The Rise of Strategic Maintenance Management
In the world of building management, the idea of strategic maintenance management gained attention, particularly during the 1990s. However, it’s important to note that there wasn’t much research into how it all works. Many people with expertise brought up a significant change in how we think about maintenance. They argued that maintenance shouldn’t just be about fixing things when they break, like repairing a broken machine. Instead, they said we should think about maintenance in a bigger way.
According to them, maintenance isn’t just a small task; it’s a vital part of a business. To manage it effectively, we need to look at it from different angles, considering how it affects the overall business. Decisions about what to do with equipment and how to keep it working should be made while thinking about how it impacts the company in the long run.
A Multifaceted Approach to Strategic Maintenance Management
A well-known team’s work on Strategic Maintenance Management brings up several important points about this broader approach. They say we should think about both technical stuff (like how machines work) and business stuff (like how decisions affect the company’s success). It’s not just about fixing things; it’s about making decisions based on math and data. Plus, it’s about always trying to do better.
Strategic maintenance management isn’t just about keeping things in good shape; it’s a core part of the business. You can’t just fix things when they break; you need a plan. Building maintenance involves two key things: the technical side (how machines and equipment work) and the management side (how we make decisions about them). We start by looking at the condition of the equipment and thinking about how it’s used. But how we use this equipment depends on business decisions, and these decisions can seriously affect how well the company does.
The approach the team suggest connects the technical, day-to-day work, and the bigger business decisions in a smart way. Along with taking care of equipment, they also talk about making the maintenance process better over time. It’s like a journey that starts with the company’s structure and ends with making customers happy. If we think about it from a Total Quality Management perspective, we’re always trying to get better.
Integrated Maintenance and Strategic Choices
Integrated Maintenance Management Systems are super important in building maintenance. They help us figure out when equipment might break and how to take care of it. But it’s not just about machines; it’s also about deciding whether we should do the maintenance ourselves or hire someone else to do it.
When we choose whether to do maintenance ourselves or hire someone, we should think about the company’s big plan, not just fixing things. The type of contract we have with the maintenance company also matters a lot. It affects how we work together and whether we get good results.
Going a step further, Tsang talked about four big ideas for maintenance based on what’s happening in the business world. He says we should think about how we get maintenance services, how we organize our maintenance work, what methods we use for maintenance, and how we design the things that help with maintenance.
To wrap it up, strategic maintenance management isn’t just about keeping things in good shape. It’s about thinking about how maintenance affects the whole business and making smart choices. It’s about using both technical and business smarts to keep things running smoothly. When we do this right, we not only keep things in good shape but also make the company better and more competitive. It’s like a journey towards improvement that smart companies take to stay on top.