Maintenance strategy selection for optimum efficiency – application of AHP constant sum

Purpose: There are limited studies addressing how choosing a maintenance strategy can contribute towards maximising outputs from given inputs, thereby minimising costs and improving a company’s competitiveness. The analytic hierarchy constant sum method (AHCSM) is used to access the appropriateness of maintenance strategies for improving the overall efficiency of a structural steel fabrication construction company. 

Design/methodology/approach: A semi-structured interview was formulated with the stakeholders of the quality department to understand the company’s maintenance portfolio and its current functional capability. The information from this case study was then dissected to represent the factors that the company deemed appropriate for evaluating their maintenance strategy. The AHCSM approach provided a framework, which ranked the importance of factors that are sensitive to the construction industry and rank the suitability of maintenance strategies. 

Findings: Factors affecting the selection of maintenance strategies to improve business efficiency are productivity, quality, reliability, cost, safety and work environment, morale, inventory and flexibility. Total productive maintenance strategy produces the most desirable outcome; however, the predictive or condition-based maintenance strategy provides an optimum solution for the case study company while considering the equipment usage, frequency of production and the current economic climate. 

Originality/value: The approach presented allows practitioners to consider ways to increase the level of production and improve the efficiency of construction businesses without a high increase in investment. The findings can inform gaps in existing maintenance approaches in achieving business objectives.