool proved a valid and reliable instrument to measure and display this information.Research limitations/implications -The diagnostic tool provides a snapshot of the status of manufacturing and maintenance strategies which then can be used to benchmark improvements over time. When required the individual questions from the questionnaire can be reverse engineered to provide detailed information for senior managers to carry out corrective action. Practical implications -The diagnostic tool provides a snapshot of the status of manufacturing and maintenance strategies and furthermore by reverse engineering the individual questions from the questionnaire can provide detailed information for senior managers guiding them towards the key areas where corrective action is needed. Originality/value -This theoretical and empirical research closes a gap in the literature relating to the linkage between maintenance and manufacturing strategies. It does so by providing a unique and holistic representation of the strategic processes and links which should exist within a manufacturing plant. Moreover the diagnostic tool produced from the model is a convenient audit facility which enables companies to move towards functional coherence.

Design and management of manufacturing systems for production quality

“…The new production quality paradigm needs to be supported by a specific manufacturing strategy and business model. The alignment between maintenance and manufacturing strategies has been recently recognized as a key enabler for competitiveness in modern manufacturing industries [231]. Traditional quality management models tend to incorporate the zero-defect vision by maximizing the overlap of customer demands and delivered product features, while costs have to be minimized.…”

Time variability management and trade-off analysis of quality, productivity, and maintenance efficiency

“…This approach considers a holistic view of the organization, which is different from existing improvement philosophies that include systemic relations between processes but do not use, for example, analytical tools to perform a holistic analysis (Sartal et al, 2017). Thus, the decision framework has the common parameters of each of the performance dimensions (Arinez et al, 2010;Robson et al, 2013;Weinstein and Chung, 1999;Hu and He, 2014) and supports the conceptual model shown in Figure 2. The proposed framework includes the concepts of TVM and trade-off analysis into a realtime data analysis by integrating a system for assisting operators in the execution of tasks, as defined in Figure 3.…”

Evaluation and improvement of maintenance management performance using a maturity model

“…Jonsson (1997), in its assessment work of the state of maintenance in Swedish companies, noted that the lack of connection between the maintenance policy and the company’s overall strategy may result in poor performance of the maintenance area. Robson et al (2013) proposed a model that from reading the external environment, directs the manufacturing strategy, which, in turn, is connected to, and directs the maintenance strategy, in order to derive the maintenance policy.…”