Maintenance Strategy Selection using Analytic Hierarchy Process: A case study

Abstract

Maintenance of industrial equipment is faced with the challenges of lack of systematic approach in setting maintenance instructions and lack of robust maintenance decision making.  A maintenance strategy is always followed, either consciously or unconsciously. When a strategy is followed unconsciously, the result is often a reactive approach. This paper describes the application of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for selecting maintenance strategy with a Kenyan cement industry for a case study. Four maintenance strategies are considered: reactive, preventive, predictive and proactive. The research paper starts by identifying the initiators of maintenance work and then groups them into an AHP hierarchy that supports and facilitates group decision making. To do this, factors triggering maintenance work are grouped into maintenance objectives by factor analysis. The pertinent variables in the maintenance objectives are then prioritized in a hierarchical structure leading to alternative maintenance strategies being chosen. From the case study, it was seen that the leading initiator of maintenance work is plant functionality through availability and reliability. This contributes 45.0%, and is followed by plant design life at 40.4%, plant and environmental safety 10.0% and least by cost effectiveness 4.6%. It was also found that proactive maintenance with 54.58% preference is the strategy of choice in the case study industry.