Maintain maintenance: a look at some threats in the sector

Abstract

[EN] Industrial maintenance is a key factor in ensuring the availability of the production systems of companies. Furthermore, it also has a significant impact on energy efficiency and on safety. The study of the status of the maintenance departments activity in the industrial sector in Spain (and probably in other European countries) shows negative aspects that indicate little innovation, lack of resources or personnel, poor planning and a downward trend in own staffing levels, while hiring with outside companies increases. Many companies perceive maintenance as an unavoidable cost. To change these negative trends it is necessary to make visible to the management staff the cost-benefit analysis of the maintenance activity and justify the investments to improve their results. This article highlights some of the threats that affect the activity of maintenance departments in industry, as perceived through statistics on industrial activity and sectoral surveys in Spain. Secondly, the article proposes the basis of a cost-benefit analysis, based on the avoided costs that maintenance department activity can generate. The authors propose this model as a simple tool to justify investments in the maintenance departments of companies.