An empirical study on the relationships between maintenance policies and approaches among Italian companies

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose an empirical investigation targeting companies operating in Northern Italy and focusing on some main topics of maintenance. Design/methodology/approach – Through a combined application of factor analysis and cluster analysis, the paper first identified the main approaches implemented by Italian companies with the purpose of preventing failures and reducing their consequences. Then, the paper grouped companies on the basis of such approaches, and derived the profile of each cluster, in terms of both the company’s characteristics and some key maintenance elements, including the maintenance policy or the use of advanced techniques to make maintenance interventions more effective. Findings – Results of this study suggest that the approach to maintenance management could be related to the implementation of specific maintenance policies, as well as to other topics, such as the company characteristics, the use of advanced techniques for enhancing maintenance effectiveness and the criteria used for selecting the maintenance policy. Research limitations/implications – The sample of companies investigated in this study is quite limited, and prevented the possibility of providing statistical evidence of all outcomes. Practical implications – The outcomes of this study can be useful for practitioners to understand the positioning of companies towards the implementation of maintenance policies, as a function of their approach to maintenance management. Originality/value – This study complements previous empirical works on maintenance by exploring the relationships between maintenance management, maintenance policies, the application of different tools and techniques for maintenance management, and the criteria adopted for the maintenance policy selection.