Exploring maintenance strategies in Chinese product manufacturing companies
Journal
Management Research News
ISSN
0140-9174
ISSN-Digital
1758-6135
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2008-12
Author(s)
Gebauer, Heiko
;
Puetz, Felix
;
Fischer, Thomas
;
Wang, Chunzhi
;
Lin, Jie
Abstract
Chinese manufacturing companies are increasingly challenging their international counterparts with attractive cost and price advantages. In addition, Chinese manufacturing companies invest heavily in extending their competitive priorities from attractive prices toward innovativeness, customer service, quality, and flexibility. Unfortunately, existing research has been paying very little attention on the operations management of Chinese manufacturing firms. This paper fills part of this knowledge gap by exploring maintenance strategies for the manufacturing equipment in Chinese firms. The results suggest that despite increasing competitive capabilities, the maintenance strategies are often restricted to corrective maintenance. Only very few Chinese firms have already implemented predictive maintenance strategies or even total productive maintenance programs. A similar argument applies for the outsourcing of maintenance activities. Most Chinese firms do not benefit from strategic outsourcing of maintenance services to third party external service providers or suppliers of manufacturing equipment.
Language
English
Keywords
maintenance service
service China
service strategy
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
Emerald
Publisher place
Bingley
Volume
31
Number
12
Start page
234
End page
234
Pages
1
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Eprints ID
40573