Abstract:
ABSTRACT
Identification and development of appropriate maintenance measures are viable means for engendering Maintenance Effectiveness (ME) excellence. Appropriate modelling approach can provoke development of these measures to improve ME in Tanzania Public Training Institutions (TPTI) which currently suffer from low equipment availability due to ineffective maintenance.
The purpose of undertaking this research on investigation of factors affecting maintenance effectiveness in TPTI was to identify the factors, develop ME model, and propose improvement strategies. The study adopted: qualitative approach for data collection and quantitative for quantifying the problem. Questionnaires were used to collect data from DIT, CoET, and WDMI. Data were identified through literature review and fishbone diagram. Data were analysed using multiple regression analysis and SPSS software, version 20. The developed model was validated using data from DIT. The reliability and validity of the model was tested by comparing control block and treatment block data method. Through statistical tests, the model was found reliable and valid.
The case study identified thirty factors affecting ME in TPTI that were clustered into six groups which are; maintenance strategies, human resources, functional quality, spare parts, equipment & machinery, and management. However, from the broad range of factors used, the best predictors of maintenance effectiveness were found to be: management commitment, maintenance awareness, wages of personnel, experience of personnel, quality of spare parts, dimensional accuracy of spare parts, material strength of spare parts, tangibility of maintenance resources, equipment failure rates, maintenance organisation structure, and maintenance resources allocation. These explanatory variables integrated by the developed model can explain 63.6% of the variance in ME. Validation of the model confirmed that it is reliable and valid. The findings suggest that if TPTI implement these measures can improve maintenance effectiveness.
The developed model can be used by TPTI for predicting and exploring opportunities towards improving maintenance effectiveness. Also the findings can be used by other similar institutions. In addition to all model-included factors, the identified crucial strategies should also be used for improving ME, These are: establishing maintenance policy, maintenance budget management, assigning jobs to staff based on skills, keeping equipment history, and maintenance programme. Also, further study is recommended on: Factors affecting Maintenance Effectiveness using larger sample size.