Strategic dimensions of maintenance management

The contemporary business environment has raised the strategic importance of the maintenance function in organizations which have significant investment in physical assets. Four strategic dimensions of maintenance management are identified, namely service‐delivery options, organization and work structuring, maintenance methodology and support systems. The alternatives available are reviewed: the guidelines for selection of these alternatives, the key decision areas in each of the four dimensions, as well as the critical success factors for the transformation process are discussed. The two factors that permeate in these strategic dimensions are human factors and information flow; the latter can be made more efficient by embracing the e‐maintenance model.