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Development and Evaluation of a Maintenance Maturity Matrix for Small and Medium Enterprises

Oost, H.R. (2024) Development and Evaluation of a Maintenance Maturity Matrix for Small and Medium Enterprises.

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Abstract:Situated in Almelo, a manufacturing Small- Medium Enterprise (SME) feels the need to evaluate and improve their maintenance organization. Currently, the organization has no clear way of doing this and has no insight in the maintenance organization. Most SMEs face a similar problem. SMEs are crucial in the manufacturing chain and due to increased importance of maintenance in industry, these companies need to be able to evaluate and improve their organization. One way of doing this is the use of a maturity model, specifically a maintenance maturity model. Recent literature shows that maintenance maturity models are developed and their need is recognized, but these papers mostly focus on large enterprises. SMEs often have limited resources and technological knowledge, as compared to large enterprises. This is the reason that existing maintenance maturity models are not applicable for SMEs. This research focuses on the development of a maturity assessment tool for SMEs, the implementation of such a maturity assessment tool and the consequences for determining a long-term improvement strategy. Design Science Research is used as base for the development of a new maturity matrix. Several development methods are combined in a roadmap which features important decision points. The main goal of the research is to provide more insight in the maintenance organization and the methods for improving this organization. A maturity matrix is preferred over a maturity model in the context of SMEs. The main result of the research is a new maturity matrix which is used as assessment tool in a case study company. The assessment is performed as self-assessment in a group workshop. This assessment is evaluated according to DSR guidelines and success criteria set up in the research. One important observation is that often it is not useful for SMEs to achieve world-class maturity as compared to a lower maturity. The application of the newly developed maturity matrix shows that it is possible for SMEs to self-assess their maintenance maturity level and that this method creates insight into different choices and routes that SMEs can take to grow towards world-class maintenance maturity.
Item Type:Essay (Master)
Faculty:ET: Engineering Technology
Subject:52 mechanical engineering
Programme:Mechanical Engineering MSc (60439)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/99961
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