AN EMPIRICAL-STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY AND MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT

In an increasingly competitive environment, manufacturing firms have c ontinued to implement new technologies aimed at improving plant perfor mance. These new technologies are often more complex to maintain. At t he same time, equipment breakdowns can become more costly and disrupti ve. However, managers tend to give little consideration to how differe nt production technologies may affect the maintenance function. This p aper reports the results of a study of the relationship between the ch aracteristics of production technology and maintenance practices. Base d on the responses from a survey of plant managers and maintenance man agers, the analysis shows a strong relationship between technical comp lexity and maintenance practices that increase the technical expertise of the maintenance workforce.