The global technological advancement and the overall development in the field of economics and management impose new benchmarks for enterprise administration. The ability to predict possible outcomes of the particular activities in manufacture or management presents an opportunity for successful performance and an increase in competitiveness with other achievement-oriented enterprises. Assets are regarded as one of the essential elements underlying the productivity of an organization. That is why it is essential to implement new progressive approaches to maintenance in an organization to guarantee its asset sustainability. However, the current scope of studies aimed at the investigation of the practical methods of the maintenance needs more in-depth research. On the contrary to the preventive approach, the proactive maintenance has a great potential to positively affect asset sustainability improving its durability.
Background
The literature overview of the scientific studies on the topic allows creating a substantial theoretical background for further investigation. The application of sustainability to the corporate management was introduced to the economic sector upon the introduction of new concepts and trends in this field. The definition of sustainability suggests that it is a “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generation to meet their own needs” (Iung & Levrat, 2014, p. 15). According to sustainable manufacturing, any company is obliged not only to conduct activities aimed at the elimination of existing drawbacks but also employ a particular technique to prevent the emergence of any problems (Jasiulewicz-Kaczmarek, 2013). Thus, it is essential to keep all the processes in a company under control.
To achieve such control over the organization’s performance, “maintenance should be considered long-term strategic planning integrating all stages of a product lifecycle” (Stuchly & Jasiulewicz-Kaczmarek, 2014, p. 274). Asset sustainability improvement is only possible when applied with a complex system of changes on different organizational levels, including production and management (Stuchly & Jasiulewicz-Kaczmarek, 2014). Such a strategy is implemented within the framework of proactive maintenance. When reactive maintenance addresses scheduled check-ups and fixing, proactive maintenance employs a more structured approach. It embraces a set of policies, strategies, and procedures that allow critically analyzing the manufacturing and organizational processes, ” implementing reliability,” planning and scheduling, and finding the problems’ roots (Henderson, Pahlenkempe, & Kraska, 2014, p. 450). Some researches attempted to discuss the specific measures applied to the sustainable maintenance performance (Sari, Shaharoun, Ma’aram, & Yazid, 2015). The majority of studies analyze the general tendencies in sustainability management but give little comparative information about proactive and preventive maintenance.
The overall research results in the field of maintenance imply a tendency to proactive approach instead of a preventive one but do not specifically address the benefits of one over the other. Therefore, there is a gap in the scope of study that needs to be filled. It is important to underline the specific benefits proactive maintenance may bring to asset sustainability for the improvement of companies’ advancement and competitiveness.
Research Questions and Objectives
The research proposal indicates the following research question:
What are the positive effects of proactive maintenance on asset sustainability?
The question allows stating the specific objectives of the study. The main aim of the research is to investigate the benefits of proactive maintenance as opposed to preventive one. Thus, the study aims to incorporate theoretical background and the data retrieved during the research process to find the particular positive effects of proactive maintenance on asset sustainability.
Method
Research Design
The research design chosen for the study is a survey method as one that allows collecting specifically defined information from the targeted sources. The survey will include specific questions the answers to which will be analyzed and calculated. The indicators of effectiveness of both proactive and preventive approaches will be categorized according to the scope of its effect (finance, productivity, competitiveness). The results will be analyzed and compared.
Data Collection
Within the framework of the study, a questionnaire with some questions concerning the management processes, productivity, maintenance approach applied in the organization, and its impact on the performance and finances will be developed. The questionnaire will be developed on the basis of the scholarly sources and analytical data on the topic. It will be sent to twenty companies, utilizing either proactive or preventive maintenance approach. The completed questionnaires will be analyzed for data collection, and the answers will be categorized for further usage in conclusion-making.
Timescale and Resources
The predicted timescale for the data collection and its analysis is from two to three months. The duration of the study might range according to the external factors. There might be some difficulties with the immediate feedback from the targeted organizations which will participate in the survey. There is no specific equipment needed for the collection and analysis of data. The financial expenses will include direct costs for questionnaire development, sending-out, and analysis.
In conclusion, the development in the sphere of management and economics introduces new requirements as for the maintenance. The majority of researches address the general tendencies in the maintenance management underlying the importance of sustainability in it. However, a little number of studies investigate the specific approaches to the improvement of asset sustainability in general, and the positive effects proactive maintenance might have on it. Thus, the study aims to research the benefits of a proactive approach as opposed to the preventive maintenance as a core element in the increase of asset sustainability level.
References
Henderson, K., Pahlenkemper, G., & Kraska, O. (2014). Integrated asset management – an investment in sustainability. Procedia Engineering, 83, 448-454.
Iung, B, & Levrat, E. (2014). Advanced maintenance services for promoting sustainability. Procedia CIRP, 22,15-22.
Jasiulewicz-Kaczmarek, M. (2013) Sustainability: Orientation in maintenance management—theoretical background. In: P. Golinska (ed.), EcoProduction and logistics: Emerging trends and business practices (pp. 117-134). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
Sari, E., Shaharoun, A. M., Ma’aram, A., & Yazid, M. (2015). Sustainable maintenance performance measures: A pilot survey in Malaysian automotive companies. Procedia CIRP, 26,443-448.
Stuchly, V., & Jasiulewicz-Kaczmarek, M. (2014). Maintenance in sustainable manufacturing. Scientific Journal of Logistics, 10(3), 273-284.