Factors Affecting the Maintenance Performance Indices

The maintenance performance indices are affected by many reasons. And it is very difficult to evaluate in many occasions. For example, the problems that are encountered in evaluating the maintenance manpower efficiency index in a hypothetical industry are enumerated here below. In the same manner one can enlist such practical problems in assessment of other MPIs.

Case Objective

The assessment of number of maintenance personnel or evaluating the maintenance manpower efficiency index.

Practical Problems Noticed

• For decentralised system, every section/department may need 2 or 3 maintenance persons, for day-to-day inspection and minor corrective actions. Additionally the central organisation may need 10 or 12 people. They are deputed to the departments on requirement basis. These persons may be utilized for other services or transferred or influenced by hire/fire decisions when the works in their allocated departments are subjected to the changes. Thus this term may affect the maintenance man power efficiency ratio (of the department) given above.
• For centralised system, all persons remain at the central office; they are/given jobs (i.e. sent to various departments) either on emergency demand or planned basis. Here each team performance cannot be assessed and the efficient worker and inefficient worker may receive the same incentive due to which affects morale of the former one.
• Smaller organisations keep a small team of maintenance personnel. They may hire experts/skilled persons from outside on need. This saves the expenditure on maintenance of the organisation. The special maintenance jobs are even contracted to outside party. It becomes difficult in such situations to calculate the efficiency index.
• To prevent any loss of production, the regular maintenance work is scheduled on weekly off day. The assembly line of an automobile industry is generally run in two shifts only or in general shift. In such cases, the preventive maintenance or regular check-up is done during off time.
• The planned maintenance for different sections/departments is scheduled on different days. Say if the engine section is on monday, then maintenance of crank-shaft section is scheduled in tuesday. In this way, same maintenance crew is engaged for the job in different shops. There may be one or two specialised maintenance man for each section or machine. This saves cost, by employing fewer maintenance people.
• Maintenance is a specialised job. For maintaining water supply system, a set of persons are employed. For electrical maintenance a different set of persons are employed. For blast furnace or cold rolling mill, a third set of persons are engaged. For measuring instruments, optical, mechanical, electrical, etc. a different set of persons are required. Their natures of jobs largely differ.