Objectives of Maintenance

The primary purpose of the maintenance function is to support the overall operational goals of the organization by ensuring the optimal performance and longevity of its physical assets. Specific objectives drive maintenance strategies and activities.

Key Objectives of Maintenance Management:

1. Maximize Equipment Availability and Reliability:
   • Goal: Keep machinery and facilities operating when needed (availability) and functioning correctly without failure for desired periods (reliability).
   • Impact: Minimizes production stoppages, ensures service continuity, meets production targets.
2. Optimize Total Maintenance Costs:
   • Goal: Achieve the necessary level of maintenance effectiveness at the lowest possible overall cost.
   • Includes: Balancing the costs of preventive actions, repairs (labor, parts), downtime losses, and consequences of failure. Note: Minimizing maintenance spending isn't the goal; optimizing total cost is.
3. Ensure Operational Safety:
   • Goal: Maintain assets in a safe condition to prevent accidents, injuries to personnel, and damage to the environment.
   • Impact: Complies with regulations, protects workforce, reduces liability.
4. Preserve Asset Value and Extend Lifespan:
   • Goal: Protect the investment in capital equipment by preventing premature deterioration and extending its useful operating life through proper care.
   • Impact: Maximizes return on assets, delays capital replacement costs.
5. Support Product/Service Quality:
   • Goal: Ensure equipment operates precisely and consistently, enabling the production of goods or delivery of services that meet quality standards.
   • Impact: Reduces defects, scrap, rework caused by equipment malfunction.
6. Improve Operating Efficiency:
   • Goal: Keep equipment running at peak efficiency.
   • Impact: Can lead to lower energy consumption, reduced waste, and higher output rates.
7. Efficient Resource Management:
   • Goal: Utilize maintenance resources (skilled labor, spare parts, tools, budget) effectively and efficiently.
   • Impact: Controls maintenance department costs, optimizes use of specialized skills.

Indian Example: For the Indian Railways, key maintenance objectives include: * Safety: Paramount objective to prevent accidents involving tracks, signaling, rolling stock. * Availability/Reliability: Ensuring locomotives and coaches are available and reliable to run scheduled train services with minimal delays or cancellations. * Asset Lifespan: Extending the life of expensive assets like locomotives and track infrastructure through planned upkeep. * Cost Optimization: Performing necessary maintenance efficiently across its vast network. * Quality: Ensuring passenger comfort and safety standards are met within coaches.

These objectives guide maintenance policies, the selection of maintenance strategies (e.g., preventive vs. predictive), and the allocation of resources within the maintenance department.