An analytical method for maintenance outsourcing service selection

In this paper an experience dealing with the analysis of maintenance outsourcing by means of multi-criteria decision methods (MCDM) is reported. In particular, the analytic hierarchy process technique (AHP) is used as a managerial decision support system to select the best alternative between different outsourcing contracts in terms of maintenance services. The proposed methodology has been tested on an industrial case study dealing with an important italian brickwork. This application shows how the AHP is able to support the choice of the correct level of the maintenance activities outsourcing. In particular, the hierarchic decisional structure developed represents an instrument able to give a well balanced synthesis of several different factors that must be taken into account during this type of decision problem.