AGILE FACILITIES MAINTENANCE APPROACH TO

APPAREL SECTOR IN SRI LANKA

Thenuwara Hannadige Wathsala Chamini

(132406U)

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Honours

Degree of Bachelor of Science in Facilities Management

Department of Building Economics

University of Moratuwa
Sri Lanka

January 2018
DECLARATION
Declaration, copyright statement and the statement of the supervisor

“I declare that this is my own work and this dissertation does not incorporate without
acknowledgement any material previously submitted for a Degree or Diploma in any
other University or institute of higher learning and to the best of my knowledge and
belief it does not contain any material previously published or written by another
person except where the acknowledgement is made in the text.

Further, I acknowledge the intellectual contribution of my research supervisor, Dr.

(Mrs.) Y.G. Sandanayake for the successful completion of this research dissertation. I
affirm that I will not make any publication from this research without the name of my
research supervisor as contributing author unless otherwise I have obtained written
consent from my supervisor.

Also, I hereby grant to University of Moratuwa the non-exclusive right to reproduce

and distribute my dissertation, in whole or in part in print, electronic or other medium.
I retain the right to use this content in whole or part in future works (such as articles
or books)”.

…………………………….. ………………….……...

T.H.W. Chamini Date

The above candidate has carried out research for the Bachelors Dissertation under my
supervision.

…………………………….. ………………………...

Dr. (Mrs.) Y.G. Sandanayake Date

Dissertation Supervisor

Page | i
ABSTRACT

Agile Facilities Maintenance Approach to Apparel Sector in Sri Lanka

Facilities Management (FM) is an upcoming profession, which strongly supports the primary
objectives of the organization by managing, improving and adapting the non-core functions.
In FM life cycle, facilities maintenance gets more attention since it is the longest phase of a
facility and it acts as a key supportive function of the organization. Facilities maintenance is
not just a supportive function since industry practitioners have revealed that an effective
maintenance system plays a drastic role to gain competitive advantage and they opted to adopt
strategic changes in maintenance approaches.

The unpredictable nature of the facilities maintenance and its impact on sustaining in the
rapidly changing competitive environment has pressurized industry practitioners to develop
novel maintenance approaches. Throughout the past several decades, many maintenance
management models were emerged to improve the maintenance performance. Based on the
reliability and maintainability studies few researchers emphasize the fact that there is a
prominent issue on controlling maintenance uncertainties. Many researchers evident that agile
manufacturing have been broadly used in the manufacturing sector and it focuses on market
responsiveness while thriving in an unpredictable environment. Therefore, this study aims to
develop an agile facilities maintenance (AFM) approach by integrating agile manufacturing
and facilities maintenance in order to withstand the unpredictable maintenance requirements.

The qualitative research approach was undertaken to accomplish the research aim. A
comprehensive literature review followed by six case studies were carried out to identify the
applicability of agile concept to facilities maintenance in depending on their current level
maintenance practices. In turn, respondents’ inputs were analysed by using manual and code-
based content analysis. Data collection was limited to Sri Lankan apparel sector. The scope of
the study is limited to facilities maintenance and agile considerations further limited to agile
principles, strategy, processes, linkages, people in investigating the applicability of agile
concept to facilities maintenance.

The results demonstrate that there is a great synergy between agile and facilities maintenance
and therefore an integrated AFM concept was developed with the implementation approach.
This research offers five AFM concepts including AFM principles, AFM strategy, AFM
processes, AFM linkages and AFM people. As the more responsive and flexible maintenance
approach, AFM produce substantial benefits such as less downtime driven to zero
maintenance, become more responsiveness, able to face market dynamics to beat global
competitiveness a name to few. Lack of management skills, technological limitations and lack
of workforce experience are the key barriers to implementing AFM that can be overcome
through maintenance virtual enterprises, maintenance distributed teams and maintenance
partnerships. Finally, this integrated AFM enables to address maintenance uncertainties.

Keywords: Agile Manufacturing, Facilities Maintenance, Unpredictable Nature, Agile

Facilities Maintenance (AFM) Approach, Quick-responsiveness, Flexibility, Apparel Sector

Page | ii
DEDICATION

To my beloved
parents, the hidden
pillars of my every
success!

Page | iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Looking back towards the journey I came through, wish to avail myself of this
opportunity to express a sense of gratitude to the pillar that raised me high.

First and foremost, I convey my humble gratitude to my dissertation supervisor Dr.

Y.G. Sandanyake, Head, Department of Building Economics for her tremendous
commitment given towards the dissertations and sharing opulent knowledge and
experience throughout the research journey to enlighten my way. Without her
exemplary guidance, this research may not become a success.

I am grateful to Ms. Udara Ranasinghe, my assistant supervisor of the research for her
valuable support and constant monitoring. I make this a moment to express my sincere
gratitude to the members of the academic staff of Department of Building Economics
who contributed to this research in many ways. Similarly, I thank the non-academic
staff, for their support given to us in various forms.

My sincere gratitude is extended to all the interviews and industry practitioners who
facilitated data collection for this research and assisted in many ways to deliver the
final outcome of this study.

I express my deep admiration to my beloved batchmates who stood for me whenever

I was in need throughout these four years in the university. Finally, I bow my head to
my parents and family for their sacrifices and unconditional love and care on me.

Chamini T.H.W.

January 2018

Page | iv
TABLE OF CONTENT

DECLARATION .......................................................................................................... i

ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................. ii

DEDICATION ............................................................................................................ iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .......................................................................................... iv

TABLE OF CONTENT ............................................................................................... v

LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................... x

LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................... xi

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................................... xii

CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................... 1

1.0 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................ 1

1.1 Background ................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Problem Statement ........................................................................................ 3

1.3 Aim and Objectives ....................................................................................... 4

1.4 Research Methodology .................................................................................. 4

1.5 Scope and Limitations ................................................................................... 4

1.6 Chapter Breakdown ....................................................................................... 5

1.7 Chapter Summary .......................................................................................... 5

CHAPTER TWO .................................................................................................. 6

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................... 6

2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................... 6

2.2 Facilities Management .................................................................................. 6

2.2.1 Importance of maintenance in facilities management lifecycle ............. 7

Page | v
 2.2.2 The role of FM in maintenance .............................................................. 8

2.3 The Concept of Maintenance ........................................................................ 9

2.4 Maintenance Management Process ............................................................. 11

2.5 Maintenance Approaches ............................................................................ 12

2.5.1 Corrective maintenance (CM).............................................................. 12

2.5.2 Preventive maintenance (PM) .............................................................. 13

2.5.3 Condition-based maintenance (CBM) ................................................. 13

2.5.4 Predictive maintenance (PdM) ............................................................. 14

2.5.5 Reliability-centred maintenance (RCM) .............................................. 14

2.5.6 Total productive maintenance (TPM) .................................................. 14

2.5.7 Computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) ............... 15

2.5.8 Maintenance outsourcing ..................................................................... 15

2.5.9 Effectiveness centred maintenance (ECM) .......................................... 15

2.5.10 Strategic maintenance management (SMM) ........................................ 16

2.5.11 Risk-based maintenance....................................................................... 16

2.6 Issues in Existing Maintenance Approaches ............................................... 16

2.7 Necessity of Novel Maintenance Approach ................................................ 18

2.8 The Agile Concept ...................................................................................... 19

2.8.1 Agile principles .................................................................................... 20

2.8.2 Agile reference model .......................................................................... 22

2.8.3 Agile enablers ...................................................................................... 23

2.8.4 Agile barriers ....................................................................................... 24

2.8.5 Agile concept in service sector ............................................................ 25

2.9 Importance of Integrating Agile Concept to Facilities Maintenance .......... 25

2.10 Agile Facilities Maintenance (AFM) Conceptual Model ........................ 26

2.11 Chapter Summary .................................................................................... 27

Page | vi
CHAPTER THREE ............................................................................................ 28

3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ............................................................. 28

3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 28

3.2 Research Design .......................................................................................... 28

3.3 Research Approach ..................................................................................... 28

3.4 Research Process ......................................................................................... 29

3.4.1 Background study ................................................................................ 30

3.4.2 Literature review .................................................................................. 30

3.4.3 Case studies approach .......................................................................... 31

3.4.4 Data collection methods ....................................................................... 32

3.4.5 Data analysis ........................................................................................ 33

3.5 Chapter Summary ........................................................................................ 33

CHAPTER FOUR ............................................................................................... 34

4.0 DATA COLLECTION, ANALYSIS & RESEARCH FINDINGS ........ 34

4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 34

4.2 Case Studies ................................................................................................ 34

4.3 Research Findings and Discussion .............................................................. 35

4.3.1 Current practice of facilities maintenance in Sri Lankan apparel sector

……………………………………………………………………….. 35

4.3.1.1 Maintenance activities .................................................................. 36

4.3.1.2 Maintenance approaches ............................................................... 36

4.3.1.3 Maintenance management process ............................................... 37

4.3.1.4 Maintenance performance measurement (MPM) system ............. 38

4.3.1.5 Maintenance process improvement techniques ............................ 39

Page | vii
 4.3.1.6 Barriers in existing maintenance approaches ............................... 40

4.3.2 Maintenance practitioner’s awareness on Agile Concept .................... 42

4.3.3 Current level practice of agile concept in facilities maintenance ........ 42

4.3.4 Enablers to apply agile concept to facilities maintenance in Sri Lankan

apparel sector ....................................................................................... 43

4.3.5 Barrier to apply agile concept to facilities maintenance in Sri Lankan

apparel sector ....................................................................................... 46

4.3.6 Strategies to overcome agile barriers ................................................... 47

4.3.7 Applicability of agile concept to facilities maintenance ...................... 49

4.3.7.1 Applicability of agile principles to facilities maintenance ........... 51

4.3.7.2 Applicability of agile strategy to facilities maintenance .............. 55

4.3.7.3 Applicability of agile processes to facilities maintenance ............ 57

4.3.7.4 Applicability of agile linkages to facilities maintenance .............. 60

4.3.7.5 Applicability of agile people to facilities maintenance ................ 63

4.3.8 Benefits of AFM Approach.................................................................. 65

4.3.9 Development of Agile Facilities Maintenance (AFM) Approach ....... 67

4.3.10 Chapter Summary ................................................................................ 71

CHAPTER FIVE ................................................................................................. 73

5.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................................... 73

5.1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 73

5.2 Overview of the Research and Conclusions ................................................ 73

5.3 Recommendations for Industry Practitioner ............................................... 77

5.4 Recommendations for Academic Research ................................................. 77

Page | viii
REFERENCES ......................................................................................................... 78

ANNEXURE I: INTERVIEW GUIDELINE ........................................................ 93

ANNEXURE II: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT .................................................. 102

Page | ix
LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.1: Chapter Breakdown ................................................................................... 5

Figure 2.1: Agile Facilities Maintenance (AFM) Conceptual Model ........................ 26
Figure 3.1: Research Process ..................................................................................... 30
Figure 4.1: Coding Structure of Maintenance Activities ........................................... 36
Figure 4.2: Coding Structure of Maintenance Management Process......................... 38
Figure 4.3: Coding Structure of MPM Techniques.................................................... 39
Figure 4.4: Coding Structure of Maintenance Process Improvement Techniques .... 40
Figure 4.5: Benefits of AFM Approach ..................................................................... 66
Figure 4.6: Agile Facilities Maintenance (AFM) Approach ...................................... 68

Page | x
LIST OF TABLES

Table 2.1: Maintenance Issues ................................................................................... 17

Table 2.2: Agile Principles......................................................................................... 21
Table 2.3: Four Quadrants in Agile Reference Model ............................................... 22
Table 2.4: Agile Barriers ............................................................................................ 24
Table 4.1: Profile of the Selected Factories and Respondents ................................... 34
Table 4.2: Maintenance Approaches .......................................................................... 37
Table 4.3: Barriers in Existing Maintenance Approaches ......................................... 40
Table 4.4: Maintenance Practitioner’s Awareness on Agile Concept ....................... 42
Table 4.5: Enablers to apply Agile concept for Facilities Maintenance .................... 45
Table 4.6: Strategies to Overcome Agile Barriers ..................................................... 47
Table 4.7: Applicability of Agile Principles to Facilities Maintenance ..................... 52
Table 4.8: Applicability of Agile Strategy to Facilities Maintenance ....................... 56
Table 4.9: Applicability of Agile Processes to Facilities Maintenance ..................... 58
Table 4.10: Applicability of Agile Linkages to Facilities Maintenance .................... 62
Table 4.11: Applicability of Agile People to Facilities Maintenance ........................ 64
Table 4.12: Benefits of AFM Approach .................................................................... 66

Page | xi
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

Abbreviation Description

AFM Agile Facilities Maintenance

AM Agile Manufacturing

BMS Building Management System

CBM Condition Based Monitoring

CMMS Computerized Maintenance Management Systems

ECM Effectiveness Centred Maintenance

FM Facilities Management

PaM Proactive Maintenance

PdM Predictive Maintenance

PM Preventive Maintenance

RCM Reliability Centred Maintenance

TBM Time Based Maintenance

TPM Total Productive Maintenance

TQM Total Quality Management

Page | xii
 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

Globalization has driven professionals to instigate a comprehensive rethinking and

restructuring of all business processes (Weerasinghe & Sandanayake, 2017). In this
context, Facilities management (FM) has become one of the rapidly-growing
professions during last decade as a result of the revolution in integrated lifecycle
management of built assets with respect to the client’s diverse needs and demands
(Chen, 2015). Cardellino and Finch (2006) highlighted that FM is a sector dominated
primarily by “service innovation”.

Cotts, Roper and Payant (2009) established facilities management lifecycle with the
composition of four key stages as (a) planning, (b) acquisition, (c) operations and
maintenance, and (d) disposition. Among them, facilities maintenance become more
and more crucial operation of any organization because the nature of its tasks impact
on the effectiveness of user organizations, productivity enhancement and employee’s
wellness (Wireman, 2004). In past few years, the proportion of employees’
contribution to the maintenance activities and the proportion of maintenance
expenditure out of total operation cost has grown in an accelerated rate (Garg &
Deshmukh, 2010).

The study of Pintelon, Pinjala and Vereecke (2006) shown that how world-class
companies improving their competitive advantage by employing maintenance
capabilities. Further to authors, among 46 respondents, 71 percent of them take
maintenance as an ideal tool could be used for improving the competitive advantage
of the company. According to Sinha (2015), maintenance operations and procedures
are faced the highest level of uncertainty due to its unpredictable nature. Moreover,
Mohideen and Ramachandran (2014) identified the unpredictable failure of plant and
equipment and components as a key attribute of maintenance breakdowns. These
unpredictable failures may lead to create high losses (Todinov, 2006). This
unpredictable nature in maintenance disable firms to perform against competitiveness.

Page | 1
Potdar, Routroy and Behera (2017a) revealed that there were many industries it is a
difficult time in the economically sustainable pursuit of a rapidly changing competitive
environment. According to Leite and Braz (2016), the multidisciplinary management
philosophies have made a significant difference in the competitiveness of the business
world. In this context, there is a growth potential to find a new source of paradigm to
respond the competitive turbulent environment. Afterwards, this trend has been
promoted as a new paradigm called “agility” which provide the answer for maintaining
competitive advantage (Sharifi & Zhang, 2001).

Accordingly, agility concept was introduced with a special attention on agile

manufacturing by researchers of Iacocca Institute (Iacocca Institue, as cited in Bottani,
2010) and it was propounded in 1991 at Lehigh University (Gunasekaran, 1998). In
manufactures point of view, agile manufacturing defined by Sindhwani and Malhotra
(2017) as an emerging theory in an industry that aims to accomplish flexibility and
responsiveness in an unpredictable turbulent environment whereas generating
maximum yield. Denning (2016) highlighted that philosophy of agility enables firms
to sustain and prosper in an environment of continuous and unpredicted changes.

It was evident that literature provides several aspects in agile concept. Accordingly,
Cooke (2014) identified twelve core principles in agile that enable organizations to
create an efficient working environment, to handle works in given budgets, to
encourage employees, to promote innovations and deliver tangible outcomes and add
high business-value outcomes on time. Similarly, Meredith and Francis (2000) present
the agile reference model presented by comprising four key quadrants as agile strategy,
agile processes, agile linkages and agile people.

Moreover, Gunasekara (2001) identified seven key enablers of agile manufacturing as

virtual enterprise, rapid partnership, physically distributed teams, concurrent
engineering, integrated product/ production/ business information system, rapid
prototyping, and electronic commerce whereas Moradlou and Asadi (2015)
highlighted mainly three categories of agile barriers as lack of management skills,
technological limitations and lack of workforce.

Page | 2
Integration of agile concept with the service sector, make new service philosophy as
agile services. Raman and Bharadwaj (2017) stated that “agile services are services,
which are delivered proactively by responding to unanticipated service needs including
the idiosyncratic needs of the customers” (p.5). Phogat et al. (2017) believed that in
order to develop and accomplish the maintenance models it is a necessity to change
organization outlook and need to welcome novel practices and cultural changes.
Hence, the collaboration of agile concept and facilities maintenance could create
innovative space for modern maintenance approaches to face maintenance
uncertainties, which impact to the firm’s competitiveness in turbulent environments.

1.2 Problem Statement

The success of core business of an organization highly depends on its non-core

business functions, since these supportive services are considered as the main pillars
of organization’s continuous operation. Based on the industrial findings, facilities
maintenance becomes a more crucial aspect of any organization as it has a direct
impact on the core business. Many researchers including Parida and Kumar (2009)
identified different maintenance approaches have evolved during the past years and
technology has faced radical change. Recently, ‘organizational flexibility’ has been
revealed as a novel trend for business world (Garg & Deshmukh, 2010). Moreover,
Sieger, Badiru and Milatovic (2000) concluded that many organizations have realized
the necessity of being able to respond quickly to unexpected changes from customer
demands in a cost-effective way. With that trend, supportive functions such as facilities
maintenance also require being designed for flexibility to respond to changing
circumstances. Many authors identified that agile concept has been practised for half
a century in the manufacturing industry with an aim to cope with changing markets,
increasing global competition and ever-changing customer demands.

Hence, the agile concept could enhance the flexibility and responsiveness of facilities
maintenance practices to beat firm’s competition. However, there is lack of a study on
the applicability of agile concept to facilities maintenance. There is, therefore, a need
to investigate the applicability and way of integrating agile concept to facilities
maintenance in order to withstand competitive in unpredictable situations.

Page | 3
1.3 Aim and Objectives

The aim of this research is to develop an agile facilities maintenance (AFM) approach
to Sri Lankan apparel sector. Empowering agile facilities maintenance (AFM)
approach will assist to perform facilities maintenance function in unpredictable nature
while enhancing the firm’s competitiveness. Towards this aim, following objectives
are considered as pillars.

1. Review,
o Facilities Maintenance
o Agile concept and principles, Agile manufacturing and agile in service
sector, enablers and barriers of agile implementation
2. Identify the current facilities maintenance practices in Sri Lankan apparel
sector
3. Investigate the applicability of agile concept to facilities maintenance in Sri
Lankan apparel sector
4. Integrate agile principles, strategies, processes, linkages and people related to
facilities maintenance into an approach

1.4 Research Methodology

Towards achieving the aim, which is to develop an agile facilities maintenance (AFM)
approach to Sri Lankan apparel sector, qualitative research approach was undertaken.
Comprehensive literature review findings were employed to develop the conceptual
model for empirical investigation. Data collection was undertaken through case studies
with the aid of unstructured interviews, documentary review and observations. Six (06)
apparel manufacturing factories were selected as for case studies. Collected data were
analysed using manual content analysis and code-based content analysis.

1.5 Scope and Limitations

The scope of this study is limited to facilities maintenance. The agile considerations
further limited to agile principles, strategy, processes, linkages, people in investigating
the applicability of agile concept to facilities maintenance. Data collection was limited
to apparel sector.

Page | 4
1.6 Chapter Breakdown

The flow of the report is illustrated in Figure 1.1. It consists of five chapters and
contribution of each chapter towards achieving above mentioned aim and objectives.

Chapter 1 Introduction

Objective 1

Chapter 2 Literature Review

Chapter 3 Research Methodology

Data Collection, Analysis and Objectives

Chapter 4
Research Findings 2, 3 & 4

Conclusions and
Chapter 5
Recommendations

Figure 1.1: Chapter Breakdown

1.7 Chapter Summary

The aim of this research is to develop an agile facilities maintenance (AFM) approach
to Sri Lankan apparel sector. Even though there is a huge improvement in
maintenance, there are many challenges found in maintenance such as the
unpredictable environment in maintenance. Operational management philosophy
named as agile manufacturing selected to overcome identified issues. In turn, this
chapter summarized the information on background study, problem statement, aim and
objectives, scope and limitations of the research. Moreover, the research methodology
was undertaken in briefly since it provides a methodological framework to accomplish
the aim and objectives of the research study. At the end, chapter breakdown of the
research is shown in graphical format by illustrating the individual contribution of each
chapter in accomplishing the objectives of the research study.

Page | 5
 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction

This chapter brings forward existing literature on research field in order to provide
background to the research and to establish the research problem. Literature findings
originate with the multidisciplinary concept of facilities management (FM) to address
its contribution towards the facilities maintenance. In turn, facilities maintenance was
reviewed in a different point of views. Later part of this chapter described the necessity
of novel maintenance approach with aid of operations management philosophy: Agile
Manufacturing (AM). The chapter finally developed a conceptual model for empirical
investigation.

2.2 Facilities Management

Facilities Management is recognized as one of the upcoming professions in UK and

was one of the key strategies to address cost cutting problems during the 1970s as a
result of upgrading service outsourcing (Nazali Mohd Noor & Pitt, 2009). Without any
doubt, most of the business entities accept that FM can offer a number of benefits
including competitive advantage, efficiency, productivity and cost savings within an
organization (Steenhuizen, Flores-Colen, Reitsma & Lo, 2014). According to an oft-
cited definition given by Barrett and Baldry (2003), FM is “an integrated approach to
operating, maintaining, improving and adapting the buildings and infrastructure of an
organization in order to create an environment that strongly supports the primary
objectives of that organization” (p. xi).

As a novel profession in a business context, facilities management gives proper

direction to the organizational objectives and mission by employing its
multidisciplinary functions (Myeda, 2014). An efficient facilities management is
recognized as the contributing factor of an entire business success and it contributes to
the convey of both strategic and operational goals. Atkin and Brooks (2009)
highlighted that organizations have studied the distinction between core business and

Page | 6
non-core business activities as the means of attaining customer satisfaction and best
value.

2.2.1 Importance of maintenance in facilities management lifecycle

Cotts, Roper and Payant (2009) developed facilities management lifecycle consisting
four key stages as (a) planning, (b) acquisition, (c) operations and maintenance, and
(d) disposition.

In the planning phase, project team primarily focused on to prepare the project plan as
a key result of the planning stage (Zwikael, 2009). Considering the acquisition stage,
for smaller facilities departments, all or part of the requirements on space,
construction, operations, maintenance, and repair requirements of the landowner
accomplish through the lease agreement (Cotts, Roper & Payant, 2009). The same
author highlighted that, in large-scale facilities departments managing its functions
such as design, construction, or alterations may carry out by outsourcing parties while
keeping their administration and operational control on facilities manager’s hand.
During the effective lifetime of a facility, it is occupied, operated, maintained, and
repaired.

According to Cotts, Roper and Payant (2009), operations and maintenance is the
longest phase of facilities management life cycle, which often takes 15–25 times
longer than all other phases for usual building use. Further, Wu et al. (2006) revealed
that maintenance and operating costs were found to be about five times the capital
expenditure and the business operating costs may be two hundred times its capital cost
during the whole lifetime of the building. Therefore, these figures prove that the
significant of operation and maintenance phase in the FM life cycle. Disposal is the
final stage of the FM life cycle. Wilcocks and Strydom (2002) defined disposal “as
any event, act, forbearance or operation of law that results in the creation, variation,
transfer or extinction of an asset” (p. 313).

Apart from the before mentioned life cycle, there is some literature explains the life
cycle in different ways. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) established
the well-defined processes to perform the construction projects (RIBA, as cited in

Page | 7
Shen, Li Hao, Tam & Yao, 2007). The RIBA Plan of Work 2013 contains eight stages
illustrated by the numbers 0-7 as a strategic definition, preparation and brief, concept
design, developed the design, technical design, construction, handover and close out
and in use.

Rondeau, Brown and Lapides (2006) explain the building process functions as
planning, design, working drawings, construction, test/start-up and operations
maintenance. According to authors, the building process function, the initial five stages
including planning, design, working drawings, construction and test/start-up are
spending 1-5 years while operations and maintenance stage is consuming 30-50 years
out of the total building life cycle. In another typical description of project lifecycle by
Shen, Li Hao, Tam and Yao (2007) suggested five key steps as inception, design,
construction, operation and demolition. The above discussion highlights the
importance of maintenance in building life cycle.

2.2.2 The role of FM in maintenance

Dekker (1996) point out that maintenance cost can be the second largest expenditure
next to the energy expense of the operational budget. On the other hand, Blanchard
(1997) stated that with the adaptation of new technologies, the advent of more robotic
and automation, the introduction of computer-aided devices, maintenance cost are
likely to be increased in the future. Therefore, the strategic and financial significance
of maintenance function towards organization is increasingly realized by business
owners and managers (Khazraei & Deuse, 2011).

Hence, maintenance has given central focus due to competitive pressure on the
organization (Fraser, 2014). Gradually, authors have taken the effort to develop FM
definition by spreading its scope to cover the whole life cycle of property including
designing, building, financing and operating (Tay & Ooi, 2001). The role of facilities
management in maintenance has identified by Lewis and Payant (2007) through
defining FM as “the effort expended to provide complete operations and maintenance
service support so that a physical facility (buildings, equipment, machinery, system,
and grounds) may operate an optimum lowest overall total cost” (p.125).

Page | 8
Further, a major role of facilities management is to ensure the usability, reliability and
safety of the assets being managed. The matters of maintenance and operations should
be regarded and addressed early in the development of the company’s corporate and
facility management strategy (Rondeau, Brown & Lapides, 2006). The outsourcing is
becoming more popular in many industries to operate the complex facilities (Lok &
Baldry, 2016). Rondeau, Brown and Lapides (2006) highlighted that there is an
important consideration in outsourcing the maintenance and operations functions, and
this interest is rapidly growing into joint ventures formed by corporations with
facilities management organizations. The decision on selecting a third-party
maintenance and operations firm for an organization is part of the FM’s job.
Sometimes, facilities manager’s memory becomes more powerful rather than a
detailed conditioned assessment of the property when making decisions on selection
of the replacement and repair maintenance projects (Chandrashekaran &
Gopalakrishnan, 2008).

Lewis and Payant (2007) summarized the facilities manager’s maintenance

responsibilities as planning, estimating, scheduling, evaluation, and action. Facilities
management department is further responsible for the preparation of relevant
operational budgets and comprehensive recordkeeping on the purchase of maintenance
and repair supply items, risk management and compliance with regulatory
requirements and laws (Rondeau, Brown & Lapides, 2006).

2.3 The Concept of Maintenance

In the business world, maintenance recognizes as an important contributor to big

investments in physical assets and perform a major role in achieving desired outcomes
(Tsang, 2002). In general, the term “maintenance” is referred to amplify set of
activities that are used to keep a facility in “as-built” condition and to have its original
productive capacity throughout the lifecycle (Dhillon & Liu, 2006; Reason, 2000).
According to the Maintenance Engineering Society of Australia [MESA] (as cited in
Muchiri, Pintelon, Gelders & Martin, 2011), maintenance is an “Engineering decisions
and associated actions, necessary and sufficient for optimization of specified
equipment capability” (p. 295).

Page | 9
Another aspect defined by Lewis and Payant (2007) is, maintenance comprises all
work referring to the economic preservation of facilities, systems, and tools at an
acceptable level to perform their desired functions. Similarly, Aryee (2011) also
expressed his perspective towards maintenance as it is an investment because doing
maintenance today is resulted in get more benefits in the future rather than not doing
maintenance.

When going through the maintenance concept, literature proved that there is an
upcoming trend in building maintenance. Olanrewaju, Idrus and Khamidi (2011)
highlighted that over the 90 percent of the building lifecycle needs an active
maintenance since no building is maintenance free. Buildings are becoming the most
value-added assets of a nation to support people with providing shelter and facilities
for work and relaxation (Amaratunga et al., 2010). Building maintenance acts a vital
role in the whole design and construction process of buildings (Shabha, 2003). The
building maintenance is a big business and must be managed in well-manner. The term
of “Building Maintenance” defined by British Standard Institution as “work
undertaken in order to keep or restore every facilities, i.e. every part of a site, building
and contents to an acceptable standard” (BS 3811, as cited in Allen, 1993, p.17).

Moreover, Alner and Fellows (as cited in Horner, El-Haram & Munns, 1997, p.273)
indicated the objectives of building maintenance as to: ensure that the buildings and
their associated services are in a safe condition; ensure that the buildings are fit for
use; ensure that the condition of the building meets all statutory requirements; carry
out the maintenance work necessary to maintain the value of the physical assets of the
building stock; and carry out the work necessary to maintain the quality of the building.
The attention towards building maintenance has improved after the Second World War
due to massive renovation in housing stock (Lind & Muyingo, 2012).

Lai and Yik (2007) relies the performance of buildings based on the good practices on
operation and maintenance of facilities, normally consist service installations such as
air-conditioning, electrical, fire protection, and plumbing and drainage installations.
The novel green technologies such as resources recycling, energy recovery and
utilization of renewable energy are engaged with the modern buildings and all these

Page | 10
buildings, whether old or new, that not be sustainable without right operations and
maintenance (O&M) (Lai, 2010). Tan, Shen, Langston, Lu and CH Yam (2014)
suggested that effective maintenance of building not only ensure a safe and
comfortable environment for people but also span building life cycle and enhances
performance on sustainability especially in term of material reuse.

2.4 Maintenance Management Process

Optimization of total asset lifecycle is recognized as the primary objective of

maintenance management (Velmurugan & Dhingra, 2015). Coetzee (1999) explains
that maintenance cycle is a comprehensive model that describes the internal processes
of the maintenance organization. Different authors have been used different methods
to present maintenance management process.

According to Campbell (1995), maintenance management process can be outlined as

work identification, planning, scheduling and execution. Muchiri, Pintelon, Martin and
De Meyer (2010) explained that work identification involves with identifying the right
work to be performed at the right time by the maintenance team. Maintenance work
can be identified through the preventive, predictive and failure finding work orders
that are normally generated by proactive maintenance (Sharma & Shudhanshu, 2012).
Most of the planning tasks provide answers for “what has to be done, in what sequence,
and with what skills” (Campbell, 1995). Establish maintenance policy, define
maintenance procedure, set-up objective and business planning recognized as the sub-
processes of management planning in maintenance cycle (Coetzee, 1999). Moreover,
Coetzee (1999) stated that maintenance policy gives the clear picture of the design of
the maintenance cycle to the particular organization. Soderholm et al. (2007) identified
that maintenance plan is a primary outcome of maintenance planning.

Sinha (2015) explained that maintenance actions cannot be carried out at

simultaneously due to the lack of resources in term of human resources, equipment to
maintain. Therefore, the activities of maintenance should be aligned in an appropriate
manner which is called maintenance schedule. Parida and Kumar (2006) discuss the
“Work Scheduling” can evaluate all resources need to complete the work and timeline
for excusing it. According to Parida and Kumar (2006), work execution is carried out

Page | 11
at specified intervals and places accordance with the maintenance plan. Towards
successful completion of the maintenance cycle, effective work execution is the
primary concern in order to achieve required equipment condition and performance
(Nestic, Djordjevic, Aleksic, Macuzic & Stefanovic, 2013).

2.5 Maintenance Approaches

A maintenance approach can also be called as a strategy or concept, that is a mix of

policies and techniques which differ from organization to organization depending on
the factors consisting maintenance objectives, nature of the organization and
equipment to be maintained, workflow and the work environment (Gallimore &
Penlesky, 1988; Pintelon & Gelders, 1992). Maintenance strategy recognized as a
systematic approach to upgrading both facilities and equipment (Velmurugan &
Dhingra, 2015), which link various types of tasks include actions, procedures,
resources and time (Phogat & Gupta, 2017).

Garg and Deshmukh (2006) highlighted that there are several models, techniques,
systems and approaches that support and facilitate maintenance management of
activities, resources, and decisions. Moubray (1997) explains how the maintenance
evolution has taken placed over the development of three generations from reactive
maintenance towards predictive maintenance. Similarly, Pintelon and Parodi-Herz
(2008) also discuss the evolution of maintenance concepts in different generations, i.e.
total productive maintenance (TPM), reliability centred maintenance (RCM), to name
a few.

In this context, many novel approaches and strategies are used by industry practitioners
(Simões, Gomes & Yasin, 2011), which discussed below.

2.5.1 Corrective maintenance (CM)

History of maintenance management revealed that corrective maintenance is the initial

maintenance management concept, which is born before 1950 (McKone & Weiss,
1998). Further, it is shown that an item would be repaired each period once it breaks
down and not paying significant attention for its ongoing condition to detect failure
(Jafari, Jafarian, Zareei & Zaerpour, 2008).

Page | 12
The problem with corrective maintenance is that failures may arise in unforeseen ways
and in that unpredictable condition cause to make to huge costs compared to the
expected (Lind & Muyingo, 2012). Horner, El-Haram and Munns (1997) point out two
reasons that corrective maintenance considered as too much expensive; the failure of
an item able to adversely affect other building elements and failure of an item can
create inconvenience for the user and the maintaining authority.

Notwithstanding, organizations are generally not doing preventive maintenance for the
minor failures, or for periods considerably less than one month (Vineyard, Amoako‐
Gyampah & Meredith, 2000). Therefore, corrective maintenance still takes an
important place in maintenance management.

2.5.2 Preventive maintenance (PM)

In 1950’s preventive maintenance was advocated as a best practice to minimize

failures and unplanned downtime (Dekker, 1996). According to Tsang (2002),
preventive maintenance is an action that performed on the item at the predetermined
time despite its actual condition. Unbearable cost of breakdown maintenance proves
that the necessity of preventive maintenance and this ensure the safety of equipment
and employee (Oke & Charles-Owaba, 2006). Further to authors, it was revealed that
implementing preventive maintenance scheduling is more economical option in the
long term since it is much cost effective than that of replacing broken down equipment.
Velmurugan and Dhingra (2015) argued that preventive maintenance needs should be
based on the real condition of the equipment, instead of concerning predetermined
schedule.

2.5.3 Condition-based maintenance (CBM)

In 1970's, condition monitoring came forward, applying on techniques that predict

failures using details on the actual condition of equipment and CBM confirmed to be
much beneficial than the large time-based preventive maintenance (Dekker, 1996).
Similarly, El-Ferik and Ben-Daya (2010) stated that CBM can be an optional and cost-
saving approach compared to time-based maintenance. Some of the techniques that
used in CBM highlighted by Tsang (2002) as performance-parameter analysis,
vibration monitoring, thermography, oil analysis and ferrography.

Page | 13
CBM involves predicting the faults prior to it happens, recognizing the root causes for
those failures, and avoiding those before they convert into the heave damage to the
equipment (Jafari et al., 2008).

2.5.4 Predictive maintenance (PdM)

Make a decision on whether or not maintain a system based on its condition is the
primary concern of the predictive maintenance (Garg & Deshmukh, 2006). Since data
can gather through the computer-based continuous monitoring system, it is not
required to rely upon periodic inspections to ascertain the condition of the equipment
(Moubray, 1997). However, McKone and Weiss (2002) have discussed detailed
guidelines for implementing predictive maintenance in manufacturing industry.
Authors further recommended that practitioners should not ignore the traditional
maintenance practices but adhere given guidelines to utilizing periodic maintenance
with the new technologies.

2.5.5 Reliability-centred maintenance (RCM)

Many authors have tried to develop reliability centred maintenance (RCM) concept
since 1960 (Gupta & Mishra, 2016). RCM allows formulating a maintenance strategy
by choosing the ideal mix of corrective maintenance, scheduled-based maintenance,
and CBM to fully support the ensure system reliability in any specified operational
environment (Prajapati, Bechtel & Ganesan, 2012). Identify system functions and
failures of function, failure mode and effect analysis take as important elements of
RCM (Tsang, 2002).

2.5.6 Total productive maintenance (TPM)

Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is a maintenance methodology with most

different perspectives because it takes into account people and pivotal part of total
quality management (TQM) (Tsang, 2002). As defined by Sharma and Shudhanshu
(2012) achievement of zero defects, zero failures, and zero accidents in order to clear
all losses to enables corporate structures to take as the aim of the TPM. Moreover,
Nakajima (as cited in Sharma & Shudhanshu, 2012, p. 857) who considered the father
of TPM points out that TPM aims to maximize equipment effectiveness, establishes a

Page | 14
thorough system of preventive maintenance (PM) for the equipment’s entire lifespan,
is cross-functional, implemented by various departments and involves every single
employee.

2.5.7 Computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS)

Since the early 1970s, and by the mid-1980s a large number of maintenance
organizations were employed software that developed for large mainframe computer
systems, computers have been coming forward to support the processes of
maintenance management (Pettit, as cited in Jones & Collis, 1996). The computerized
maintenance management system’s (CMMS) deliver services to support entire
maintenance process, which includes maintenance management, maintenance support
planning, maintenance planning, maintenance execution, maintenance assessment, and
maintenance improvement (Kullolli, 2008). Today, CMMS become a central
component of many organizations’ maintenance division and it supports in a different
level of in the organization hierarchy (Labib, 2004).

2.5.8 Maintenance outsourcing

Maintenance outsourcing refers to transferring in-house maintenance tasks to outside

service providers with the aim of receiving higher quality maintenance at faster, safer
and lower costs (Garg & Deshmukh, 2006). According to Campbell (1995),
outsourcing allows companies to maximize the return on their internal resources;
maintain and develop core competencies as a way of providing barriers to protect
against present and future competitors; make full use of external capabilities,
innovation and investment; and finally, provide better service, quality and cost to the
customer (p.18). Author further emphasized that many companies have been
successful in using outsourcing to gain competitive advantage

2.5.9 Effectiveness centred maintenance (ECM)

Effectiveness centred maintenance (ECM) pressures “doing the right things” rather
than “doing things right” (Garg & Deshmukh, 2006). According to Pun, Chin, Chow
and Lau (2002), ECM tends to focus on lifecycle profits and efficiency and
effectiveness of maintenance by improving the scheduled preventive maintenance.

Page | 15
Authors further explained that since the ECM enables to identify unnecessary
maintenance and save human resources, maintenance actions can be assigned properly.
Garg and Deshmukh (2006) have presented composition of ECM as people
participation, quality improvement, and maintenance strategy development and
performance measurement.

2.5.10 Strategic maintenance management (SMM)

Garg and Deshmukh (2006) introduce another maintenance approach as strategic

maintenance management (SMM) that consider maintenance as a multi-disciplinary
activity. Further to authors, SMM able to withstand some of the shortcomings of RCM
and TPM approaches as these do not address issues like operating load on the
equipment and its effect on the degradation process, long-term strategic issues and
outsourcing of maintenance, etc. Since this approach more quantitative, tends to use
mathematical models that integrate technical, commercial and operational aspects in
business viewpoint, SMM seems to be a much different approach (Garg & Deshmukh,
2006).

2.5.11 Risk-based maintenance

Garg and Deshmukh (2006) mentioned that as a sound maintenance strategy, risk-
based maintenance fulfils the dual objectives of reducing hazards occurred due to
unpredicted equipment failure and an economic strategy. Moreover, the application of
risk-based maintenance decisions to guide when and when to perform maintenance
can be driven to accomplish optimum resources usage (Backlund & Hannu, 2002).

2.6 Issues in Existing Maintenance Approaches

Due to technical improvements in the manufacturing process, many maintenance

models have come into continuation like TPM, RCM, CBM (Phogat & Gupta, 2017).
However, Cholasuke, Bhardwa and Antony (2004) have pointed out that even after
implementation of proper maintenance models for achieving productivity goals, fail to
fulfil the performance targets due to various problems of performing the maintenance
system. In that point of view, literature has revealed several issues in maintenance as
shown in Table 2.1.

Page | 16
Table 2.1: Maintenance Issues

Maintenance Issue Identified Research Study

Manzini, Accorsi, Cennerazzo, Ferrari &
Maintenance is stochastic/ unpredictable in nature Maranesi (2015); Pintelon, Puyvelde and
Gelders (1995); Sinha (2015)
Preventive maintenance is ever-changing Paz and Leigh (1994)
Repair jobs include a dynamic diagnostic process Paz and Leigh (1994)
Key issues with organizational and workforce
Sheikhalishahi et al. (2016)
culture
Knowledge barriers on use of management tools – Adebanjo, Abbas and Mann (2010); Madritsch,
benchmarking to optimize building operational Steixner, Ostermann and Staudinger (2008);
costs Sabry Shaaban and H. Awni (2014)
Lack of linkage between maintenance objectives
Kutucuoglu et al. (2001)
and the overall corporate strategy
Inadequate information about operation and
Sliteen, Boussabaine and Catarina (2011)
maintenance cost
Bad use of preventive maintenance will result to Moseki et al. (2011); Pun et al. (2002);
raise unnecessary maintenance cost Wireman (1990)
Low interest for structured maintenance Salonen and Deleryd (2011); Sheikhalishahi et
improvement work al. (2016)
Inadequate supervision, attention/memory errors
Sheikhalishahi et al. (2016)
and decision errors
New maintenance requirements and procedures
Wentz (2014)
for unanticipated failures
Lack of training in education of engineers on
Garg and Deshmukh (2006); Moseki et al.
economics of maintenance and principles of
(2011); Singh et al. (2013)
optimization
Gap between theory and practice on maintenance
Garg and Deshmukh, (2006)
optimization models
Limited IT solutions available for operational
Garg and Deshmukh (2006)
decision support system
Challenges in maintaining equipment due to its
Cui et al. (2013)
complexity, size, competition, cost, and safety
Insufficient budget/funding for maintenance Moseki et al. (2011)
Management issue on tracking maintenance
Garg and Deshmukh (2006); Parida and Kumar
performance and performance reporting - data
(2009); Tsang, Jardine and Kolodny (1999)
accuracy and report timeliness
Lack of top management support Kumar, Singh and Shankar (2015)
Lack of staff competency and experience Moseki et al. (2011)
Spare parts for building services not locally
Moseki et al. (2011)
available
Lack of skill of maintenance managers to
Velmurugan and Dhingra (2015)
formation of maintenance strategies
Lack of commitment of employees towards
Singh and Ahuja (2014); Mosadeghrad (2014)
maintenance
Abreu, Martins, Fernandes and Zacarias
Lack of proper strategic planning and
(2013); Ding, Kamaruddin and Abdul Azid
implementation
(2014)

Page | 17
2.7 Necessity of Novel Maintenance Approach

There are various trends in business conditions, as they are changing rapidly and
continuously (Alsyouf, 2007). Hence, today’s organizations try to tackle maintenance
issues with efficient and effective maintenance approaches in order to withstand the
economic downtime in the dynamic business environment (Van Horenbeek, Pintelon
& Muchiri, 2010). Throughout the maintenance evolution, there are different
maintenance approaches have been developed and implemented (Maletic, Maletic, Al-
Najjar & Gomiscek, 2014). Even though there is a huge improvement in maintenance,
on other hand service has a wide range of scope and it was evident that there are many
challenges in maintenance (Ylipaa et al., 2017). Accordingly, Ylipää et al. (2017) state
that manufacturing industry tends to change its maintenance functions.

According to Manzini et al. (2015), unscheduled maintenance is stochastic in nature.

Similarly, Duffuaa and Al-Sultan (1999) point out that emergency breakdowns are of
unpredictable nature and its result to disrupt the maintenance schedule. Since the
maintenance requirements in complexity and stochastic nature, it is much difficult to
make a decision regarding a proper maintenance policy (Pintelon et al., 1995).
Unplanned maintenance and unpredictable failure of machines can result in decisive
impact on the efficiency of the production system (Graisa & Al‐Habaibeh, 2011).

Moreover, Mohideen and Ramachandran (2014) highlighted that unpredictable

failures and regular wear and tear of the parts cause to make equipment breakdown,
which cannot be shut off. Authors further explained that to create a trouble-free
working environment, it is mandatory have appropriate maintenance strategy. Even
though right maintenance strategy establishes, the breakdowns are inevitable and
unavoidable (Mohideen & Ramachandran, 2014).

On the other hand, the level of production can be directly or indirectly affected through
the production stoppages, breakdowns, power stoppages, shortage in manpower, lack
of materials (supply), demand (external) and others business factors (Simoes et al.,
2011). This trend can be made maintenance scheduling a dynamic and challenging
process (Paz & Leigh, 1994).

Page | 18
To execute high technical maintenance tasks, it is required flexible, co-operative and
a shared responsibility approach among production and maintenance personnel
(Richard, Tse, Ling & Fung, 2000). According to Fonseca and Knapp (2001), studies
of reliability and maintainability a few number of researchers have thoroughly
emphasized the problem of handling uncertainties. The aforementioned facts prove
that there is a void space in current maintenance management to withstand the
continuous and unpredictable nature of maintenance. Therefore, it is essential to have
novel maintenance approach to withstand in unpredictable maintenance situations,
since efficiency and effectiveness of the maintenance system is one of the key factors,
which drive organizations towards success (Mohideen & Ramachandran, 2014).

2.8 The Agile Concept

The world has faced a radical change in the beginning of the 21st century at an
accelerated rate in many areas, especially found in the manufacturing sector (Sharifi
& Zhang, 2001). Therefore, in order to keep the competitive advantage in the market,
turbulent situations and uncertainties in the business environment have laid the
pathway for the industry to create an innovative paradigm (Moradlou & Asadi, 2015).
On the other hand, there are many practitioners, who were advocating the lean concept,
had to face new challenges due to the uncertain and ever-changing nature of customer
need (Potdar et al., 2017a). Having realized the need, industry practitioners developed
a novel paradigm called ‘agile manufacturing’ (Ramesh & Devadasan, 2007).
Therefore, agility is considered as one of the outcomes of lean manufacturing during
the era of world-class manufacturing (Van Assen, 2000).

The agile manufacturing concept initially found in the 21st Century Manufacturing
Enterprise Strategy Report (Goldman and Nagel, as cited in Vazquez-Bustelo, Avella
& Fernandez, 2007), published by Iacocca Institute at Lehigh University (USA).
According to Gunasekaran (1998), change is the key driving force placed behind the
agility. With regard to the scope of agility, Youssef argues that agility is not limited
just with the speed of doing things and it should go beyond speed and require massive
structural and infrastructural changes (Youssef, as cited in Yusuf, Sarhadi &
Gunasekaran, 1999).

Page | 19
A comprehensive definition for agility at Iacocca Institute of Lehigh University (USA)
is given by Youssef (as cited in Yusuf, Sarhadi & Gunasekaran, 1999) as, “A
manufacturing system with extraordinary capabilities (Internal capabilities: hard and
soft technologies, human resources, educated management, information) to meet the
rapidly changing needs of the marketplace (speed, flexibility, customers, competitors,
suppliers, infrastructure, responsiveness)”p.36. Similarly, Van Assen, Hans and Van
de Velde (2000) expressed his view on agility as “being able to react quickly and
dexterously to changing markets and customer needs, to produce high-quality
products, to reduce lead times and to provide a superior service” (p.16).

Potdar et al. (2017) identified that agile manufacturing spread over the 21 industries,
and manufacturing industry, textile/clothing/footwear industry, software industry,
construction industry are named to few. Further to authors, textile/clothing/footwear
industry would largely beneficial through the agile manufacturing due to its high level
of unpredictability in customer needs and changes in designs. Gunasekaran (1999) has
presented a classification of the literature available on agile manufacturing based on
the nature and four key dimensions/criteria including strategies, technologies, systems
and people. However, the key literature on agile concept researched by the leading
researchers is discussed below under following headings.

▪ Agile principles
▪ Agile reference model
▪ Agile enablers
▪ Agile barriers
▪ Agile concept in service sector

2.8.1 Agile principles

In the past few decades, technical innovations have created a platform for delivering
global marketing services, selected organizations in two sectors as information
technology and manufacturing have carried out a set of business practices and tools
which known as agile approaches (Cooke, 2014). Reference to Table 2.2, the success
of agile approaches primarily depends on the 12 core principles that support agile work
(Cooke, 2014).

Page | 20
Table 2.2: Agile Principles
Principle
Responsive Planning
Business Value Driven Work
Hands on Business Outputs
Direct Stakeholder Engagement
Immovable Deadlines
Management by Self-motivation
‘Just-in-time’ Communication
Immediate Status Tracking
Waste Management
Constantly Measurable Quality
Rearview Mirror Checking
Continuous Improvement
Description
Breaking down long-term objectives into shorter delivery
cycles and then accepting ongoing work based on each delivery
cycle’s results
Prioritizing work according to the primary and secondary value
that each task added to the organization
Regular inspections on outcomes to ensure business
requirements are being met
Actively involves internal and external customers
Fixed time commitments that motivate staff member to send in
regular ongoing value to the organization
Includes utilizing the power of self-organized teams to deliver
results under the directions and control of the customer
Used more effective communication and technology instead of
traditional corporate meetings
Facilitate tools that strength staff to keep others in the
organization continuously aware of the condition of the work
Involves maximizing the firm’s resources value through
eliminating non-value-added activities
Associates with making active checkpoints where company can
assess outcome withstand both qualitative and quantitative
measurements
Provides relevant tools for the staff to reviewing and self-
correcting their work
Involves routine reviewing and adjusting business actions to
confirm that the organization is continuing to meet market and
stakeholder needs

Source: (Cooke, 2014)

Further to the author, integration of these principles has enabled organizations to make
more efficient working environment, to manage their work within given budgets, to
motivate employees, to promote innovations and provides tangible outcomes and to
add high business-value outcomes on time. Moreover, Cooke (2014) suggests agile
principles are perfectly fitted for occasions where results depend on variables i.e.
resource availability, customer needs and wants and market fluctuations. The most
amazing fact is that agile principles have limited to practice widely in the information
technology and manufacturing industries to date, even though these approaches allow
to gain more benefits in organizations in every industry (Cooke, 2014).

Page | 21
2.8.2 Agile reference model

The agile references model presented by Meredith and Francis (2000) facilitate a
technique with that to audit single organization on its status of agility and offers a
collaborative definition covering elements of agility. Accordingly, Table 2.3 illustrates
the details of four key quadrants of agile reference model.

Table 2.3: Four Quadrants in Agile Reference Model

Agile Strategy
Firm’s need to be tracked multiple factors in external environment
Wide-Deep Scanning including competitors' strategies, technological developments,
customers' needs and so on
Strategic Commitment The willingness of the top team to adopt agile policies
Relates to the degree of adopting agile policies and practices into every
Full Deployment
department, group, project-team and cell
Refer to the extent of support given by the firm’s performance
Agile Scoreboard
management system to agile policies and practices
Agile Processes
Flexible Assets and This includes buildings, services, production layout, technologies, IT,
Systems equipment and control systems.
Fast New Product
The way companies improve their products including service aspects
Acquisition
Problems need to be identified quickly and sufficient resources
Rapid Problem Solving allocated to find an effective solution

Rich Information Having depth information help to ensure that decision-making is shared
Systems and effective
Agile Linkages
Provides the comparative background to set agile objectives in terms of
Agility Benchmarking flexibility, responsiveness, market position, technological innovation,
application of technology and human resource capability
Deep Customer Insight Offers a very close relationship with customers, and potential customers
Aligned Suppliers Flexible and quick responsive supply chain
Performing
Forming “virtual enterprises” by linking firms together
Partnerships
Agile People
Adaptable Structure Development of adaptable organizational structures to respond quickly
Agile firms are more dependent on the intelligence and opportunism of
Multi-Skilled, Flexible
people with their skills, knowledge, judgement, experience and
People
intelligence
Speed of response and decision-makers must be skilled and decision-
Rapid, Able Decision
making processes robust
The willingness of the people in the firm to capture new knowledge,
Continuous Learning
learn from experience and adopt new practices

Source: (Meredith & Francis, 2000)

Page | 22
The strategic features of agility discussed in the first quadrant (Meredith & Francis,
2000). Further to the author, supportive processes towards agility are explained under
the second. As defined by Meredith and Francis (2000), quadrant three considers the
outside relationships. Final quadrant focuses on agile people and the management of
human resources of the organization.

2.8.3 Agile enablers

In turbulence conditions, organizations must adopt agility enablers or practices,

monitoring their strategies, objectives, methods and/or tools (Vazquez-Bustelo et al.,
2007). Such enablers should upgrade whole business while considering each business
elements of the firm including people, technology, and the organization (Vernadat,
1999). Gunasekaran (2001) provides a conceptual model to illustrate the enablers of
agile manufacturing. Further to the author, he identified seven key enablers as virtual
enterprises, rapid partnerships, physically distributed teams, concurrent engineering,
integrated product/production/business information systems, rapid prototyping and
electronic commerce.

According to Sindhwani and Malhotra (2017), a single organization is not capable

enough to tackle the unpredictable changes in customer demands. Therefore, creating
communication network with organizations is must to being more agile so that virtual
enterprise revealed as an important enabler. Rapid partnership performed as a sub
function of the virtual enterprise. Attainment of quick responsiveness of the
organization requires a shared partnership among the core functions of the
organization (Gunasekaran, 2001). The same author explained that a physically
distributed virtual enterprise is a tentative association of colleague enterprises located
at all over the world to support with their core competence to take competitive
advantage of a particular business opportunity.

Towards achieve agility, it essential for all people, functions and processes to work in
parallel and this can be achieved through concurrent engineering (Gunasekaran, 2001).
According to Gunasekaran (2001), two technical components which are known as
communication and information able to lead next industrial revolution. Once system
re-engineering is done to the existing system, information technologies are integrated

Page | 23
(Sindhwani et al., 2017). Prototyping is a vehicle to accelerate the process of product
design, by that product comes to market in a short time period (Gunasekaran, 2001).
E-commerce provides the fast and efficient communication among different functional
areas of an organization, as well as between organizations.

2.8.4 Agile barriers

Uden (2007) highlighted that a series of researches have been conducted to find the
barriers to implementing agility. Accordingly, Potdar, Routroy and Behera (2017b)
have identified agile barriers from the literature review and empirical study. However,
agile barriers identified through the literature review is shown in Table 2.4.

Table 2.4: Agile Barriers

Barriers
Poor core competency
Difficulty in change
management
Degree of command and
control hierarchy
Lack of human resource
Lack of resource
reconfiguration
Lack of investment in
flexible resources
Reluctance to adopt virtual
manufacturing
Lack of top management
commitment
Inadequate information
Infrastructure
Lack of responsiveness in
capturing customer
requirements
Inefficient stakeholder
collaborations
Description
Unable to leverage the competencies can impact the agility of
organization and erodes competitiveness
Indifferent attitude towards adopting changes is a barrier to AM
Delay in taking quick decisions due to different levels of hierarchy
and conflicts which in turn reduces the agility of organization.
Untrained and unskilled manpower cannot respond to dynamic
changes in manufacturing and hence impact agility
Inability to reconfigure the available recourses to adapt to new
manufacturing processes
Investing in special technologies restricts the range of operations
and makes manufacturing processes rigid and inflexible
Inability to leverage the virtual manufacturing concept in planning
results in large production times - impacting agility
Intermittent support for agility along various dimensions are
barriers for AM
Improper transparency in information sharing in terms of time,
accuracy, nature/type, visibility etc.
Improper capturing of real-time customer data and not able to satisfy
customer requirement.
Collaborations with various stakeholders in the supply chain must
be flexible and agile.

Adopted from: (Potdar, Routroy & Behera, 2017b, p.16)

Moreover, Moradlou and Asadi (2015) have shown that the barriers to the
implementation of agile principles can be classified into three groups as lack of
management skills, technological limitations and lack of workforce experience.

Page | 24
2.8.5 Agile concept in service sector

In the last few decades, the service sector in accelerate growth and has even gone
beyond the growth rate of manufacturing industry (Prajogo, 2006). Considering
service sector, it has attracted more researchers from different aspects, including the
operations management (OM) (Prajogo, 2006). Several assumptions are required to be
considered when applying operations management techniques into the service industry
and one of their assumptions is service operations are similar to the operation of
manufacturing. Nevertheless, Nie and Kellogg (1999) argued that service operations
should be managed different way compared to manufacturing sector since service
operations owned their unique characteristics as customer contact, intangibility, the
inseparability of production and consumption, heterogeneity, perishability, and labour
intensity.

The applicability of agile concept to the service sector has already investigated by
many authors including Raman and Bharadwaj (2017). Integration of service systems
and agility grounded to create the concept of agile services. Making the link between
services and agility would beneficial for an organization to deliver their services with
speed and surprise (Raman & Bharadwaj, 2017). Brozovic et al. (2016) explained that
service flexibility is a natural component of service actions, which helps to make
customers’ value. Therefore, the opportunities to absorb in agile concept are high in-
service sector.

2.9 Importance of Integrating Agile Concept to Facilities Maintenance

Having identified that there is a void space in existing maintenance approaches to

tackle the maintenance uncertainty, it is necessary to be found a cure to furnish the
identified gap. Many operation management philosophies are emerging throughout the
several past years to withstand the global competitiveness, whereas innovative
maintenance approaches have been also advocated to enhance the manufacturing
competitiveness (Bamber, Sharp & Castka, 2004). However, literature revealed that
agile concept or agile manufacturing is the only philosophy, which focused on
uncertainty, unpredictability and continuous changes. According to Potdar et al.
(2017a), the objective of agile manufacturing is to maximize the use of business

Page | 25
opportunities through prospering in an unpredictable and uncertain business
environment. Similarly, Ashley (1997) defined agile manufacturing as the capability
of being an effective company with adaptable and flexible operations to respond
quickly to the unpredictable changes in customer demands. Therefore, a collaboration
of agile and facilities maintenance could much beneficial to the organizations since it
would fill the identified gap in existing maintenance approaches.

2.10 Agile Facilities Maintenance (AFM) Conceptual Model

Based on the literature findings, agile facilities maintenance (AFM) conceptual model
was developed as the means of laying the foundation on agile facilities maintenance
(AFM) approach. The conceptual model is presented in Figure 2.1.

Figure 2.1: Agile Facilities Maintenance (AFM) Conceptual Model

This conceptual model was developed by integrating two key concepts namely
facilities maintenance and agile manufacturing. The left side of this model presents the
facilities maintenance concept by considering its sub-concepts as maintenance
approaches and maintenance issues in existing approaches. Meanwhile, the right side
of this model defines the operations management philosophy called agile
manufacturing by consisting agile principles, agile manufacturing reference model
(agile strategy; agile processes; agile linkages; and agile people) and agile enablers
and barriers. The conceptual model explains how these two distinct concepts to be
properly linked in order to build the AFM approach.

Page | 26
The maintenance approaches and maintenance issues represent the current status of
the maintenance management. On the other hand, agile principles, agile manufacturing
reference model, and agile enablers and barriers stay as the key pillars of agile
manufacturing philosophy. The agile concept integrated facilities maintenance could
assist accomplishing the quick response and flexible maintenance performance. The
conceptual model developed here to assist in empirical investigation to develop an
AFM approach.

2.11 Chapter Summary

Maintenance function is becoming more and more critical aspect of any facility that
needs to be properly managed and well established. The multi-disciplinary profession
of facilities management (FM) also emphasized the need for integrated maintenance
management system to cope with organizational challenges. In term of maintenance
performance in current maintenance practices seems to be less efficient to beat the
competitive advantages, which comes from global context. The maintenance
approaches were evolved in many times during the past decades. Although, still
organizations are struggling to perform maintenance function in properly since
maintenance face highest level of uncertainty. From the literature review, it was
revealed that there is a gap between the existing maintenance approaches and their
contribution towards firm’s core function to withstand the turbulent environment. As
a result of this, the agile concept came forward as a supportive tool with agility
capabilities such as responsiveness, competency, flexibility and speed to against the
competitive challenges. Therefore, by integrating both facilities maintenance and agile
manufacturing, a conceptual model was developed to carry out the empirical
investigation.

Page | 27
 CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction

Research is a creative work leading to the production of new knowledge (Myers,

2013). According to Naoum (2013), research methodology is the means of getting
information for the study. Research methodology ensures the way of conducting
research while establishing a systematic process to answer the research problem. This
chapter facilitates to characterizing the research design, research approach, research
process and research methods consisting data collection and data analysis techniques
to reach the final outcome.

3.2 Research Design

Research design considered as the logical process that is used to bridge from the
research problem to the conclusion. According to Kothari (2004), the research design
is the framework which use to guide the research study through data collection and
data analysis. This research design is structured by consisting background study,
comprehensive literature review, case studies approach and data analysis.

3.3 Research Approach

Creswell (1994) present two choices of research approaches including the qualitative
and quantitative, which have roots in 20th century philosophical thinking.
Nevertheless, mixed methods have recently initiated as a third methodology to gain
researches’ confidence (Jogulu & Pansiri, 2011).

Quantitative research is an examination of the relationship between variables, an

approach to examining objective theories (Creswell, 2014). Atieno (2009) explained
the quantitative research paradigm is empirical in nature. Data analysis on quantitative
data often associates with statistical data analysis tools, particularly to do the analysis
on behavioural components of performance (Amaratunga, Baldry, Sarshar & Newton,
2002). Therefore, this approach is much beneficial for researchers which can draw a
large sample of respondents.

Page | 28
Qualitative research is an approach for meaningful individuals or groups to explore
and understand about factors that led to social or human issues (Creswell, 2014).
Myers (2009) mentioned that qualitative researchers argue in a better way to
understand people's motivations, their reasons, their actions, and the context for their
beliefs and actions in a descriptive manner, qualitative research is ideal. There is three
kinds of data collection techniques can be identified in qualitative research: (a) in-
depth, open-ended interviews; (b) direct observations; and (c) written documents
(Patton, 2005). Ritchie, Lewis, Nicholls and Ormston (2013) further explained that
qualitative approach is more suitable when the research problem is a why, what and
how type question. Yin (2011) explains that qualitative approach contributes to
observing emerging concepts through deep insights. The author further recommended
undertaking qualitative approach for the researches, which have a small sample of
respondents.

This study aims to develop an agile facilities maintenance approach to the Sri Lankan
apparel sector. Because of the lack of applicability of the agile concept in Sri Lankan
context, drawing a large sample of respondents for data collection was constrained.
Therefore, a qualitative approach is more suitable to explore the concept vigorously.
Hence, this research study was carried out under the qualitative approach as it is the
most appropriate strategy that fits for the research objectives.

3.4 Research Process

Towards successful outcome of a research study, it is necessary to develop an

appropriate research process. Hibbert, Coupland and MacIntosh (2010) defined
research process as a developed plan to conduct the study by inspecting the problem,
data collection, design a suitable approach to the collection and determine the
analysing techniques to gain the desired outcome. The structure of the research
process, which was used for this study is illustrated in Figure 3.1.

Page | 29
 Figure 3.1: Research Process

3.4.1 Background study

The background study was discussed under Chapter 1 by including research

background, problem statement, aim, objectives, scope and limitations of the study.
Background study is containing the key literature of the research, which are revealed
through referring books and journal articles. The purpose of conducting background
study was to familiarize with the agile concept and facilities maintenance and to
recognize the research gap that focuses to develop the problem statement.

3.4.2 Literature review

The comprehensive literature review is known as the initial milestone that allows
beginning research methodological path (Yin, 2009). According to Saunders, Lewis
and Thornhill (2003), the essence of thorough literature review drives two main
reasons for generating ideas towards research and critical review. As in research
process, a literature study was carried out in Chapter 2 in order to review the concept
of facilities maintenance and agile on a broader perspective to elaborate the research

Page | 30
problem. End of this chapter, agile facilities maintenance (AFM) conceptual model
was developed based on the literature findings in order to facilitate empirical
investigation in the next step.

3.4.3 Case studies approach

Experiment, survey, archival survey, history and case studies are five major research
methods frequently used by researchers (Yin, 2009). Qualitative researchers are mostly
associated with case studies (Rose, Spinks & Canhoto, 2015). The authors further
stated that investigating a single or various number of instances is employed in case
studies technique and lack of generalizability of findings is a major concern. When
research problem comprises of how or why questions, undertaking case studies are the
most suitable method since an in-depth investigation is required to the answers (Yin,
2014). The author further recognized case studies as empirical investigations. Since
in a depth investigation was necessary to answer the research problem, case study
approach was undertaken for this study.

According to Yin (2009), either a single case study design or multiple case study
design can be undertaken. A single case study is appropriate to research on a unique
circumstance whereas multiple cases are employed for repeating the same process with
the intention of deriving a better result (Yin, 2014). Since this research is focused on
the applicability of agile facilities maintenance in Sri Lankan apparel sector, drawing
conclusions from multiple cases was mandated to conduct the cross-case analysis.
Accordingly, multiple case design was selected and unit of analysis, number of cases
criteria of selection of cases were defined.

This study was employed purposive sampling technique to select a number of cases.
Since the selection of cases was constrained by limited accessibility and time, cases
were limited to six apparel manufacturing factories. These six factories were
representing four different apparel exporting organizations. Accordingly, one
respondent from each case who worked in managerial level was selected based on their
job role in facilities maintenance. Data collection for current facilities maintenance
practices, the applicability of agile to facilities maintenance and proposing agile

Page | 31
facilities maintenance approach are the main roles considered by the researcher, for
selecting respondents.

3.4.4 Data collection methods

According to Polonsky and Waller (2011), there are key considerations to be

concerned when selecting an ideal data collection method as reliability, validity,
appropriateness and amount of data. Yin (2009) identified six sources of evidence as
data collection techniques to be used in case studies approaches as documentation,
archival records, interviews, direct observations, participant observation and physical
artefacts. This study was focused to collect necessary inputs by conducting six number
of unstructured interviews, by reviewing relevant documents and making observations.

▪ Unstructured interviews
The objectives to be achieved through this phase were investigating the current
facilities maintenance practices, investigating the applicability of agile concepts to
facilities maintenance and proposing an agile facilities maintenance approach to Sri
Lankan apparel sector. To accomplish these objectives, selected respondents were
interviewed using an unstructured interview guideline. Questions on the interview
guideline were placed under three sections (Refer Annexure I). The first section was
addressed on the background information of the respondents. The second section was
focused to collect respondent’s inputs related to the current practice of facilities
maintenance. The final section was intended to find out the link between agile and
facilities maintenance and to identify the benefits of AFM approach.

▪ Documentary Review
Researcher referred relevant documents and archival records to grasp information on
the factory, the profile of the factory building, the profile of employees and
maintenance approaches. The purpose of the documentary review is to familiarize with
preventive maintenance schedule and checklists, repairs and service records, service
agreements, job card handling systems and utility consumption records in the factory.

Page | 32
 ▪ Observations
Most of the maintenance techniques currently used by the factory to facilities
maintenance and maintenance process improvement techniques, which practised to
enhance the maintenance performance in the respondent factories were observed by
the researcher with the assistance of respondents.

3.4.5 Data analysis

Towards data analysis, qualitative data analysing techniques were employed to analyse
collected data. Myers (2013) mention there are many different methods available to
analyse qualitative data. Content analysis is used mainly as a qualitative research
method, encrypts text data with clear codes (Hsieh & Shannon, 2005). Moreover,
Kondracki, Wellman and Amundson (2002) stated that content analysis provides a
scientific method for assessing collected data using a variety of qualitative research
approaches consisting targeted groups, interviews, videography, and ethnographic
observations. Rose, Spinks and Canhoto (2015) say that data analysis of case studies
findings is much beneficial if conduct cross-case analysis and use tubular presentation.
In order to enable content analysis of this research, the software called NVivo (2011)
manufactured by Qualitative Solutions and Research (QSR) International (Pvt) Ltd
was used as a code-based content analysis technique. Moreover, the manual content
analysis was also undertaken to analyse collected data.

3.5 Chapter Summary

Research methodology chapter was discussed the methodological framework used for
accomplishing the aim of this research. Through this chapter, a brief explanation of
the research design, research approach and research process which were undertaken in
the research journey are presented. This study was conducted as a qualitative research.
The background study, literature review, case studies, which were undertaken with un-
structured interviews, documentary review and observations as the data collection
methods and data analysis of research findings are main phases in this research. Each
and every step followed in the research journey to achieve the aim of this research is
elaborated with justifications.

Page | 33
 CHAPTER FOUR

DATA COLLECTION, ANALYSIS & RESEARCH FINDINGS

4.1 Introduction

This chapter focused to achieve the research aim by developing an agile facilities
maintenance (AFM) approach to Sri Lankan apparel sector. Case studies were carried
out by using unstructured interviews, documentary review and observations in six (06)
apparel manufacturing factories. The captured findings were analysed by code-based
Content Analysis using NVivo 11 software and Manual Content Analysis.

4.2 Case Studies

Six (06) apparel manufacturing factories were selected as cases for the investigation.
The selected factories were belonging to four different apparel manufacturing
organizations in Sri Lanka. One respondent from the managerial level in each factory
was selected based on their job role in facilities maintenance. The conceptual model,
which is developed in literature review was used for empirical investigation through
case studies. Moreover, it was driven to find the integration between agile concept and
facilities maintenance.

The profile of the selected factories and respondents are demonstrated in Table 4.1.

Table 4.1: Profile of the Selected Factories and Respondents

Case Respondent
Case Description Respondent
Name Description
▪ Apparel manufacturing and exporter,
▪ Deputy General
located in Ratmalana
Manager –
▪ The factory manufactures casualwear and
Factory A A1 Engineering
operates a fabric washing and dyeing plant
▪ 12 years of work
▪ The factory is a single storey building with
experience
1200 employees
▪ BOI approved apparel manufacturing and
exporter, located in Phase II, IPZ in
▪ Manager –
Katunayake
Engineering
Factory B ▪ The factory manufactures sportswear B1
▪ 14 years of work
▪ The factory is a single storey building with
experience
1200 employees

Page | 34
 ▪ Apparel manufacturing, exporter and eco-
▪ Manager –
friendly factory, located in Agalawatta
Maintenance
Factory C ▪ The factory manufactures sportswear C1
▪ 10 years of work
▪ The factory is a single storey building with
experience
1100 employees
▪ Apparel manufacturing and exporter,
▪ Divisional Head –
located in Kahathuduwa
Maintenance
Factory D ▪ The factory manufactures woven garments D1
▪ 16 years of work
▪ The factory is a single storey building with
experience
3000 employees
▪ BOI approved apparel manufacturing and
▪ Manager –
exporter, located in Biyagama
Engineering
Factory E ▪ The factory manufactures seamless wear E1
▪ 18 years of work
▪ The factory is a single storey building with
experience
773 employees
▪ Apparel manufacturing and exporter,
▪ Group Facilities
located in Ja-Ela
Manager
Factory F ▪ The factory manufactures Knit Shirts F1
▪ 16 years of work
▪ The factory is a single storey building with
experience
1200 employees

As shown in Table 4.1, six apparel factories were selected as the case studies and one
respondent from each factory was taken to proceed the data collection.

4.3 Research Findings and Discussion

The captured data from the factories and their respondents were analysed using content
analysis. The analysis comprises both N-Vivo (Version 2011) software of QSR and
manual content analysis, which discussed as follows.

4.3.1 Current practice of facilities maintenance in Sri Lankan apparel sector

The second section of the interview guideline was to investigate the current industry
practices of facilities maintenance. Towards review the current industry practice, few
questions were asked from the respondents by focusing existing practice on
maintenance activities, maintenance approaches, maintenance management process,
performance measurement techniques, maintenance process improvement techniques
and barriers in existing maintenance approaches. Based on the respondents’ opinions,
above-mentioned areas in the respondent factories were analysed as follows.

Page | 35
4.3.1.1 Maintenance activities

Under this section, the first question was to identify the maintenance activities handled
by the maintenance department. All six respondents at factories A, B, C, D, E and F
have mentioned similar answers related to the respondent’s actual practices and
findings are summarized in Figure 4.1.

Figure 4.1: Coding Structure of Maintenance Activities

Considering the maintenance activities, which are currently practised at the respondent
factories, it was evident that building maintenance, utility maintenance and sewing and
other machinery maintenance are prominent. Fewer respondents were mentioned that
housekeeping and environmental maintenance as another maintenance activities to be
handled by the respondent factories.

4.3.1.2 Maintenance approaches

With regard to respondents’ opinion on current maintenance approaches, it was

revealed that respondent factories have been practised several maintenance approaches
in order to handle the abovementioned maintenance activities. Table 4.2 presents the
different practices on maintenance approaches in respondent factories.

Page | 36
Table 4.2: Maintenance Approaches
Current Practice of Maintenance Approaches in Sri Lankan
Apparel Sector Assessed By
Maintenance Approaches
Factory Factory Factory Factory Factory Factory
A B C D E F
Corrective Maintenance √ √ √ √ √ √
Preventive Maintenance √ √ √ √ √ √
Predictive Maintenance √ X √ √ √ X
Total Productive Maintenance X √ √ √ X X
Computerized Maintenance √ X X X X X

All factories implement corrective and preventive maintenance approaches as their

maintenance strategy. In addition, they mentioned that these two approaches become
their primary concern to perform the maintenance function. It is important to notice
that literature findings on maintenance approaches are not totally practising in the
industry. B1 highlighted his opinion as “Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is not
totally practised but we have some of TPM practices under the Lean division”. A1
added, “Computerized Maintenance is limited to the maintenance job request process
and spare part handling”. Findings of the respondent factories proved that reactive
and preventive maintenance approaches are considered as the well-established
approaches in the industry.

4.3.1.3 Maintenance management process

Question 03 was structured to review industry practice of following a maintenance

management process. It has been developed to apply from the inception to completion
of a maintenance activity. All six respondents extremely agreed that respondent
factories have been followed a maintenance management process to carry out
maintenance activities which are summarized in Figure 4.2.

Majority of the respondents stated that preventive maintenance checklists and regular
inspections are the major sources of work identification. Planned maintenance
schedule takes priority for the work planning and scheduling. B1 commented his
opinion on “Job planning and scheduling is implementing under the planned
maintenance schedule”. Opinions of all respondents reveal that both in-house
maintenance staff and outsource service providers are involving for the job execution
at respondent factories.

Page | 37
Figure 4.2: Coding Structure of Maintenance Management Process

However, all the practices mentioned by six respondents are very much familiar with
the literature findings and they confirm the literature.

4.3.1.4 Maintenance performance measurement (MPM) system

Opinions of the respondents on the currently used maintenance performance

measurement techniques were captured. It was observed that all the respondent
factories have been applied a variety of techniques in order to measure the maintenance
performance. Most of the respondents stated that defining maintenance KPIs and
calculating Mean Time To Repair (MTTR) are prominent. In addition, they have
identified different maintenance performance measurement (MPM) techniques, which
is shown in Figure 4.3.

Page | 38
Figure 4.3: Coding Structure of MPM Techniques

Identified techniques take into account both machinery performance and employee
performance to measure the maintenance performance.

4.3.1.5 Maintenance process improvement techniques

Question 05 was focused to recognize maintenance improvement techniques to

enhance the maintenance performance. It was experienced that all the respondent
factories are visualized some of the techniques to keep others in the organization
continuously aware of the condition of the work. Different respondents added different
techniques to the answer in their point of view as shown in Figure 4.4.

Page | 39
Figure 4.4: Coding Structure of Maintenance Process Improvement Techniques

Define maintenance KPIs, continuous improvement and use of computerized systems

are selected as the key techniques.

4.3.1.6 Barriers in existing maintenance approaches

With reference to the current practices on facilities maintenance in respondent

factories, one of the question in interview guideline was set to identify the barriers in
existing maintenance approaches, which practised in the industry. Open-ended
questions were raised to capture the best outcome from the respondents. Even though
several maintenance approaches are practised, there are some restricting factors in
implementing such a maintenance approach. All identified barriers in existing
maintenance approaches are illustrated in Table 4.3.

Table 4.3: Barriers in Existing Maintenance Approaches

Barriers in Maintenance Approaches in Sri Lankan
Maintenance Barriers Apparel Sector Identified By
Factory Factory Factory Factory Factory Factory
A B C D E F
Unexpected repairs & breakdowns √ √ √ √ √
Unplanned production changes √ √ √ √
Rapidly changing maintenance cycle √ √ √
Lack of technical skills √ √ √
Spare parts shortage √ √
Lack of training & development √ √
Lack of positive attitudes √ √
Budget restrictions & payments delays √
Overtime restrictions √
Difficulties in service time arrangement √

Page | 40
The main barrier related to the existing maintenance approaches is unexpected repairs
and breakdowns. Further, they have emphasized dynamic nature of the maintenance
work is the key driver towards this barrier. Four respondents have pointed out
unplanned production changes is the next important barrier to be considered since it
has a great impact on the maintenance operation. Rapidly changing maintenance cycle
and lack of technical skills have the same level of importance as barriers. Rest of the
barriers are rarely highlighted by respondents.

Having identified the barriers of current maintenance approaches, researcher’s next

step was to ensure if these factories have a proper mechanism to respond
aforementioned barriers. All the respondents, who were mentioned the first barrier
expressed that practising preventive maintenance as a common strategy to face
unexpected repairs and breakdowns. They further explain that even though preventive
maintenance has practised there is something lack to address uncertainty. When
moving to the unplanned production changes, respondents of B1, C1 D1 and F1 were
mentioned that they do not have a proactive strategy to face this barrier and their
current practice is to do the machine layout changes once the request made. The same
opinion was suggested by all three respondents for continuously changing
maintenance cycle in services and machinery since they practice a corrective strategy
to overcome this barrier, which means that once the change has occurred remedial
action were taken. Conducting training sessions given as a mutual strategy for lack of
technical skills, lack of training & development, and lack of positive attitudes by the
majority of the respondents. C1 and F1 have proposed outsourcing as an ideal strategy
to address the spare part shortage. Considering all respondent factories, there is no
specified mechanism to overcome rest of the barriers mentioned in Table 4.3.

According to the respondent’s points of view, there is a void space in current

maintenance approaches since they do not have a proper mechanism to face the highest
level of uncertainty in maintenance. Therefore, an adaptation of new concepts to the
facilities maintenance and development of new maintenance approach is essential.

Page | 41
4.3.2 Maintenance practitioner’s awareness on Agile Concept

Question 08 was focused on the maintenance practitioner’s awareness on the agile

concept. Two definitions for Agile, which are found in literature, have presented to the
respondents to comment and the different views of the respondents on the agile
concept can be shown in Table 4.4.

Table 4.4: Maintenance Practitioner’s Awareness on Agile Concept

Definition for Agile in
Awareness on Comment on the Definition
Respondents Respondent’s point of
Agile Concept Presented to the Respondent
view
Speed up the customer
A1 √ Agreed
requirements
B1 √ More flexible Agreed

C1 X - Agile concept is much similar to Lean

Quick response for the
D1 √ Agreed
changes
Well, most of these aspects currently
E1 X - practice in the manufacturing sector,
But the term of Agile is not using.
This is actually same as what we
F1 X -
called as TPM

Respondents perception towards agile concept was captured in order to recognize the
extent to which agile concept is aware by the respondents in selected factories. It can
be noted that three respondents in factories A, B and D have prior knowledge about
the concept and they were in a position to define it in well manner. Rest of the
respondents in factories C, E and F do not have a vague idea on the agile concept.

4.3.3 Current level practice of agile concept in facilities maintenance

In order to determine the current level practice of agile concept in facilities

maintenance, few questions were structured to study whether respondents have come
across agile concept when performing facilities maintenance function in the
respondent factories. Each sub-concepts in agile were presented to the respondents to
make their opinion and ask them to comment on the definitions presented in Annexure
I. Findings of the respondent’s opinions evident that agile concept is not currently
practising in the apparel sector to perform the facilities maintenance.

Page | 42
4.3.4 Enablers to apply agile concept to facilities maintenance in Sri Lankan
apparel sector

According to the literature findings, there are 07 enablers could be found in agile
manufacturing. These enablers are considered as the key pillars of agile
manufacturing. Therefore, creating a link between agile enablers and facilities
maintenance would provide a proper base for agile facilities maintenance approach in
Sri Lankan apparel sector. Considering the applicability of virtual enterprises to
facilities maintenance, following outsourcing strategy for maintenance activities is
highlighted as a common suggestion by all six (06) factories. In manufacturing point
of view, physically distributed teams would provide temporary alliances of partner
enterprises located all over the world while reducing the time to reach global markets.
When it comes to the service sector, respondents offer three answers to the question of
“how it could be applicable for maintenance?” as, build a relationship with
consultancy teams in all over the world, mutual agreements with foreign spare parts
suppliers and zone office establishment.

Responses of A1, C1, D1, E1 and F1 proved the applicability of rapid partnerships to
maintenance since they commonly mentioned that organization can make shared
partnerships with outsourcing companies by means of forming annual maintenance
contracts to get their expert knowledge and advanced technologies. B1 explained his
opinion as, “Normally, under the service agreement, our in-house maintenance staff
is trained by outsourced service providers and they conduct knowledge sharing
sessions as well”. All the respondents provide a similar answer for the applicability of
concurrent engineering concept to facilities maintenance. A1 emphasized his opinion
as, “To ensure the continuous operation of maintenance, all other supportive
departments should work out in parallel i.e. finance department should make on-time
payments for suppliers, storekeeper must check spare parts availability and reorder
levels, update relevant documents and so on”. B1 added, “Spare part availability,
production requirements, energy efficiencies, running costs and all other aspects
related to a maintenance need to perform concurrently”. C1 expressed his view as,
“Can be applied, but to implement this concept for the maintenance is a little bit hard,
since engineering department link with many supportive departments like finance, HR,

Page | 43
production. To carry out maintenance function parallel all the members in other
departments also should give their contribution in parallel such as spare part
ordering, make payments on external suppliers, renew operator’s license for critical
systems like a boiler, conduct regular training to maintenance staff, and informing
changes in production layouts”. Rest of the respondents also added a similar view to
the respondent A1, B1 and C1.

Use of computerized maintenance systems is commented as a common suggestion by

all six (06) respondents make their opinion on the applicability of integrated
product/production/ business information system to maintenance. The applicability of
rapid prototype to facilities maintenance was identified. Respondents in factories A, B
and D suggested that this cannot be applicable to maintenance function since it is a
product-oriented concept, not a service oriented. However, rest of the respondents
provide different answers to them. C1 explained his positive answer towards
applicability of rapid prototyping to facilities maintenances as, “Can be used for
innovations (R&D) since we have a separate division for innovation team under the
engineering department. They do prototyping for maintenance related innovations”.
E1 commented his similar view as, “Applied for machine innovations”. F1 added,
“Make a set up to show a prototype of service”. He further explained his opinion, “If
innovation team found a new way of doing maintenance for a particular service, they
can show it as a service prototype by using a video clip in order to get the management
commitment to the implementation”. Electronic commerce can be found as a final
enabler in agile manufacturing which says transmitting standards business documents
to electronically or online. All the respondents commonly agreed that this enabler
highly applicable to the facilities maintenance since these days most of the documents
used in online basis i.e. online invoices, slip transfers, email.

Based on the analysis findings, it was revealed that agile enablers can be applicable to
facilities maintenance in respondent factories. Therefore, these driving factors can be
considered as the enablers of agile facilities maintenance (AFM) approach. The
summary of respondents’ findings on the applicability of agile enablers for facilities
maintenance denotes in Table 4.5.

Page | 44
Table 4.5: Enablers to apply Agile concept for Facilities Maintenance

Applicability to Facilities Maintenance Assessed By Agile Facilities

Factory Factory Factory Factory Factory Factory Synergy Maintenance
A B C D E F Enablers
Maintenance outsourcing can be facilitated to Facilities
Enterprises
Virtual

A1-F1: Outsourcing can be practiced to acquire sufficient

create virtual enterprises in facilities Maintenance Virtual
capabilities to respond changing needs in maintenance
maintenance Enterprises
A1, D1 & F1: Having relationship with maintenance consultancy Consultancy teams and service providers for
Facilities
Distributed
Physically

teams and service providers in all over the world, B1: Zone office maintenance, foreign spare part suppliers and
Teams

Maintenance
establishment, C1 & E1: Engaged with foreign spare parts zone office establishment are directed make
Distributed Teams
suppliers physically distributed teams in maintenance
A1 & C1-F1: Annual maintenance contracts with services Annual maintenance contracts can be formed
Partnership

Facilities
providers allowed to share new technologies & resources, B1: and training & knowledge sharing sessions by
Rapid
Agile Enablers

Maintenance
Training and knowledge sharing sessions conducted by the third third parties can be conducted to make rapid
Partnerships
party partnerships in facilities maintenance
Facilities
Engineering
Concurrent

Define parallel processes in maintenance can be

A1-F1: Organize maintenance related practices in parallel as Maintenance
used to establish concurrent engineering in
much as possible Concurrent
facilities maintenance
Engineering
Integrated maintenance information system can Integrated Facilities
d Product

Informati
Integrate

Business

A1-F1: Computerized maintenance systems can be used integrate

System

be created by employing computerized Maintenance

on

communication and information into maintenance processes

maintenance systems Information System
Prototyping

A1, B1 & D1: No significant applicability since it is product- Prototype for maintenance innovation and to Facilities
Rapid

oriented concept, C1& E1: Prototype for maintenance innovation, show maintenance service can be developed in Maintenance
F1: Can be used to show maintenance service prototype order to apply rapid prototype in maintenance Prototyping

Transmitting maintenance related documents Electronic Commerce

Commerce
Electronic

A1-F1: Transmitting maintenance related documents

electronically can be made electronic commerce in Facilities
electronically
in facilities maintenance Maintenance

Page | 45
4.3.5 Barrier to apply agile concept to facilities maintenance in Sri Lankan
apparel sector

According to the literature, it identifies main three categories of barriers to the

implementation of agile manufacturing. Therefore, this section would be addressed the
impact of those barriers when applying the agile concept to facilities maintenance. All
the respondents emphasized that these barriers can influence the integration of these
concepts. In order to capture opinions on the identified barriers, Question 22 was
directed all respondents from all six cases. All the respondents believed that lack of
management skills, technological limitations and lack of workforce experience have
considerable impact on the integration of agile and facilities maintenance. Opinions
on the agile barriers were summarized in the following paragraph.

A1 states his view on the impact of lack of management skill towards maintenance as,
“This barrier is one the critical factor in an organization since management people
are responsible for improving core competencies within the organization. Therefore,
not paying enough attention to this will drive to occur failures in decision making,
financial losses due to budget over-allocation and loss the worker productivity”. B1
presents a similar answer to the respondent A1. C1 added, “Lack of knowledge on
agile concept also a key barrier”. D1 explained his opinion as, “Absence of suitable
management skill leads occur resources wastages and rework”. E1 commented as,
“Lack of management skill is resulting to make difficulties in order to face the
competition”. F1 expressed his opinion as, “Top management doesn’t know the
technological advances”.

Existing literature proved that technology is another fundamental component which

allows enriching the agile aspects of an organization. Therefore, the technological
limitation is considered to be a key barrier. All the respondents commonly presented
their viewpoint on the impact of technological limitation towards maintenance as low
efficiency, long response time and occur human errors. However, C1 added a
descriptive answer to the technological limitations in factory C as, “In our factory,
there are some budget constraints for maintenance to adopt advanced technologies

Page | 46
and new systems since maintenance is a supportive department compared to the
production-oriented company”.

Lack of workforce experience is considered to be another constraint for the

implementation of agile. Respondents in factories A, B, D and E suggest similar views
on the impact of less workforce experience to the maintenance. According to them,
this barrier leads to create maintenance errors, financial losses, system failures,
reputation losses and less quality output. Additionally, C1 added, “Agile concept is
almost novel to the facilities maintenance since definitely employees have less
experience on the agile concept”. F1 point out his opinion as, “Absence of expertise
people within the country also contributes to the lack of workforce experience”.

Presence of aforementioned agile barriers is challenging to apply the agile concept to

facilities maintenance in Sri Lankan apparel sector. Therefore, these restriction factors
can be considered as the barriers to agile facilities maintenance (AFM) approach. In
summary, barriers can be mentioned as not paying attention to improving core
competencies, lack of knowledge on the agile concept and technological advances,
budget constraints, employees less experience on agile, and absence of expertise
people in the country.

4.3.6 Strategies to overcome agile barriers

Opinions of the respondents to overcome the agile barriers in Sri Lankan apparel sector
were gathered and analysed which can be summarized in Table 4.6.

Table 4.6: Strategies to Overcome Agile Barriers

Strategies Recommended By
Strategies to Overcome Agile
Factory Factory Factory Factory Factory Factory
Barriers
A B C D E F
Strategies to Overcome Lack of Management Skills
Management training √ √ √ √ √ √
Conduct knowledge sharing
√ √ √
sessions
Develop strategic vision √
Identify and emphasize the firm’s
√ √
core competencies
Strategies to Overcome Technological Limitations
Outsourcing √ √ √ √

Page | 47
 Encourage to invest infrastructure
√ √ √ √
development
Shared other firm’s new
√ √
technologies
Strategies to Overcome Lack of WorkForce Experience
Job Rotation √ √ √ √ √
Training & Development √ √ √ √
Recruit multi-skilled employees √ √ √
Outsourcing √ √ √ √

All the respondents emphasized, providing management training on the agile concept
at factory level as the major strategy to overcome lack of management skills.
According to the agile strategy, it is highlighted that top management commitment is
crucial for the adaptation of agile concept. C1 signifies the importance of conducting
training programs as, “Appling agile is not just a destination it is a journey. Therefore,
to do the cultural changes within the organization agile policies and practices need to
deploy from top to bottom since it is required proper guidance”. The next strategy is
to conducting knowledge sharing sessions on technological advances at the factory
level. F1 pointed out this view as, “In order to apply the agile concept to the facilities
maintenance, management knowledge sharing sessions on advanced technologies and
industry best practices should be conducted at the factory level. These can be
conducted with the aid of prototyping”.

Apart from that, developing a strategic vision and identifying and emphasizing the
firm’s core competencies mentioned as another strategy to overcome lack of
management skills. Aforementioned strategies contribute to familiarize the managers
with the agile concept in the apparel sector, to aware the technological advances to top
teams and to communicate the importance of improving core competencies within the
organization.

Outsourcing and encourage to invest infrastructure development are mentioned by four

respondents as the major strategies to overcome technological limitations. Fewer
respondents suggested that sharing other firm’s new technologies also contribute to
overcoming this barrier. These three strategies lead to overcome technological
limitations since, if the organization do not have enough financial capabilities to
acquire advanced machines and technologies that firm can enter into the service

Page | 48
agreement with outsourcing company or can encourage management people to invest
by showing prototypes or it would be possible by sharing other firm’s technologies
through a mutual agreement.

Most of the respondents stated that job rotation is the ideal strategy to create an
educated workforce. Training and development and outsourcing are the next
prominent strategies which suggest by the respondent factories. Recruiting multi-
skilled employees to the organization also provide a great solution. Above mentioned
strategies help to overcome lack of workforce experience in the organization.

Strategies proposed by the respondents can be used to materialize the applicability of

agile concept to facilities maintenance in Sri Lankan apparel sector by overcoming
above-mentioned barriers.

4.3.7 Applicability of agile concept to facilities maintenance

Findings of the literature review evident that agile concept is well established in the
manufacturing sector but it is not applied in facilities maintenance. The final section
of the interview guideline was to investigate the applicability of agile concept to
facilities maintenance in Sri Lankan apparel sector. Therefore, the synergy between
facilities maintenance and the agile concept was needed to develop in order to create
the agile integrated facilities maintenance concept.

Five sub-concepts in agile concept were considered to find out the applicability of agile
concept for facilities maintenance with aim of achieving 3rd research objective. Hence,
table form questions were designed to gather inputs of the respondent factories under
the columns of agile concepts (agile principles, agile strategy, agile processes, agile
linkages and agile people), applicability (Yes/No) and respondent opinion (If “Yes”
how? If “No” why?). All the respondents presented their opinions and there were
similarities in their answers. Some of the responses given by the respondents were
rejected by other respondents.

Subsequently, 24th question was to ascertain the applicability of agile integrated

facility maintenance concept to Sri Lankan apparel sector.

Page | 49
All six respondents were believed that this integrated concept would be applicable to
the Sri Lankan apparel sector. Opinions of respondents were summarized in following
paragraphs.

A1 expressed his view on the applicability as, “Yes, agile integrated facilities
maintenance concept would be applicable. But, before adopting this kind of concept,
it is necessity analyse the industry which is going to apply the agile integrated facilities
maintenance concept. Since some of the industries are purely market-oriented or
manufacturing oriented. Therefore, this concept is much applicable to the outsourced
maintenance companies since they have enough potential to adopt agile policies and
practices in order to provide agile maintenance services. On our side, what we can do
is, either we can outsource agile maintenance service or establish separate agile
maintenance division to cope our core functions”.

B1 added, “Obviously yes, but not only for apparel sector this can be applied for any
context since the globalization and the supply chain is becoming more complex”. C1
explains his views positively and further elaborates that there is a need for the industry
to minimize the machine’s downtime and on-time maintenance support and this
integrated concept would be addressed this fact straightway. D1 highlights his opinion
on this as, “Definitely applicable, since Sri Lankan apparel sector has many
competitors in all over the world and it has to be worked with different customers
therefore, industry always seeking new strategies to reduce lead times, maintain
required quality, on-time delivery, and cost efficiency to beat the competition. So, this
integrated concept would be provided with a better solution to achieve these goals”.
E1 emphasized that the necessity of this integrated concept is due to the attitude of the
people which relucted in making fast decisions, low rate of exposure to the new ideas
and adopt new practices. As a final suggestion, F1 point out his view as, “Proposed
concept shall be applied since overall organization’s efficiency of the apparel sector
is in between 50-60% due to the heavy machine downtime, resource wastage, low
responsiveness and lack of technical skills to name few”.

According to opinions of all respondents, it was drawn a clear picture on the

applicability of agile integrated facilities maintenance concept to the Sri Lankan

Page | 50
apparel sector due to the urgent requirements coming from the manufacturing industry
and with its benefits. Moreover, the majority of the respondents highlighted that it
would be much beneficial if it possible to develop agile integrated facilities
maintenance approach to implementation.

4.3.7.1 Applicability of agile principles to facilities maintenance

Agile principles are able to create a built environment, which generates high business-
value outputs, motivates employees, encourages innovation and delivers tangible
results. Considering the current maintenance practices of the respondent factories, it
was observed that most of their practices support to make the proper link between agile
principles and facilities maintenance. Table 4.7 demonstrates the applicability of agile
principles to facilities maintenance. Similarly, the way of applying these principles to
facilities maintenance was identified respectively. Accordingly, the synergy between
agile concept and facilities maintenance was developed.

The first agile principle is to responsive planning which follows ‘Apply, Inspect and
Adapt’ theory in order to identify the changes in the business environment quickly.
Therefore, under responsive planning long-term business objectives are breaking
down into shorter delivery cycles and then approve the ongoing work based on each
delivery cycle’s results. According to A1, B1, E1 and F1, PDCA cycle (Plan-Do-
Check-Action) for maintenance is an activity which can be applicable to responsive
planning. C1 and D1 propose practising condition-based maintenance as another
activity.

As a second principle, business value driven work implies prioritization of work based
on their value addition towards the organization. All the respondents were proposed
that this principle can be applied for the maintenance by defining maintenance
activities as core function-oriented and non-core function oriented. Conducting regular
inspections with the aim of achieving continuous business requirement called as hands
on business outputs. In terms of maintenance, most of the respondents were
highlighted that adhering to checklists and audit inspections is the best way to monitor
the regular outcome. Addition to that, F1 identified, following up the on-time
monitoring system as another activity.

Page | 51
Table 4.7: Applicability of Agile Principles to Facilities Maintenance

Applicability to Facilities Maintenance Assessed By Agile Facilities

Factory Factory Factory Factory Factory Factory Synergy Maintenance
A B C D E F Principles
PDCA cycle can be followed and conditioned Responsive Facilities
Responsive
Planning

A1 & B1, E1 & F1: PDCA cycle can be followed, C1 & D1:
based maintenance can be practised to apply Maintenance
Conditioned based maintenance planning can be practised
responsive planning in facilities maintenance Planning
A1-F1: Business value driven work can be applied to prioritizing Define maintenance activities as core
Value Driven

Value Driven
Business

maintenance work, therefore, define maintenance activities as function-oriented and non-core function
Work

Facilities
core function oriented & non-core function oriented would be oriented can be assisted to employ business
Maintenance Work
possible value driven work in facilities maintenance
Maintenance checklist and audit inspections
A1-E1: Maintenance checklists and audit inspection can be Hands on Facilities
Hands on
Agile Principles

Business
Outputs

can be conducted and on time monitoring

conducted, F1: On time monitoring systems can provide real- Maintenance
systems can be adapted to integrate hands on
time data on current status Outputs
business outputs to facilities maintenance
Direct Stakeholder
Engagement
Stakeholder

A1-F1: Direct stakeholder engagement is highly essential to Effective communication channels can be
Engagement in
Direct

adopt agile to maintenance therefore effective communication created to make direct stakeholder
Facilities
channels can be created engagement in facilities maintenance
Maintenance
Preventive maintenance schedule and
A1-C1 & F1: Preventive maintenance schedule can be practised, Immovable Deadlines
Immovable
Deadlines

maintenance action plan can be used to

D1 & E1: Maintenance action plans can be provided guidance to in Facilities
conform immovable deadlines in facilities
conform to deadlines Maintenance
maintenance
Management by Self-

Performance-based incentive systems can be Self-motivation in

Motivation

A1-F1: Performance-based incentive systems can be established established to achieve management by self- Facilities
motivation in facilities maintenance Maintenance

Page | 52
 Communication
Just-in-time
A1-E1: SMS & Andon system can use for communication, F1: SMS & Andon system and BMS to be an JIT Facilities
Building Management System (BMS) can be the best option for ideal means to apply JIT communication in Maintenance
just-in-time communication facilities maintenance Communication
Status Tracking

A1: BMS & Machine tracking system can be identified, B1-F1: BMS & machine tracking system and notice Facilities
Immediate

Notice boards can be used to aware organization staff about the boards can be used to ensure immediate Maintenance Status
condition of the work status tracking in facilities maintenance Tracking

A1 & B1: Lean can be selected to maximize the firm’s resources

Management

Lean, JIT & Resource management can be Facilities

while eliminating non-value activities, C1-E1: Just-in-time (JIT)
Waste

practised to manage waste in facilities Maintenance Waste

can be used to optimize maintenance resources, F1: Resource
maintenance Management
management practices can be applied

Performance measurement system &

Measurable Quality

maintenance budget analysis can be assessed Facilities

Constantly

A1-F1: Organization performance measurement system can be

maintenance outcome since constant Maintenance Quality
used, B1: Maintenance budget analysis can be conducted
measurable quality can be achieved in Measurement
facilities maintenance
Training can be conducted & performance
A1, C1 & D1: Training can be allowed to self-correcting, B1, Rearview Mirror
Rearview

Checking

measurement system can be used to integrate

Mirror

E1 & F1: Performance measurement system can be employed to Checking in Facilities

rearview mirror checking with facilities
review maintenance work Maintenance
maintenance

A1 & E1: Implement kaizens can be a best practice, B1: Applying PDCA, continuous learning sessions
Improvement

Continues Facilities
Continuous

Continuous improvement can be established with continuous and kaizens can be proposed to establish
Maintenance
learning sessions, B1-F1: Applying PDCA cycle can be led continuous improvement in facilities
Improvement
pathway to continuous improvement maintenance

Page | 53
When it comes to the direct stakeholder engagement, all the respondents were
mentioned that it could be achieved through the creation of effective communication
channels with internal and external customers. Immovable deadlines mean that staff
members need to comply with deadlines in order to add the regular values to the
organization. According to A1, B1, C1 and F1, factories A, B, C and F assign deadlines
by use of preventive maintenance schedule since it allows maintenance team to track
the regular services on utilities. On the other hand, maintenance action plan was
suggested by D1 and E1. The principle of management by self-motivation is focus to
utilize the strength of self-organized teams. Responses from all the respondents in
factories A, B, C, D, E and F stated that having performance-based incentive system
for maintenance personnel definitely leads to create self-organized teams.

Majority of the respondents point out that, respondent factories following a SMS and
Andon system to communicate emergencies situation where occurred in production
floor due to machine breakdown or any of maintenance issue. F1 stated that BMS also
become an effective communication and technological advance system. Therefore, it
was proved that just-in-time communication is almost applicable to facilities
maintenance function. Under the agile principles, immediate status tracking
concentrates on the creation of informed people about the condition of the work in the
organization. As per the respondents’ opinions, displaying notice boards is the easiest
and effective solution to make people informed and BMS and machine tracking system
also proposed as a solution by A1.

Waste management is another principle, which is placed under agile. This drives to
maximizes the value of the organization’s resources by removing non-value adding
activities. Mainly three strategies were proposed by the respondents to apply this
principle to facilities maintenance. Three respondents were suggested that just in time
technique can be used to handle non-critical spare parts inventories. Respondents A1
and B1 mentioned that use of lean practices into maintenance also has a great impact
towards maximizing the value of the firm’s resources. F1 added, “Firstly, we need to
concentrate on resource management to minimize the wastages afterword waste
management practices would be possible. As an example, maintenance team has to be

Page | 54
considered on the availability of machines and its spare parts, this is the main factor,
accordingly purchasing orders can be raised for spare parts”

Constantly measurable quality is involved with making active checkpoints to assess

the firm’s outcome by applying both qualitative and quantitative measurements. In
maintenance point of view, all the respondents have pointed out that firm’s
performance measurement system able to measure the maintenance performance by
concerning both human resources and equipment. B1 indicates that maintenance
budget analysis as a quantitative measurement tool.

Through the rearview mirror checking, it provides necessary tools to the staff in
reviewing and self-correcting their work. The applicability of this principle to facilities
maintenance is proved by the respondents. Two opinions were proposed as the conduct
of training and performance measurement system. All the respondents are agreed that
continuous improvement can be done in maintenance by the means of applying PDCA
cycle, continuous learning session and implementation of kaizen projects.

With reference to the aforementioned discussion, it was evident that agile principles
can be applied to facilities maintenance in respondent factories.

4.3.7.2 Applicability of agile strategy to facilities maintenance

Agile strategy tends to focus on tactical aspects of agility by concerning four practices
as understanding on changes in external environment, top management support,
adaptation of agile policies and procedures and measuring and monitoring agility in
firm’s processes and performances. Responses on the applicability of agile strategies
to facilities maintenance are summarized in Table 4.8.

When considering the applicability of wide-deep scanning to facilities maintenance in

respondent factories, opinion suggests at factory A is different to factories B, C, D, E
and F, since A1 emphasized his opinion as, “Wide-deep scanning strategy well suited
for production-oriented aspects rather than services like maintenance”. Respondents
B1, C1 and D1, propose a similar answer for the applicability of wide deep scanning
to facilities maintenance as tracking new technologies and innovations.

Page | 55
Table 4.8: Applicability of Agile Strategy to Facilities Maintenance

Applicability to Facilities Maintenance Assessed By Agile Facilities

Factory Factory Factory Factory Factory Factory Synergy Maintenance
A B C D E F Strategy
A1: No significant applicability, B1-D1: Tracking new
technologies and innovations and take part in exhibitions can be Tracking new technologies and innovations, pay
Wide-Deep Scanning

assisted to apply wide-deep scanning in maintenance, C1 & F1:
Being aware of production changes is activity to be implement
wide-deep scanning, C1: Beware of changes in legal requirements
can be used to fulfil wide-deep scanning in maintenance, E1: Wide-
deep scanning can be achieved by tracking price changes in spare
parts, F1: Tracking new service providers is highly necessary at
Agile Strategy
attention to production layout changes, beware
on changes in legal requirements, take part in Wide-Deep Facilities
exhibitions, aware on price changes in spare Maintenance
parts and keep in alert on new service providers Scanning
can be specified to achieve wide-deep scanning
in facilities maintenance

this phase
Strategic
Commitment

Towards establish agile policies in facility

Strategic

A1-F1: Strategic commitment is highly essential to adopt agile Commitment to

maintenance strategic commitment is
policies to maintenance hence can be applicable Facilities
prominent
Maintenance
Adaptation of agile policies and practices by
Full Deployment

A1-F1: Full deployment should necessary to establish agile in

each and every member of the maintenance Full Deployment of
maintenance, therefore, it is required to adopt agile policies and
department and other stakeholders can be Facilities
practice by each and every member of the maintenance department
helped to establish full deployment in facilities Maintenance
and other stakeholders with respect to the maintenance function
maintenance
A1-B1: Under the performance management, each supportive
Setting maintenance KPIs to assess
Agile Scoreboard

department (financial, spare part) should set KPIs which measures

maintenance agility and to measure the on-time Agile Facilities
the on-time assistance/availability of the respective departments, in
service availability of supportive departments Maintenance
order to create agile services towards maintenance, C1-F1:
can be supported to establish agile scoreboard Scoreboard
Establish agile KPIs into existing maintenance performance system
in facilities maintenance
to measure maintenance agility

Page | 56
C1 and F1 added another activity to track the external environment as paying attention
towards production changes. Additionally, beware on changes in legal requirement,
take part in exhibitions, aware on price changes in spare parts and tracking new service
providers also lead to getting extensive knowledge and understanding of change
drivers in maintenance function.

The second practice describes the top management willingness to adopt agile policies.
In maintenance point of view, top management support should be there to perform
several actions. B1 and C1 highlighted that taking budget approvals is prominent when
considering the application of strategic commitment to facilities maintenance. Further,
respondents’ findings revealed that top teams support should need to make fast
decisions, to do cultural changes, to initiate new projects, to empower employees, to
get budget approvals, to enhance firm’s capabilities and for organization development.

Literature express full deployment as the extent of agile policies and practices adopt
into every department, group and project teams. All the respondents suggest that
organization has to be developed agile integrated maintenance policies and procedures
as the first step of full deployment. Secondly, apply them to each and every
department, group and project teams which relates to maintenance function. As a final
practice of agile strategy, agile scoreboard refers to the degree to which the
organization’s performance management system supports agile policies and
procedures. Integrating agile key performance indicators into the organization’s
performance management system to measure and monitor the agility in maintenance
is mentioned as a common suggestion by all six factories. Finally, it can be deduced
that there is a 100% chance of applying agile strategy to facilities maintenance in all
factories.

4.3.7.3 Applicability of agile processes to facilities maintenance

Organizational processes which support to achieve agility called as agile processes.

The applicability of agile processes to facilities maintenance discussed under the four
practices, which shown in Table 4.9. When it comes to the flexible assets and systems,
it was observed that all the respondent factories have a different type of facilities,
systems and software to perform facilities maintenance function.

Page | 57
Table 4.9: Applicability of Agile Processes to Facilities Maintenance
Applicability to Facilities Maintenance Assessed By
Factory Factory Factory Factory Factory Factory
A B C D E F
A1, B1, E1: BMS can be used as a flexible system, A1: Real-time
communication systems can be used, C1: ERP systems and
Flexible Assets and
computer-aided spare management system are prominent as
Systems
flexible system, B1 & D1: Flexible maintenance workshops
enhance the maintenance flexibility, E1: Use of barcode system and
automatic data collection tools, F1: Automated guided vehicle
system
A1-C1: No significant applicability since it is purely production-
Acquisition
Fast New
Product
Agile Processes
oriented concept, D1-E1: 100% availability of maintenance
support can be driven to acquire fast new products
A1, D1, E1: Established part-time team of roving problem-solvers,
Rapid Problem Solving
B1: Use of troubleshooting guidelines, C1: On-time monitoring
systems and decentralized decision-making systems can be used to
detect maintenance issues quickly, F1: Established reward system
for best solutions leads to identify problems rapidly and find
effective solutions
A1, C1, E1 & F1: Records on job card history, A1-C1 & F1: Keep
Rich Information Systems
past records on repairs and services, A1: Maintain a database for
spare parts and keep information on potential service providers,
B1: Maintain records on system commissioning, B1 & F1: Retain
utility consumption records, C1: Conduct supplier assessment, D1:
Apply computerized system for assets, C1 & E1: Maintain service
agreements
Agile Facilities
Synergy Maintenance
Processes
Flexible assets and systems can be integrated to
facilities maintenance by using BMS, ERP
system, computer-aided spare management Flexible Facilities
system, automated guided vehicles system, Maintenance Assets
barcode system & automatic data collection and Systems
system, flexible maintenance workshops and
real-time communication systems
100% availability of maintenance can be Facilities
ensured the on-time support toward production Maintenance
since facilities maintenance and fast new Towards Fast New
product acquisition can be mapped Product Acquisition
Part-time team of roving problem-solvers,
troubleshooting guidelines, on-time monitoring
Rapid Problem
systems and decentralized decision-making
Solving in Facilities
systems and reward system for best solutions
Maintenance
are facilitating to make integration of rapid
problem solving and facilities maintenance
Records on job card history, repairs and
services, system commissioning, utility
consumption, spare parts, potential service Facilities
providers, supplier assessment, service Maintenance
agreements and computerized system for assets Information Systems
can be supported to create rich information
systems in facilities maintenance
Page | 58
Majority of the respondents stated that BMS (Building Management System) is the
new trend in facilities maintenance which performs multiple tasks. Another way of
applying flexible assets and systems to maintenance is presented by B1 and D as
designing flexible maintenance workshops. Findings of the respondent factories
additionally point out that ERP system, computer-aided spare part management
system, automated guided vehicle system, barcodes, automatic data collection and
real-time communication also come under flexible assets and systems. These assets
and systems able to improve the effectiveness of all aspects of the maintenance.

Fast new product acquisition relates to the ways in which companies improve their
product offered including service aspects. Three respondents in factories A, B and C
were refused to accept this practice for maintenance. A1, B1 and C1 commonly
explained the reason for that as, “Fast new product acquisition is the purely
production-oriented concept”. However, responses D1, E1 and F1 proved the
applicability of fast new product acquisition to maintenance since D1 pointed out,
“Garment factory has to be offered a variety of products to the customer. Therefore,
it is necessary to have on-time maintenance support to align the machines and other
requirements. If the production team schedule worked night shifts, in turn,
maintenance team has to be increased the capacity of utilities i.e. HVAC, compressors
and boilers”. E1 added, “To acquire new products quickly maintenance aspects need
to be inlined with properly”. F1 also presented a similar view to D1 and E1 as, “100%
availability of maintenance systems and machines drives to acquire fast new products.

Agility always seeking quick responsiveness and flexibility. Therefore, under the agile
processes, there is rapid problem solving to identify problems quickly and allocate
sufficient resources to find an effective solution. A1, D1 and E1 explained the
applicability of rapid problem-solving in factories A, D and E as establishing a part-
time team of roving problem-solvers. Further, on-time monitoring systems, use of
troubleshooting guidelines, introduce decentralized decision-making systems and
establish reward systems for best solutions also provide the answer to how rapid
problem solving can be applicable to facilities maintenance. It was observed that all
the respondent factories maintain a standardize documentary system for maintenance.

Page | 59
Four respondents mentioned that they have been maintained job card history records
and repair and service records under their documentary system. Further, this
information helps to ensure that decision making is shared and effective. According to
B1 and F1, their factories maintain the utility consumption records to analyse the
consumption patterns with deviations and to predict the maintenance activities of
utilities. Keeping service agreements relates to maintenance is highlighted by C1 and
E1. Addition to that, spare parts databases, information on potential service providers,
records on system commissioning, supplier assessments and computerized assets
systems are allowed to create rich information systems to facilities maintenance in the
respondent factories. According to the responses provided by all respondents, the
applicability of agile processes to facilities maintenance in factories A, B, C, D, E and
F were justified.

4.3.7.4 Applicability of agile linkages to facilities maintenance

The fourth subconcept in agile focuses on outside linkages which consisting four
practices named as agility benchmarking, deep customer insight, aligned suppliers and
performing partnerships.

Agility benchmarking is important to identify the best practices, to know where their
organization stands, and to provide comparative background to set agile objectives.
When considering its applicability to facilities maintenance, all six respondents in
factories that benchmarking should be adopted in maintenance as well through the
means of setting maintenance KPIs. B1, C1 and F1 presented that setting long-term
and short-term maintenance objectives also considered as the part of benchmarking.

Deep customer insight provides a very close relationship with customers and potentials
customers. When applying this practice into facilities maintenance of respondent
factories, opinion provided at factories A and B are distinct to factories C, D, E and F
since they considered it as market-oriented aspect rather than service oriented.
Nevertheless, rest of the respondents in factories C, D, E and F comment that deep
customer insight can be applicable to facilities maintenance by establishing user
complaint handling system and conducting regular meetings with other supportive
departments. Respondents further explained that other supportive departments in the

Page | 60
organization considered as internal customers of the maintenance department.
Therefore, abovementioned practices lead to keep a close relationship with internal
customers. As an example, if the maintenance department has a close relationship with
its supportive departments it helps to identify the maintenance requirements within the
organization and to meet their needs rapidly.

Aligned suppliers are the next practice comes from agile linkages. All the respondents
stated that aligned suppliers directly applicable to facilities maintenance in respondent
factories since in order perform maintenance function it has to be linked with outside
parties. Four respondents in factories A, B, C and E were pointed out that having
flexible supply chain with maintenance service providers is the ideal way to aligning
suppliers. Other than that, sharing firm’s maintenance objectives with suppliers, create
mutual service agreements, keep informed suppliers about organization policy,
procedures and make on-time payments also tend to align supplier with maintenance
function. Moreover, this beneficial to shortened the lead times, to ensure the reliability
of supply and to achieve high quality and accurate exchanges of information.

Opinions on the respondents on the applicability of performed partnerships to facilities

maintenance in the respondent factories were captured. The core component of the
agile is forming virtual enterprises, therefore, performing partnerships with other
organization enables to offer new capabilities through co-operation. When it comes to
the facilities maintenance, performing partnerships plays a vital role. Majority of the
respondents emphasized that outsourcing is the best way to perform partnerships with
external service providers to share their core competencies like advanced technologies
and expert knowledge. Respondents further explained that sharing best practices and
sharing expert maintenance teams also drives to perform partnerships under the scope
of the maintenance function. Responses of all six respondents proved the applicability
of agile linkages to facilities maintenance in factories.

Table 4.10 summarizes the findings of the applicability of agile linkages to facilities
maintenance.

Page | 61
Table 4.10: Applicability of Agile Linkages to Facilities Maintenance

Applicability to Facilities Maintenance Assessed By Agile Facilities

Factory Factory Factory Factory Factory Factory Synergy Maintenance
A B C D E F Linkages
Maintenance KPIs and long-term and short-
Benchmarking

A1-F1: Setting maintenance KPIs can be specified, B1, C1 & F1: Agile Facilities
term maintenance objectives can be set to
Agility

Defining long-term and short-term maintenance objectives can be Maintenance

establish agile benchmarking in facilities
a part of benchmarking Benchmarking
maintenance
User complaint handling system for
A1 & B1: No significant applicability, C1, E1 & F1: Regular
Deep Customer
Agile Linkages

maintenance can be established and regular

meetings with other supportive departments by maintenance Deep Customer
Insight

meetings with supportive department can be

department can be used to make close relationship, D1: Establish Insight in Facilities
conducted to make deep customer insight in
user complaint handling system Maintenance
facilities maintenance
A1-C1 & E1: Build flexible supply chain with maintenance service Suppliers can be aligned with facilities
Aligned Suppliers

providers, C1: Sharing firm’s maintenance objectives with maintenance means of creating flexible supply Aligned Facilities
suppliers, D1: Create mutual agreements, E1: Keep informed chain, sharing maintenance objectives, forming Maintenance
suppliers about organization policy and procedures, F1: Make on- mutual agreements, make informed suppliers Suppliers
time payments and doing on-time payments
Partnerships

Outsourcing, and sharing best practices & Performing Facilities

Performing

A1-D1: Outsourcing can be performed to create partnerships, E1:

expert maintenance teams can be employed to Maintenance
Share best practices, F1: Sharing expert maintenance teams
perform partnerships in facilities maintenance Partnerships

Page | 62
4.3.7.5 Applicability of agile people to facilities maintenance

According to the literature, agile people can be defined as people and the management
of the human resources of the organization. Respondents were guided to make their
opinion on the applicability of agile people to facilities maintenance by concerning
four practices which specified under the agile people. The applicability of agile people
to facilities maintenance and the way of applying these four practices to maintenance
were identified as shown in Table 4.11.

The development of adaptable organizational structure is strengthening firms to

enhance organizational flexibility while grasping opportunities. Respondents from
factories A, B, C, D and E highlighted that having flat organizational structure is ideal
to develop adaptable structure. F1 commented his opinion as, “Configuration of team-
based structure allows to make adaptable organizational structure”. As per the
literature findings, agile firms are less dependent on the systems, more dependent on
the intelligence. Therefore, agile people considered as the key consideration in agile
enterprises. All the respondents agreed that use of multi-skilled and flexible people to
facilities maintenance would provide a better output. It was observed that most of the
respondent factories tend to recruit multi-skilled maintenance technicians. A1
explained the applicability of this practice in factory A as, “Now we are willing to
recruit technicians with multiple skills such as operators with computer knowledge”.

B1 and F1 expressed their similar view as, “Recruiting multi-functional employees to

the maintenance department leads to achieve agility in people”. D1 added, “In our
factory, we have a single technician to operate both boiler and chiller. Also, he was
assigned to perform housekeeping aspects and routine inspection of the boiler and
chiller as well”. Two respondents mentioned that forming team-based ways of
working allows creating flexible people. Job rotation, giving incentives for people who
acquiring new skills, employee reward system for problem-solving, improving variety
in worker’s tasks and creating cross function teams are considered as another way of
acquiring multi-skilled and flexible people to the maintenance.

Page | 63
Table 4.11: Applicability of Agile People to Facilities Maintenance

Applicability to Facilities Maintenance Assessed By Agile Facilities

Factory Factory Factory Factory Factory Factory Synergy Maintenance
A B C D E F People
Adaptable structure can be established in Adaptable
Adaptable
Structure

A1-E1: Having flat organization structure can be ideal, F1: Team facilities maintenance by creating either flat Facilities
based structure can respond quickly organizational structure or team-based Maintenance
structure Structure
Multi-skilled maintenance technicians, variety
in worker’s task, team-based ways of working,
Multi-Skilled/Flexible

A1, B1, D1 & F1: Recruit multi-skilled maintenance technicians, Multi Skilled
B1: Improve variety in worker’s tasks, C1 & F1: Team-based ways employee reward system for problem-solving, Flexible
People

of working, B1 & D1: Employee reward system for problem- job rotation, cross-functional teams and Facilities
Agile People

solving, C1 & E1: Job rotation, C1: Create function teams, B1 &
E1: Give incentives for people who acquiring new skills
Rapid, Able Decision
incentives for people who acquired new skills Maintenance
can be proposed to acquire multi-skilled flexible People
people in facilities maintenances
Conduct skill development training, give

A1 & F1: Training on skill development laid pathway to improve

employee reward system for problem-solving, Rapid, Able
the employee’s skill on decision making, B1 & D1: Employee
keep depth information system for maintenance Decision in
reward system for problem-solving, C1: Maintaining depth
practices and create self-motivated teams can Facilities
information on maintenance practices leads to make informed and
be assisted to make rapid able decision in Maintenance
effective decisions, E1: Create self-motivated teams
facilities maintenance
A1: Implement kaizens projects & organize exhibitions, B1, D1 & Continuous learning can be established in
Continuous Learning

E1: Creation of organizational methods to encourage facilities maintenance by implementing kaizens, Continuous
experimentation and the use of innovative ideas, C1: Training & organizing exhibitions, training & education, Learning in
education and keep database containing maintenance information keeping employee accessible maintenance Facilities
accessible for employees, F1: Use of proper mechanism to database, sharing best practices and doing Maintenance
encourage sharing of best practices and competency mapping competency mapping

Page | 64
Rapid able decision making is a most prominent factor in agile organizations since
agility is always seeking a speedy response. When considering its applicability to
facilities maintenance, all the respondents were emphasized the importance of
applying rapid-able decision making to facilities maintenance. According to them,
maintenance is a very critical function which has a considerable impact towards core
function of the organization. A1 and F1 suggest that rapid able decision making can
be acquired through the means of conducting training on skill development. C1
explained that maintaining a depth information system assists decision taking to be
informed, rapid and effective. Both B1 and D1 point out that factories B and D follow
an employee reward system for problem-solving and it drives to achieve rapid able
decision making. E1 mentioned that creating self-motivated teams as another activity
to be applicable to rapid able decision making.

Continuous learning is the rate of people in the organization are open to new ideas and
adopt new practices. All the respondents in respondent factories commonly agreed that
this practice definitely applicable to facilities maintenance. On the perspectives of B1,
D1 and E1 in factories B, D and E mentioned that creation of organizational methods
to encourage experimentation and the use of innovative ideas is a greater opportunity
for employees. On the other hand, implementing kaizen projects, organize exhibitions,
training and education, keep a database containing maintenance information accessible
for employees, use of a proper mechanism to encourage sharing of best practices and
competency mapping are additional means which laying the pathway for continuous
learning. Above mentioned findings would be deduced that the applicability of agile
people to facilities maintenance in respondent factories.

4.3.8 Benefits of AFM Approach

The final section of the interview guideline was designed to get the opinions on AFM
approach. It was questioned about the benefits of the approach. The respondents
applied their expert knowledge with the experience taken related to facilities
maintenance and the assistance of researcher’s instruction on agile concept once
answering the question since AFM approach is a novel idea to the Sri Lankan apparel
sector. Reference to the respondents’ opinions, all the answers were somewhat similar

Page | 65
and justify the value of the agile facilities maintenance approach to the industry
practitioners. Table 4.12 shows the summary of the respondents’ answers on benefits
of AFM approach.

Table 4.12: Benefits of AFM Approach

Respondent Benefits of AFM

A1 in Factory A
B1 in Factory B
C1 in Factory C
D1 in Factory D
E1 in Factory E
F1 in Factory F
Fast service delivery, less downtime, performance improvement,
production efficiency
Deliver value for money, able to face market dynamics,
become more responsiveness, reduction of resource wastage, cost
saving
Driven to zero maintenance, able to face market uncertainties, more
flexible assets and systems
Higher productivity, high team motivation, enhance the knowledge and
learning practices of the people, less user complaints, maximize the
firm’s resources
High team motivation, high worker productivity, quick response,
enhancement of maintenance performance
On-time service delivery, 100% quality service, zero downtime,
provide quality service

Reference to the above findings, it was deduced that agile facilities maintenance
approach would be resulted to achieve on-time service delivery and driven to zero
maintenance. However, key benefits of the AFM approach as suggested by the six
respondents in factories A, B, C, D, E and F can be illustrated in Figure 4.5.

High worker productivity
leads to performance
improvement
On-time service
delivery enhance the Enhance the knowledge
production efficiency and learning practices
of the people

Less downtime driven

Cost saving by maximizing to zero maintenance
Benefits of
firm’s resources
AFM
More flexible assets
Approach and systems
Deliver value for money by
providing quality services
Less user complaints

Able to face
High team Become more
market dynamics
motivation responsivenes

Figure 4.5: Benefits of AFM Approach

Page | 66
These benefits not only facilitate in achieving on-time service delivery and driven to
zero maintenance but also it facilitates a number of other aspects including
performance improvement, less user complaints, provide quality service and etc. In
addition to that AFM outcome would be a more responsiveness approach in order to
face market dynamics and deliver value for money by providing quality services to the
customers.

4.3.9 Development of Agile Facilities Maintenance (AFM) Approach

According to the views of all respondents in six factories, section 4.3.7

comprehensively discussed the way of applying each agile concept to facilities
maintenance. In turn, the synergy between agile concept and facilities maintenance
were developed in order to lay the foundation for agile facilities maintenance (AFM)
approach. Respondents’ opinions revealed that the proposed approach would fill the
identified gap in existing maintenance approaches and the organization will be
benefited accordingly. Moreover, towards making the implementation of this
integrated AFM approach a reality, barriers could be overcome by means of
strengthening the enablers and following proposed strategies.

Hence, the final AFM approach can be presented as shown in Figure 4.6, which deliver
the more responsive and flexible maintenance service to beat maintenance uncertainty.

Page | 67

AFM Concept
▪ Responsive Facilities Maintenance Planning
Agile Facilities Maintenance ▪ Value Driven Facilities Maintenance Work
▪ Hands on Facilities Maintenance Outputs
▪ Direct Stakeholder Engagement in Facilities
Maintenance
Principles
▪ Immovable Deadlines in Maintenance
▪ Self-motivation in Facilities Maintenance
▪ JIT Facilities Maintenance Communication
▪ Facilities Maintenance Status Tracking
▪ Facilities Maintenance Waste Management
▪ Facilities Maintenance Quality Measurement
▪ Rearview Mirror Checking in Maintenance
▪ Continues Maintenance Improvement
▪ Wide-Deep Facilities Maintenance Scanning
▪ Strategic Commitment to Facilities
Agile Facilities
Maintenance
Maintenance
Strategy
▪ Full Deployment of Facilities Maintenance
▪ Agile Facilities Maintenance Scoreboard
▪ Flexible Facilities Maintenance Assets and
Maintenance Processes
Systems
▪ Facilities Maintenance Towards Fast New
Agile Facilities
Product Acquisition
▪ Rapid Problem Solving in Facilities
Maintenance
▪ Facilities Maintenance Information Systems
▪ Agile Facilities Maintenance Benchmarking
Maintenance Linkages
▪ Deep Customer Insight in Facilities
Maintenance
Agile Facilities
▪ Aligned Facilities Maintenance Suppliers
▪ Performing Facilities Maintenance
Partnerships
▪ Adaptable Facilities Maintenance Structure
Agile Facilities Maintenance People
▪ Multi Skilled, Flexible Facilities
Maintenance People
▪ Rapid, Able Decision in Facilities
Maintenance
▪ Continuous Learning in Facilities
Maintenance
AGILE FACILITIES MAINTENANCE (AFM) APPROACH
AFM Concept Implementation Approach
▪ Follow PDCA cycle & condition-based maintenance Quick Response &
▪ Define core & non-core maintenance activities
▪ Checklist, audit inspections & on time monitoring Flexible Maintenance
▪ Create effective communication channels
▪ Use of preventive maintenance schedule & maintenance action plan Approach
▪ Introduce performance-based incentive systems
▪ Use SMS, Andon system & BMS
▪ Use of notice boards & machine tracking system
▪ Practice Just in time, Lean & Resource management
▪ Maintenance budget analysis
▪ Conduct training
▪ Create employee accessible performance feedback system
▪ Continuous learning sessions & implement kaizens
▪ Tracking new technologies and innovations
▪ Pay attention to production changes
▪ Beware of changes in legal requirement
▪ Take part in exhibitions
▪ Aware of price changes in spare parts
▪ Tracking new service providers
▪ Get top management commitment
▪ Adapt agile maintenance policies and procedures
▪ Set agile key performance indicators FACILITIES AGILE
▪ Use of IT integrated systems i.e. BMS, ERP
CONCEPT
▪ Use automated guided vehicle system, barcodes & automatic data MAINTENANCE
collection
▪ Establish flexible maintenance workshops
▪ Establish 100% availability of maintenance support
▪ Use of troubleshooting guidelines
▪ Introduce decentralized decision-making systems
▪ Establish part-time team of roving problem-solvers
▪ Establish reward systems for best solutions
▪ Develop in-depth maintenance documentary system
▪ Set agile maintenance objectives
▪ Establish user complaint handling system AFM Enablers Benefits of AFM
▪ Regular meetings with other supportive departments
▪ Build flexible supply chain with maintenance service providers
▪ Sharing firm’s maintenance objectives with suppliers
▪ Create mutual service agreements ▪ Facilities Maintenance Virtual Enterprises ▪ Less downtime driven to zero maintenance
▪ Keep informed suppliers about organization policy, procedures ▪ Facilities Maintenance Distributed Teams ▪ Become more responsiveness
▪ Make on-time payments ▪ Facilities Maintenance Partnerships ▪ Able to face market dynamics
▪ Share best practices & expert maintenance teams
▪ Facilities Maintenance Concurrent Engineering ▪ More flexible assets and systems
▪ Outsourcing
▪ Establish flat structure/ team-based structure ▪ Integrated Facilities Maintenance Information ▪ On-time service delivery enhance the
▪ Recruit multi-skilled maintenance technicians System production efficiency
▪ Improve variety of worker’s tasks ▪ Facilities Maintenance Prototyping ▪ Enhance the knowledge and learning
▪ Introduce team-based ways of working ▪ Electronic Commerce in Facilities Maintenance practices of the people
▪ Employee reward system for problem-solving ▪ Less user complaints
▪ Job rotation & create cross function teams ▪ High team motivation
▪ Give incentives for people who acquiring new skills AFM Barriers
▪ Create self-motivated teams ▪ High worker productivity leads to
▪ Implement kaizen projects & organize exhibitions performance improvement
▪ Keep database containing maintenance information accessible to ▪ Deliver value for money by providing
employees ▪ Lack of Management Skills quality services
▪ Encourage conduct experimentation and use innovative ideas ▪ Technological Limitations ▪ Cost saving by maximizing firm’s
▪ Use of proper mechanism to encourage sharing of best practices ▪ Lack of Work Force Experience resources
▪ Competency mapping
Figure 4.6: Agile Facilities Maintenance (AFM) Approach
Page | 68
According to the developed AFM approach, following discussion can be conducted as
to deliberate more on the approach. The developed AFM approach mainly consisting
of five AFM concepts as AFM principles, AFM strategy, AFM processes, AFM
linkages and AFM people with implementation approach. Moreover, it has enablers,
barriers and benefits in implementing AFM approach. Accordingly, key components
of the AFM approach are discussed below under following paragraphs.

The first AFM concept derived from the AFM approach is agile facilities maintenance
(AFM) principles, which developed by integrating agile principles and facilities
maintenance. The AFM principles are act as the key pillars of the AFM approach since
these principles laid the foundation to create the agile facilities maintenance working
environment. These principles enable facilities maintenance to continuously inspect
the maintenance operation to respond the unexpected changes in maintenance, to
prioritizing the value-added maintenance activities and send regular ongoing values,
to make collaboration with various stakeholders in the supply chain to be flexible and
agile.

The integration of agile strategy and facilities maintenance practices allows creating
agile facilities maintenance (AFM) strategy. This concept expresses on how agility
could be deployed to the organization. However, there are four factors to be considered
to develop AFM strategy. Initially, maintenance department needs to understand its
external environment to capture the potential future changes in maintenance function,
which can be affected by the continuous operation of maintenance. In turn, top
management commitment needs to be considered to adopt agile policy procedure to
maintenance. Another key consideration is to determine the extent of deployment of
agile policies and practices by maintenance division and other stakeholders. The last
factor to be concerned is how firm’s performance management system facilitates to
measure the maintenance agility. Aforementioned factors enable to develop AFM
strategy in straightway.

The processes which are supporting to create agile facilities maintenance called as
agile maintenance (AFM) processes. The is the place where the synergy between agile
processes and facilities maintenance can be seen.

Page | 69
Moreover, this forces on organizational and maintenance specified processes, which
make maintenance function more flexible. Further, these supportive processes are
concerning four key practices. Those are processes must focus on flexible assets and
systems instead of traditional systems to improve the effectiveness of the maintenance
operation, processes must ensure 100% availability of maintenance support, processes
must have proper mechanism to detect problems quickly and respond effectively and
these processes should allow making rich information system to ensure decision
making is shared and effective.

In order to perform facilities maintenance, it is necessity have flexible linkages with

outside parties. Therefore, agile maintenance facilities (AFM) linkages were derived
as an integration of agile linkages and facilities maintenance. This tends to develop
agile maintenance capabilities. Four key practices are involved to create AFM
linkages. Accordingly, agile maintenance benchmarking, which reveal where the
maintenance performance stands in terms of responsiveness and flexibility, deep
customer relationships that provide proper capturing of real-time customer data and
satisfy customer requirement, aligning maintenance suppliers, which improves the
responsiveness of maintenance function and performing partnerships propose new
capabilities through co-operation.

Final concept of the AFM approach involves the recruiting agile facilities maintenance
(AFM) people. The synergy between agile people and facilities maintenance can be
grasped here. Use of adaptable structure, multi-skilled flexible people, rapid able
decision makers and continuous learning are the prominent factors to be a drive to
make AFM people. These people can be considered as the driving forces in AFM
approach.

The development of AFM approach would be resulted to produce a number of benefits.

Further, these benefits can be supported to the organizations who implement this
approach in order to withstand the unpredictable nature of the maintenance functions.
As in Figure 4.6, the model demonstrates the eleven AFM benefits as less downtime
driven to zero maintenance, become more responsiveness, able to face market
dynamics, more flexible assets and systems, on-time service delivery enhances the

Page | 70
production efficiency, enhance the knowledge and learning practices of the people,
less user complaints, high team motivation, high worker productivity leads to
performance improvement, deliver value for money by providing quality services and
cost saving by maximizing firm’s resources.

Considering the enablers of AFM approach, there are seven barriers can be identified
as facilities maintenance virtual enterprises, facilities maintenance distributed teams,
facilities maintenance partnerships, facilities maintenance concurrent engineering,
Integrated facilities maintenance information system, facilities maintenance
prototyping and electrical commerce in facilities maintenance. AFM enablers can be
considered as the driving factors in implementing AFM approach.

Even though the AFM approach is applicable, there are some restricting factors in
implementing the integrated agile facilities maintenance concept. Those are coming
under three categories as lack of management skills, technological limitations and lack
of workforce experience. Hence, the identified barriers could be overcome by
strengthening the enablers and following proposed strategies.

Finally, agile facilities maintenance (AFM) approach will able to furnish the research
gap, which is identified through the background study and the comprehensive literature
review. There are two characteristics can be highlighted in AFM approach as quick
responsiveness and flexibility. Hence, empowering AFM approach will assist to tackle
maintenance uncertainty, which derived from the unpredictable nature of maintenance
functions by employing AFM principles, AFM strategy, AFM processes, AFM
linkages and AFM people.

4.3.10 Chapter Summary

The aim of this chapter is to analyze the collected data and present the research
findings. Further, this chapter facilitates in achieving the research objectives and
integrating agile concept and facilities maintenance together in order to develop AFM
approach. Mapping with literature findings, data gathered from six case studies was
analysed by using content analysis.

Page | 71
Data analysis leads to develop agile facilities maintenance (AFM) approach by
integrating facilities maintenance with five agile concepts. In turn, the applicability of
AFM approach to the Sri Lankan apparel sector and benefits, enablers and barriers to
implementing AFM approach were clearly identified. Afterwards, the implementation
approach was developed for agile facilities maintenance (AFM) concept.

Research objectives 2, 3 and 4 were successfully accomplished through the outcome

of the analysis. Moreover, this chapter enables to achieve the aim of the research
successful and satisfactory, which is to develop an agile facilities maintenance (AFM)
approach to apparel sector in Sri Lanka. As the result of the development of AFM
approach, five concepts of AFM were presented in detailed. As concluding remarks, it
can be highlighted that this chapter is a major contributor to achieve the aim of the
research while fulfilling research gap.

Page | 72
 CHAPTER FIVE

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Introduction

As a final stage of the study, the whole research process and the conclusion drawn
from each and every stage are summarized in this chapter. Further, this chapter
facilitates to present an overview of each and every chapter discussed in the entire
study. Finally, this research study contributes to adds some key facts to enhance the
knowledge and providing recommendations for the industry practitioners and
academic researcher.

5.2 Overview of the Research and Conclusions

The turbulent environment of the maintenance function and its impact towards
sustaining in rapidly changing competitive environment has forced the organizations
to make sure the continuous operation of their supportive functions, which are in line
with core function in order to optimize their customer. Today’s organizations have
many challenges in competing with other organizations in the industry in terms of on-
time delivery, flexibility, responsiveness, market position, new technologies and
human resource capabilities. As a supportive function, the role of facilities
maintenance is crucial to ensure continuous operation of a facility. Therefore, apparel
organizations have to be considered the importance of facilities maintenance in order
to face the competition and finally satisfy the customers by giving quality products.

The concept of agile is not a novel for manufacturing sector since it was found in the
21st century. Many researchers have defined agile with related to their own
perceptions. However, agile is not something which measures the activeness of a
function. Agile supports firms to perform in a flexible manner and allow to face
dynamic conditions in a strategic way. Agile is something related to organizational
vision, mission, strategies, processes and people. Most of the literature findings
evident the fact that current maintenance approaches are striving to enhance the
maintenance performance by using their own tools and applications.

Page | 73
Currently, industry has been practised several maintenance approaches including
Corrective Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance, Predictive Maintenance, Total
Productive Maintenance and Computerized Maintenance in order to achieve in less
downtime, optimum maintenance cost and higher product quality. Even though many
maintenance management models were developed and implemented, there is a void
space in current maintenance approaches to address the issues like dynamic
maintenance activities, unexpected repairs and breakdowns, lack of processes and
knowledge, wide diversification in the maintenance problems and so on. Many
researchers also reveal the fact that there are challenges in existing maintenance
approaches to tackle maintenance uncertainty. Therefore, there is a need of a fill up
this gap.

Since agile concept expects to achieve flexibility and responsiveness in an

unpredictable environment, there is a potential to integrate these two distinct concepts
by applying the agile concept to facilities maintenance in order to overcome the
inefficiencies presence in the current maintenance practices. However, there is lack of
a study on the applicability of agile concept to facilities maintenance. There is,
therefore, a need to investigate the applicability and the way of integrating agile
concept to facilities maintenance in order to withstand competitive in turbulent
environments. Having realized the research gap, in turn, the aim of the research was
established as to develop an agile facilities maintenance approach (AFM) to apparel
sector in Sri Lanka, which derived from the research problem, objectives were placed
as the pillars to proceed ahead.

Subsequently, background study and a comprehensive literature review were laid the
foundation for development of final research outcome. Initially, maintenance
approaches were reviewed in a descriptive manner in order to pop up the prevailing
maintenance issues in literature. Different researchers have developed different
conceptual frameworks for implementation of agile manufacturing. Nevertheless, the
key literature on agile concept researched by the leading researchers was identified as
agile principles, agile reference model, agile enablers, agile barriers and agile in
service sector under the literature synthesis. However, agile facilities maintenance
(AFM) conceptual model was developed for empirical investigation.

Page | 74
Towards achieving the research aim, a methodological framework was developed.
This systematic process was driven to answer the unanswered research problem. This
research proceeded under qualitative research approach and case studies were carried
out by choosing six (06) apparel manufacturing factories. Necessary data was captured
by means of unstructured interviews, documentary review and observations. Gathered
industry inputs were analysed using code-based content analysis and manual content
analysis.

The findings of the data analysis were concluded that industry practitioners are not
practising agile concept in advance to perform the facilities maintenance function.
However, it was further elaborated that there is enough possibility to integrate these
two concepts by applying each and every agile concept to the facilities maintenance.
The AFM conceptual model, which is developed in literature review was employed in
data collection and data analysis stage in order to find out the synergy between agile
concept and facilities maintenance.

End of the analysis phase, the applicability of agile concept to facilities maintenance
and the synergy between five concepts in agile and facilities maintenance were
developed with respect to the respondents’ opinions. However, the developed AFM
approach mainly consisting of five AFM concepts as AFM principles, AFM strategy,
AFM processes, AFM linkages and AFM people with implementation approach.
Moreover, it has enablers, barriers and benefits in implementing AFM approach.

As an initial AFM concept, AFM principles is derived by integrating agile principles

and facilities maintenance, which considered as the key pillar of the AFM approach.
The creation of AFM working environment highly depends on these AFM principles.
Adaptation of AFM principles could enhance the facilities maintenance performance
by continuously monitoring the maintenance operation to catch up the unexpected
changes in facilities maintenance. Agile facilities maintenance (AFM) strategy is the
next prominent AFM concept by combining agile strategy and facilities maintenance,
which provides the answer of how agility could be deployed to the organization
whereas AFM processes are developed as the result of integration between agile
processes and facilities maintenance.

Page | 75
AFM processes can be regarded as the supportive processes, which make facilities
maintenance function more flexible.

Towards perform agile facilities maintenance, agile facilities linkages were established
by means of linking agile linkages and facilities maintenance. AFM linkages create a
more flexible supply chain with facilities maintenance suppliers. As the final AFM
concept, agile facilities maintenance (AFM) people can be identified, which involves
the recruiting agile facilities maintenance people perform the AFM.

With the development of AFM approach, AFM barriers were clearly identified as lack
of management skills, technological limitations and lack of workforce experience.
Towards overcome aforementioned AFM barriers, strategies were proposed by
relevant respondents in order to strengthen the approach implementation. Moreover,
the literature clearly defined the enabler of agile implantation. Cooperation of agile
enables and facilities maintenance made a synergy as AFM enables, which consisting
facilities maintenance virtual enterprises, facilities maintenance distributed teams,
facilities maintenance partnerships, facilities maintenance concurrent engineering,
Integrated facilities maintenance information system, facilities maintenance
prototyping and electrical commerce in facilities maintenance. These AFM enables act
as the driving forces towards AFM approach implementation.

The AFM benefits are further thriving the AFM approach. Those AFM benefits can be
pointed out as less downtime driven to zero maintenance, become more
responsiveness, able to face market dynamics, more flexible assets and systems, on-
time service delivery enhances the production efficiency, enhance the knowledge and
learning practices of the people, less user complaints, high team motivation, high
worker productivity leads to performance improvement, deliver value for money by
providing quality services and cost saving by maximizing firm’s resources.

As concluding remarks, literature review chapter enabled in accomplishing research

objective 1 whereas data collection and data analysis process laid the pathway to
achieve research objectives 2, 3 and 4. Therefore, the main aim of the research was
successfully achieved and the furnish the identified research gap.

Page | 76
As a contribution to the knowledge, this research study points out how to develop the
synergy between agile and facilities maintenance, AFM implementation procedure,
enablers and barriers involved with the AFM approach and expected benefits of the
research as discussed above. Finally, this novel AFM approach facilitates
organizations to perform facilities maintenance function in unpredictable nature since
the developed each AFM concepts lead to tackle the maintenance uncertainty with
their own tools and strategies.

5.3 Recommendations for Industry Practitioner

According to the significant outcome of AFM approach, which will be beneficial to

the industry practitioners of the apparel industry in order to upgrade facilities
maintenance performance, as recommended below.

1. Apparel sector is seeking for standardized maintenance approaches to fill up

the prevailing issues in terms of maintenance uncertainty, responsiveness,
flexibility, skill shortage. This approach, therefore, could create a huge impact
on the issues in well in advance.
2. This approach can be practised in throughout the maintenance management
process. Great combination of maintenance management process and this
approach will enhance the effectiveness of the process.
3. Finally, it is recommended to apply the novel integrated AFM Approach within
Sri Lankan apparel organizations, in order to enhance the facilities
maintenance performance of the facility and enables to beat the competition.

5.4 Recommendations for Academic Research

Even though the scope of this research was limited mainly due to time constraint and
other restrictions, wide scope of agile and its applicability can expose to a broad
spectrum. Therefore, it is recommended for academic researchers to further study on
following aspects.

1. AFM approach could be practically validated following a case study approach

following different sectors in Sri Lanka
2. The applicability of agile concept to other FM functions in an organization

Page | 77
REFERENCES

Abreu, J., Martins, P. V., Fernandes, S., & Zacarias, M. (2013). Business processes
improvement on maintenance management: A case study. Procedia Technology,
9, 320–330.

Adebanjo, D., Abbas, A., & Mann, R. (2010). An investigation of the adoption and
implementation of benchmarking. International Journal of Operations &
Production Management, 30(11), 1140–1169.

Allen, D. (1993). What is building maintenance? Facilities, 11(3), 7–12.

Alsyouf, I. (2007). The role of maintenance in improving companies’ productivity and

profitability. International Journal of Production Economics, 105(1), 70–78.

Amaratunga, D., Baldry, D., Sarshar, M., & Newton, R. (2002). Quantitative and
qualitative research in the built environment: Application of “mixed” research
approach. Work Study, 51(1), 17–31. doi:10.1108/00438020210415488

Amaratunga, D., Kulatunga, U., Liyanage, C., Lam, E. W. M., Chan, A. P. C., & Chan,
D. W. M. (2010). Benchmarking success of building maintenance projects.
Facilities, 28(5/6), 290–305.

Aryee, S. (2011). HOTEL MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT: Strategic practices in

hotel operation.

Ashley, S. (1997). Rapid-response design. Mechanical Engineering, 119(12), 72.

Atieno, O. P. (2009). An analysis of the strengths and limitation of qualitative and

quantitative research paradigms. Problems of Education in the 21st Century,
13(1), 13–38.

Atkin, B., & Brooks, A. (2009). Total facilities management. John Wiley & Sons.

Backlund, F., & Hannu, J. (2002). Can we make maintenance decisions on risk
analysis results? Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, 8(1), 77–91.
doi:10.1108/13552510210420603

Page | 78
Bamber, C. J., Sharp, J. M., & Castka, P. (2004). Third party assessment: the role of
the maintenance function in an integrated management system. Journal of Quality
in Maintenance Engineering, 10(1), 26–36.

Barrett, P.S., Baldry, D. (2003). Facilities Management: Towards best practice (2nd
edi.). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

Blanchard, B. S. (1997). An enhanced approach for implementing total productive

maintenance in the manufacturing environment. Journal of Quality in
Maintenance Engineering, 3(2), 69–80.

Bottani, E. (2010). Profile and enablers of agile companies: An empirical

investigation. International Journal of Production Economics, 125(2), 251–261.

Brozovic, D., Brozovic, D., Nordin, F., Nordin, F., Kindström, D., & Kindström, D.
(2016). Service flexibility: Conceptualizing value creation in service. Journal of
Service Theory and Practice, 26(6), 868–888.

Campbell, J. D. (1995). Outsourcing in maintenance management: A valid alternative

to self‐provision. Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, 1(3), 18–24.
doi:10.1108/13552519510096369

Campbell, J. D. (1995). Uptime: Strategies for Excellence in Maintenance

Management. Retrieved from
http://faculty.kfupm.edu.sa/ARE/amhammad/ARE-524-course-web/Uptime-3-
Planning-and-Scheduling-Resources.pdf

Cardellino, P., & Finch, E. (2006). Evidence of systematic approaches to innovation

in facilities management. Journal of Facilities Management, 4(3), 150–166.

Chandrashekaran, A., & Gopalakrishnan, B. (2008). Maintenance risk reduction for

effective facilities management. Journal of Facilities Management, 6(1), 52–68.
doi:10.1108/14725960810847468

Chen, Z. (2015). Principles of facilities management. Journal of Facilities

Management, 13(1). doi:10.1108/JFM-12-2014-0039

Cholasuke, C., Bhardwa, R., & Antony, J. (2004). The status of maintenance
management in UK manufacturing organisations: Results from a pilot survey.
Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, 10(1), 5–15.

Page | 79
Coetzee, J. L. (1999). A holistic approach to the maintenance “problem.” Journal of
Quality in Maintenance Engineering, 5(3), 276–281.

Cooke, J. L. (2014). Agile Productivity Unleashed: Proven approaches for achieving

real productivity gains in any organization (2nd edi). United Kingdom: IT
Governance Publishing.

Cotts, D.G., Roper, K.O., Payant, R. P. (2009). The facility management handbook
(3rd ed). New York: AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn.

Creswell, J. W. (1994). Research design: Qualitative and quantitative approaches.

Inc: SAGE Publications.

Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods

approaches. Inc: Sage publications.

Cui, L.-R., Hayakawa, Y., Gustafson, A., Schunnesson, H., Galar, D., & Kumar, U.
(2013). Production and maintenance performance analysis: Manual versus semi-
automatic LHDs. Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, 19(1), 74–88.

Dekker, R. (1996). Applications of maintenance optimization models: A review and

analysis. Reliability Engineering & System Safety, 51(3), 229–240.

Denning, S. (2016). Agile’s ten implementation challenges. Strategy & Leadership,

44(5), 15–20.

Dhillon, B. S., & Liu, Y. (2006). Human error in maintenance: A review. Journal of
Quality in Maintenance Engineering, 12(1), 21–36.

Ding, S.-H., Kamaruddin, S., & Abdul Azid, I. (2014). Maintenance policy selection
model–a case study in the palm oil industry. Journal of Manufacturing
Technology Management, 25(3), 415–435.

Duffuaa, S. O., & Al-Sultan, K. S. (1999). A stochastic programming model for

scheduling maintenance personnel. Applied Mathematical Modelling, 23(5),
385–397.

Edmond P. Rondeau, Robert Kevin Brown, P. D. L. (2006). Facility Management (2nd

edi.). Inc: John Wiley & Sons.

Page | 80
El-Ferik, S., & Ben-Daya, M. (2010). Integrated production maintenance model under
imperfect age-based maintenance policy and non-negligible maintenance times.
Asia-Pacific Journal of Operational Research, 27(4), 539–558.

Fonseca, D. J., & Knapp, G. M. (2001). A fuzzy scheme for failure mode screening.
Fuzzy Sets and Systems, 121(3), 453–457.

Fraser, K. (2014). Facilities management: The strategic selection of a maintenance

system. Journal of Facilities Management, 12(1), 18–37.
http://doi.org/10.1108/JFM-02-2013-0010

Gallimore, K. F., & Penlesky, R. J. (1988). A framework for developing maintenance

strategies. Production and Inventory Management Journal, 29(1), 16.

Garg, A., & Deshmukh, S. G. (2006). Maintenance management: Literature review

and directions. Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, 12(3), 205–238.
doi:10.1108/13552510610685075

Garg, A., & Deshmukh, S. G. (2010). Engineering support issues for flexibility in
maintenance: An SAP-LAP framework. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and
Logistics, 22(2), 247–270.

Graisa, M., & Al‐Habaibeh, A. (2011). An investigation into current production

challenges facing the Libyan cement industry and the need for innovative total
productive maintenance (TPM) strategy. Journal of Manufacturing Technology
Management, 22(4), 541–558. doi:10.1108/17410381111126445

Gunasekaran, A. (1998). Agile manufacturing: Enablers and an implementation

framework. International Journal of Production Research, 36(5), 1223–1247.

Gunasekaran, A. (1999). Agile manufacturing: A framework for research and

development. International Journal of Production Economics, 62(1), 87–105.

Gunasekaran, A. (2001). Agile manufacturing: the 21st century competitive strategy.

Elsevier.

Gupta, G., & Mishra, R. P. (2016). A SWOT analysis of reliability centered

maintenance framework. Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, 22(2),
130–145.

Page | 81
Hibbert, P., Coupland, C., & MacIntosh, R. (2010). Reflexivity: Recursion and
relationality in organizational research processes. Qualitative Research in
Organizations and Management: An International Journal, 5(1), 47–62.
doi:10.1108/17465641011042026

Horner, R. M. W., El-Haram, M. A., & Munns, A. K. (1997). Building maintenance

strategy: A new management approach. Journal of Quality in Maintenance
Engineering, 3(4), 273–280.

Hsieh, H.-F., & Shannon, S. E. (2005). Three approaches to qualitative content

analysis. Qualitative Health Research, 15(9), 1277–1288.

Jafari, A., Jafarian, M., Zareei, A., & Zaerpour, F. (2008). Using fuzzy Delphi method
in maintenance strategy selection problem. Journal of Uncertain Systems, 2(4),
289–298.

Jogulu, U. D., & Pansiri, J. (2011). Mixed methods: A research design for management
doctoral dissertations. Management Research Review, 34(6), 687–701.
doi:10.1108/01409171111136211

Jones, K., & Collis, S. (1996). Computerized maintenance management systems.

Property Management, 14(4), 33–37. doi:10.1108/02637479610150757

Khazraei, K., & Deuse, J. (2011). A strategic standpoint on maintenance taxonomy.

Journal of Facilities Management, 9(2), 96–113.
doi:10.1108/14725961111128452

Kondracki, N. L., Wellman, N. S., & Amundson, D. R. (2002). Content analysis:

Review of methods and their applications in nutrition education. Journal of
Nutrition Education and Behavior, 34(4), 224–230.

Kothari, C. R. (2004). Research methodology: Methods and techniques (Second Rev).

New Delhi: New Age International.

Kullolli, I. (2008). Selecting a computerized maintenance management system.

Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology, 42(4), 276–278.

Kumar, R., Singh, R. K., & Shankar, R. (2015). Critical success factors for
implementation of supply chain management in Indian small and medium
enterprises and their impact on performance. IIMB Management Review, 27(2),

Page | 82
 92–104.

Kutucuoglu, K. Y., Hamali, J., Irani, Z., & Sharp, J. M. (2001). A framework for
managing maintenance using performance measurement systems. International
Journal of Operations & Production Management, 21(1/2), 173–195.

Labib, A. W. (2004). A decision analysis model for maintenance policy selection using
a CMMS. Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, 10(3), 191–202.

Lai, J. H. K. (2010). Building operation and maintenance: Education needs in Hong

Kong. Facilities, 28(9/10), 475–493.

Lai, J. H. K., & Yik, F. W. H. (2007). Monitoring building operation and maintenance
contracts. Facilities, 25(5/6), 238–251.

Lewis, B., & Payant, R. (2007). Facility manager’s maintenance handbook. McGraw
Hill Professional.

Lind, H., & Muyingo, H. (2012). Building maintenance strategies: Planning under
uncertainty. Property Management, 30(1), 14–28.

Lok, K. L., & Baldry, D. (2016). Demand and supply of FM outsourcing services.
Journal of Facilities Management, 14(3), 221–248. doi:10.1108/JFM-07-2015-
0024

Madritsch, T., Steixner, D., Ostermann, H., & Staudinger, R. (2008). Operating cost
analyses of long-term care facilities. Journal of Facilities Management, 6(2),
152–170.

Maletic, D., Maletic, M., Al-Najjar, B., & Gomiscek, B. (2014). The role of
maintenance in improving company’s competitiveness and profitability: A case
study in a textile company. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management,
25(4), 441–456.

Manzini, R., Accorsi, R., Cennerazzo, T., Ferrari, E., & Maranesi, F. (2015). The
scheduling of maintenance. A resource-constraints mixed integer linear
programming model. Computers & Industrial Engineering, 87, 561–568.

Page | 83
McKone, K. E., & Weiss, E. N. (1998). TPM: Planned and autonomous maintenance:
bridging the gap between practice and research. Production and Operations
Management, 7(4), 335–351.

McKone, K. E., & Weiss, E. N. (2002). Guidelines for implementing predictive

maintenance. Production and Operations Management, 11(2), 109–124.

Meredith, S., & Francis, D. (2000). Journey towards agility: The agile wheel explored.
The TQM Magazine, 12(2), 137–143.

Mohammad Mosadeghrad, A. (2014). Why TQM programmes fail? A pathology

approach. The TQM Journal, 26(2), 160–187.

Mohideen, P. B. A., & Ramachandran, M. (2014). Strategic approach to breakdown

maintenance on construction plant – UAE perspective. Benchmarking: An
International Journal, 21(2), 226–252. doi:10.1108/BIJ-05-2012-0030

Moradlou, H., & Asadi, M. (2015). Implementation of Agile Manufacturing Principles

in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMES). Journal of Modern Processes in
Manufacturing and Production, 4(3), 31–44.

Moseki, L. K., Tembo, E., & Cloete, C. E. (2011). The principles and practice of
facilities maintenance in Botswana. Journal of Corporate Real Estate, 13(1), 48–
63. doi:10.1108/14630011111120341

Moubray, J. (1997). Reliability-centered maintenance (2nd edi). New York, NY:

Industrial Press Inc.

Muchiri, P. N., Pintelon, L., Martin, H., & De Meyer, A.-M. (2010). Empirical analysis
of maintenance performance measurement in Belgian industries. International
Journal of Production Research, 48(20), 5905–5924.

Muchiri, P., Pintelon, L., Gelders, L., & Martin, H. (2011). Development of
maintenance function performance measurement framework and indicators.
International Journal of Production Economics, 131(1), 295–302.

Myeda, N. E. (2014). Facilities management: The business enabler. Journal of

Facilities Management, 12(4). doi:10.1108/JFM-07-2014-0022

Page | 84
Myers, M. D. (2009). Qualitative research in business and management. London:
SAGE Publications Ltd.

Myers, M. D. (2013). Qualitative research in business and management. Sage.

Naoum, S. G. (2013). Dissertation research and writing for construction students (3rd
edi). New York: Routledge.

Nazali Mohd Noor, M., & Pitt, M. (2009). A critical review on innovation in facilities
management service delivery. Facilities, 27(5/6), 211–228.

Nestic, S., Djordjevic, A., Aleksic, A., Macuzic, I., & Stefanovic, M. (2013).
Optimization of the maintenance process using genetic algorithms. CHEMICAL
ENGINEERING, 33.

Nie, W., & Kellogg, D. L. (1999). How professors of operations management view
service operations? Production and Operations Management, 8(3), 339–355.

Oke, S. A., & Charles-Owaba, O. E. (2006). An approach for evaluating preventive

maintenance scheduling cost. International Journal of Quality & Reliability
Management, 23(7), 847–879.

Olanrewaju, A. L., Idrus, A., & Khamidi, M. F. (2011). Investigating building

maintenance practices in Malaysia: A case study. Structural Survey, 29(5), 397–
410. doi:10.1108/02630801111182420

Parida, A., & Kumar, U. (2006). Maintenance performance measurement (MPM):

Issues and challenges. Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, 12(3),
239–251.

Parida, A., & Kumar, U. (2009). Maintenance productivity and performance

measurement. In Handbook of maintenance management and engineering (pp.
17–41). Springer.

Patton, M. Q. (2005). Qualitative research. Wiley Online Library.

Paz, N. M., & Leigh, W. (1994). Maintenance Scheduling: Issues, Results and
Research Needs. International Journal of Operations & Production
Management, 14(8), 47–69. doi:10.1108/01443579410067135

Page | 85
Phogat, S., & Gupta, A. K. (2017). Identification of problems in maintenance
operations and comparison with manufacturing operations: A review. Journal of
Quality in Maintenance Engineering, 23(2), 226–238.

Pintelon, L. M. A., Puyvelde, F. L. B. Van, & Gelders, L. F. (1995). An age-based

replacement policy with non-zero repair times for a continuous production
process. International Journal of Production Research, 33(8), 2111–2123.

Pintelon, L. M., & Gelders, L. F. (1992). Maintenance management decision making.

European Journal of Operational Research, 58(3), 301–317.

Pintelon, L., & Parodi-Herz, A. (2008). Maintenance: An evolutionary perspective.

Complex System Maintenance Handbook, 21–48.

Pintelon, L., Pinjala, S. K., & Vereecke, A. (2006). Evaluating the effectiveness of
maintenance strategies. Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, 12(1),
7–20.

Polonsky, M., & Waller, D. (2011). Designing and managing a research project (1st
edi). Thousand Okas, Califonia: Sage publications.

Potdar, P. K., Routroy, S., & Behera, A. (2017a). Agile manufacturing: A systematic
review of literature and implications for future research. Benchmarking: An
International Journal, 24(7), 2022–2048. doi:10.1108/BIJ-06-2016-0100

Potdar, P. K., Routroy, S., & Behera, A. (2017b). Analyzing the agile manufacturing
barriers using fuzzy DEMATEL. Benchmarking: An International Journal,
24(7), 1912–1936. doi:10.1108/BIJ-02-2016-0024

Prajapati, A., Bechtel, J., & Ganesan, S. (2012). Condition based maintenance: A
survey. Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, 18(4), 384–400.

Prajogo, D. (2006). The implementation of operations management techniques in

service organisations: An Australian perspective. International Journal of
Operations & Production Management, 26(12), 1374–1390.

Pun, K.-F., Chin, K.-S., Chow, M.-F., & Lau, H. C. W. (2002). An effectiveness-
centred approach to maintenance management: A case study. Journal of Quality
in Maintenance Engineering, 8(4), 346–368.

Page | 86
Raman, A., & Bharadwaj, S. S. (2017). Dynamic service capabilities enabling agile
services: Scale development and initial validation in Indian services industry.
Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 30(1), 166–187.

Ramesh, G., & Devadasan, S. R. (2007). Literature review on the agile manufacturing
criteria. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 18(2), 182–201.

Reason, J. (2000). Cognitive Engineering in Aviation Domain. Lawrence Erlbaum

Associates, Mahwah, NJ, 72, 102–107.

Richard, C. M., Tse, P., Ling, L., & Fung, F. (2000). Enhancement of maintenance
management through benchmarking. Journal of Quality in Maintenance
Engineering, 6(4), 224–240.

Ritchie, J., Lewis, J., Nicholls, C. M., & Ormston, R. (2013). Qualitative research
practice: A guide for social science students and researchers. Sage.

Rose, S., Spinks, N., & Canhoto, A. I. (2015). Management research: Applying the
principles. New York: Routledge.

Sabry Shaaban, M., & H. Awni, A. (2014). Critical success factors for total productive
manufacturing (TPM) deployment at Egyptian FMCG companies. Journal of
Manufacturing Technology Management, 25(3), 393–414.

Salonen, A., & Deleryd, M. (2011). Cost of poor maintenance: A concept for
maintenance performance improvement. Journal of Quality in Maintenance
Engineering, 17(1), 63–73.

Saunders, M. Lewis, P., Thornhill, A. (2003). Research methods for business students.
Singapore: Pearson Education.

Shabha, G. (2003). A low-cost maintenance approach to high-rise flats. Facilities,

21(13/14), 315–322.

Sharifi, H., & Zhang, Z. (2001). Agile manufacturing in practice-Application of a

methodology. International Journal of Operations & Production Management,
21(5/6), 772–794.

Page | 87
Sharma, A. K., & Shudhanshu, A. B. (2012). Manufacturing performance and
evolution of TPM. International Journal of Engineering Science and Technology,
4(3), 854–866.

Sheikhalishahi, M., Pintelon, L., & Azadeh, A. (2016). Human factors in maintenance:
A review. Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, 22(3), 218–237.
doi:10.1108/JQME-12-2015-0064

Shen, L., Li Hao, J., Tam, V. W., & Yao, H. (2007). A checklist for assessing
sustainability performance of construction projects. Journal of Civil Engineering
and Management, 13(4), 273–281.

Sieger, D. B., Badiru, A. B., & Milatovic, M. (2000). A metric for agility measurement
in product development. Iie Transactions, 32(7), 637–645.

Simões, J. M., Gomes, C. F., & Yasin, M. M. (2011). A literature review of

maintenance performance measurement: A conceptual framework and directions
for future research. Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, 17(2), 116–
137. doi:10.1108/13552511111134565

Sindhwani, R., & Malhotra, V. (2017). A framework to enhance agile manufacturing

system: A total interpretive structural modelling (TISM) approach.
Benchmarking: An International Journal, 24(2), 467–487.

Singh, K., & Singh Ahuja, I. (2014). Effectiveness of TPM implementation with and
without integration with TQM in Indian manufacturing industries. Journal of
Quality in Maintenance Engineering, 20(4), 415–435.

Singh, R., Gohil, A. M., Shah, D. B., & Desai, S. (2013). Total productive maintenance
(TPM) implementation in a machine shop: A case study. Procedia Engineering,
51, 592–599.

Sinha, P. (2015). Towards higher maintenance effectiveness: Integrating maintenance

management with reliability engineering. International Journal of Quality &
Reliability Management, 32(7), 754–762.

Sliteen, S., Boussabaine, H., & Catarina, O. (2011). Benchmarking operation and
maintenance costs of French healthcare facilities. Journal of Facilities
Management, 9(4), 266–281. doi:10.1108/14725961111170671

Page | 88
Soderholm, P., Holmgren, M., & Klefsjo, B. (2007). A process view of maintenance
and its stakeholders. Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, 13(1), 19–
32.

Steenhuizen, D., Flores-Colen, I., Reitsma, A. G., & Lo, P. B. (2014). The road to
facility management. Facilities, 32(1/2), 46–57. doi:10.1108/F-09-2012-0072

Tan, Y., Shen, L., Langston, C., Lu, W., & CH Yam, M. (2014). Critical success
factors for building maintenance business: A Hong Kong case study. Facilities,
32(5/6), 208–225.

Tay, L., & Ooi, J. T. L. (2001). Facilities management: A “Jack of all trades”?
Facilities, 19(10), 357–363. doi:10.1108/EUM0000000005534

Todinov, M. T. (2006). Reliability analysis based on the losses from failures. Risk
Analysis, 26(2), 311–335.

Tsang, A. H. C. (2002). Strategic dimensions of maintenance management. Journal of

Quality in Maintenance Engineering, 8(1), 7–39.
doi:10.1108/13552510210420577

Tsang, A. H. C., Jardine, A. K. S., & Kolodny, H. (1999). Measuring maintenance

performance: A holistic approach. International Journal of Operations &
Production Management, 19(7), 691–715.

Uden, L. (2007). How to promote competitive advantages for SMEs: Issues, ideas and
innovation. Journal of Business Systems, Governance and Ethics, 2(2), 1–15.

Van Assen, M. F. (2000). Agile-based competence management: The relation between

agile manufacturing and time-based competence management. International
Journal of Agile Management Systems, 2(2), 142–155.

Van Assen, M. F., Hans, E. W., & Van de Velde, S. L. (2000). An agile planning and
control framework for customer-order driven discrete parts manufacturing
environments. International Journal of Agile Management Systems, 2(1), 16–23.

Van Horenbeek, A., Pintelon, L., & Muchiri, P. (2010). Maintenance optimization
models and criteria. International Journal of System Assurance Engineering and
Management, 1(3), 189–200.

Page | 89
Vazquez-Bustelo, D., Avella, L., & Fernández, E. (2007). Agility drivers, enablers and
outcomes: Empirical test of an integrated agile manufacturing model.
International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 27(12), 1303–
1332.

Velmurugan, R. S., & Dhingra, T. (2015). Maintenance strategy selection and its
impact in maintenance function: A conceptual framework. International Journal
of Operations & Production Management, 35(12), 1622–1661.

Vernadat, F. B. (1999). Research agenda for agile manufacturing. International

Journal of Agile Management Systems, 1(1), 37–40.

Vineyard, M., Amoako‐Gyampah, K., & Meredith, J. R. (2000). An evaluation of

maintenance policies for flexible manufacturing systems: A case study.
International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 20(4), 409–426.
http://doi.org/10.1108/01443570010319156

Weerasinghe, R. P. N. P., & Sandanayake, Y. G. (2017). Collaborative facilities

management model: Sri Lankan perspective. Built Environment Project and Asset
Management, 7(3), 284–299. doi:10.1108/BEPAM-02-2016-0004

Wentz, C. (2014). Maintenance Life Cycle Planning–An Introduction. In 2014 Rail

Conference.

Wilcocks, J. S., & Strydom, J. J. (2002). The concept of “disposal” for the purposes of
capital gains tax in South Africa. Meditari Accountancy Research, 10(1), 311–
325. doi:10.1108/10222529200200016

Wireman, T. (1990). World class maintenance management. Industrial Pr.

Wireman, T. (2004). Benchmarking best practices in maintenance management.

Industrial Press Inc.

Wu, S., Clements‐Croome, D., Fairey, V., Albany, B., Sidhu, J., Desmond, D., &
Neale, K. (2006). Reliability in the whole life cycle of building systems.
Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 13(2), 136–153.
doi:10.1108/09699980610659607

Yin, R. K. (2009). Case study research: design and methods (4th edi). London: SAGE
Publications.

Page | 90
Yin, R. K. (2009). Case study research: Design and Methods. Thousand oaks (4th
Edi.). Los Angeles: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Yin, R. K. (2011). Qualitative research from start to finish. New York: Guilford Press.

Ylipää, T., Skoogh, A., Bokrantz, J., & Gopalakrishnan, M. (2017). Identification of
maintenance improvement potential using OEE assessment. International
Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 66(1), 126–143.
doi:10.1108/IJPPM-01-2016-0028

Zwikael, O. (2009). Critical planning processes in construction projects. Construction

Innovation, 9(4), 372–387. doi:10.1108/14714170910995921

Page | 91
COVERING LETTER

Chamini T.H.W.,
Final year undergraduate,
Department of Building Economics,
University of Moratuwa.
………/…..….../2017

....................................
....................................
....................................

Dear Sir/Madam,
Interview Guideline for the Dissertation on “Agile Facilities Maintenance
Approach to Apparel Sector in Sri Lanka”

I am a Facilities Management undergraduate of Department of Building Economics,

University of Moratuwa who is currently engaging in a research on the above topic.
The research is carried out under the supervision of Dr. (Mrs.) Yasangika
Sandanayake, Head, Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa.

An introduction to the topic and the interview guideline are attached herewith. The
research is in the process of collecting input from subject matter expertise in
maintenance from the apparel industry through means of interviews by using an
unstructured questionnaire. Therefore, I would like to interview you for approximately
60 minutes in this regard. The medium of collecting data will be note taking and audio
recording (with the permission of the interviewee) in order to collect data more
accurately.

I assure that the information collected will be purely used for the research purpose,
whereas the confidentiality of the details provided will be maintained at all times. As
a means of ensuring this transcript of the interview will be shared with you. The
information shared and the time dedicated despite the busy schedule is highly
appreciated.

Thank You,
Yours faithfully,
..........................
Chamini T.H.W.
Email: wcthenuwara@gmail.com | Tel: 071-9122989

Page | 92
ANNEXURE I: INTERVIEW GUIDELINE

Section I – Background Information

1.1 Details of the Factory

Name of the organization (optional) : ..........................................................................

Venue (optional) : ..........................................................................
1.2 Details of the Respondent

Name (optional) : ……………………………………………......

Designation : ……………………………………………......
Work experience (No of years) : .......……………………………………….......

Section II – Current Practices of Facilities Maintenance

1. What are the maintenance activities handled by your maintenance department?

……………………………………………………………………………………...
.……………………………………………………………………………………..
2. What are the maintenance strategies/approaches followed to handle those
maintenance activities?
……………………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………………...
3. Do you follow a maintenance management process to carry out maintenance
activities as mentioned in below? If “Yes” please explain. If “No” why?
……………………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………………...
4. What are the techniques currently used by your organization to measure the
maintenance performance?
……………………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………………...
5. Do you follow any maintenance process improvement techniques to enhance the
maintenance performance? If “Yes” please explain. If “No” why?
……………………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………………...
6. What are the barriers in existing maintenance approach which followed by your
organization?

Page | 93
 ……………………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………………...

7. Do you have strategies to overcome aforementioned maintenance barriers in your

organization? If “Yes” please explain. If “No” what would be your opinion?

……………………………………………………………………………………...
............……………………………………………………………………………...

Section III – Integration of Agile and Facilities Maintenance

(Definitions are attached in Annexure I)

8. Do you know the concept of Agile? If “Yes” what is your definition?

...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
What is your comment on the definition presented to you?
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................

9. Have you come across agile principles when performing facilities maintenance?
Yes No
If “Yes” what is your opinion on “agile principles”?
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
What is your comment on the definition presented to you?
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
10. Have you come across agile strategy when performing facilities maintenance?
Yes No
If “Yes” what is your opinion on “agile strategies”?
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
What is your comment on the definition presented to you?
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
11. Have you come across agile processes when performing facilities maintenance?
Yes No
If “Yes” what is your opinion on “agile processes”?

Page | 94
 ...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
What is your comment on the definition presented to you?
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
12. Have you come across agile linkages when performing facilities maintenance?

Yes No
If “Yes” what is your opinion on “agile linkages”?
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
What is your comment on the definition presented to you?
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
13. Have you come across agile people when performing facilities maintenance?

Yes No
If “Yes” what is your opinion on “agile people”?
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
What is your comment on the definition presented to you?
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................

14. Have you come across agile enablers when performing facilities maintenance?
Yes No
If “Yes” what is your opinion on “agile enablers”?
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
What is your comment on the definition presented to you?
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
15. Have you come across agile barriers when performing facilities maintenance?
Yes No
If “Yes” what is your opinion on “agile barriers”?
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
What is your comment on the definition presented to you?
...................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................

Page | 95
16. Do you think that following agile principles are applicable to facilities
maintenance?
Expert Opinion
Agile Principles Applicable?
If “Yes” how? If “No” why?
Responsive Planning
Breaking down long-term objectives into
shorter delivery cycles and then accepting Yes/No
ongoing work based on each delivery
cycle’s results
Business Value Driven Work
Prioritizing work according to the primary
Yes/No
and secondary value that each task added
to the organization
Hands on Business Outputs
Regular inspections on outcomes to ensure Yes/No
business requirements are being met
Direct Stakeholder Engagement
Actively involves internal and external Yes/No
customers
Immovable Deadlines
Fixed time commitments that motivate
Yes/No
staff member to send in regular ongoing
value to the organization
Management by Self-motivation
Includes utilizing the power of self-
Yes/No
organized teams to deliver results under
the directions and control of the customer
‘Just-in-time’ Communication
Used more effective communication and
Yes/No
technology instead of traditional corporate
meetings
Immediate Status Tracking
Facilitate tools that strength staff to keep
Yes/No
others in the organization continuously
aware of the condition of the work
Waste Management
Involves maximizing the firm’s resources
Yes/No
value through eliminating non-value-added
activities
Constantly Measurable Quality
Associates with making active checkpoints
where company can assess outcome Yes/No
withstand both qualitative and quantitative
measurements
Rearview Mirror Checking
Provides relevant tools for the staff to Yes/No
reviewing and self-correcting their work
Continuous Improvement
Involves routine reviewing and adjusting
business actions to confirm that the Yes/No
organization is continuing to meet market
and stakeholder needs

Page | 96
17. Do you think that following agile strategy is applicable to facilities maintenance?

Expert Opinion
Agile Strategy Applicable?
If “Yes” how? If “No” why?
Wide-Deep Scanning
Firm’s need to be tracked multiple factors
in external environment including Yes/No
competitors' strategies, technological
developments, customers' needs and so on
Strategic Commitment
The willingness of the top team to adopt Yes/No
agile policies
Full Deployment
Relates to the extent to which agile
Yes/No
policies and practices are adopted by every
department, group, project-team and cell
Agile Scoreboard
Refers to the degree to which the
Yes/No
performance management system of the
firm supports agile policies and practices

18. Do you think that following agile processes are applicable to facilities
maintenance?

Expert Opinion
Agile Processes Applicable?
If “Yes” how? If “No” why?
Flexible Assets and Systems
This includes buildings, services,
Yes/No
production layout, technologies, IT,
equipment and control systems.
Fast New Product Acquisition
Relates to the ways in which companies Yes/No
improve their products offered
Rapid Problem Solving
Problems need to be identified quickly
Yes/No
and sufficient resources allocated to find
an effective solution
Rich Information Systems
Having depth information help to ensure
Yes/No
that decision-making is shared and
effective

19. Do you think that following agile linkages are applicable to facilities maintenance?

Expert Opinion
Agile Linkages Applicable?
If “Yes” how? If “No” why?
Agile Benchmarking
Provides the comparative background to
Yes/No
set agile objectives in terms of flexibility,
responsiveness, market position,

Page | 97
 technological innovation, application of
technology and human resource capability
Deep Customer Insight
Provides a very close relationship with Yes/No
customers, and potential customers
Aligned Suppliers
Yes/No
Flexible and quick responsive supply chain
Performing Partnerships
Firms can link together to form “virtual Yes/No
enterprises”

20. Do you think that following agile people are applicable to facilities maintenance?

Expert Opinion
Agile People Applicable?
If “Yes” how? If “No” why?
Adaptable Structure
Development of adaptable organizational Yes/No
structures to respond quickly
Multi-Skilled/Flexible People
Agile firms are more dependent on the
intelligence and opportunism of people Yes/No
with their skills, knowledge, judgement,
experience and intelligence
Rapid, Able Decision
Speed of response and decision-makers
Yes/No
must be skilled and decision-making
processes robust
Continuous Learning
The rate at which the people in the firm are Yes/No
open to new ideas and adopt new practices

21. Do you think that following agile enablers are applicable to facilities
maintenance?

Expert Opinion
Agile Enablers Applicable?
If “Yes” how? If “No” why?
Virtual Enterprises
Facilitates the reconfiguration of the
Yes/No
organization in order to respond quickly to
changing market needs
Rapid Partnership
Shared other firm’s new technologies and
products, critical resources, new markets Yes/No
and core competencies to remain
competitive
Physically Distributed Teams
Temporary alliances of partner enterprises
located all over the world, where each
contributes their core competencies to take Yes/No
advantage of a specific business
opportunity

Page | 98
 Concurrent Engineering
Every team member of a company must do
Yes/No
all of the relevant functions in parallel
Integrated Product/ Production/ Business
Information System
Use of technical elements including Yes/No
communications and information into
organizational processes
Rapid Prototyping
This allows firms to test proposed designs Yes/No
against customer requirements
Electronic Commerce
Transmitting standard business documents Yes/No
electronically or on-line

22. Do you think that following agile barriers have an impact on the facilities
maintenance?

Expert Opinion
Strategies to
Agile Barriers Impact? If “Yes” how? If
Overcome Barriers
“No” why?
Lack of Management Skills
Paying less attention to
improving the core Yes/No
competencies within the
organizations
Technological limitations
Absence of advanced machine, Yes/No
IT supports
Lack of workforce experience
Requirement for educated Yes/No
workforce

23. In your opinion, what would be the benefits(s) that could be achieved by following
the agile concept integrated Facilities maintenance approach?
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
24. Do you believe that agile concept integrated facilities maintenance approach is
applicable to the Sri Lankan context? If so why?
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................

Page | 99
Concept Definition
Agile is being able to react quickly and cleverly to changing
markets and customer needs, to produce high-quality products,
to reduce lead times and to provide a superior service
Agile
The capability of surviving and prospering in the competitive
environment of continuous and unpredictable change by
reacting quickly and electively to changing markets, driven by
customer-designed products and services
Wide range of tools that are used to achieve agility in
Agile Enablers
manufacturing
Restriction forces that are emerged in the agile
Agile Barriers
implementation process
A range of business practices and techniques that used to
Agile Principles increase productivity, quality, efficiency and customer
satisfaction in the workplace.
Agile Strategy Agile strategy focuses on tactical aspects of agility
Agile processes focus on organizational processes that
Agile Processes
support agility
Agile Linkages Agile linkages focus on outside linkages i.e. supply chain
Agile people focus on people and the management of the
human resource of the firm i.e.
▪ Employees at all levels contribute to decision making
▪ Compensation is skill-based than task-based
Agile People ▪ Team-working is recognized and rewarded
▪ People trusted and empowered
▪ People receive continuous training and education
▪ People aware of company strategy, plans, problems,
and opportunities

Thank you for your kind contribution

Page | 100
COVERING LETTER

Chamini T.H.W.,
Final year undergraduate,
Department of Building Economics,
University of Moratuwa.
………/…..….../2017

....................................
....................................
....................................

Dear Sir/Madam,
Interview Guideline for the Dissertation on “Agile Facilities Maintenance
Approach to Apparel Sector in Sri Lanka”

I am a Facilities Management undergraduate of Department of Building Economics,

University of Moratuwa who is currently engaging in a research on the above topic.
The research is carried out under the supervision of Dr. (Mrs.) Yasangika
Sandanayake, Head, Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa.

An introduction to the topic and the interview guideline are attached herewith. The
research is in the process of collecting input from subject matter expertise in
maintenance from the apparel industry through means of interviews by using an
unstructured questionnaire. Therefore, I would like to interview you for approximately
60 minutes in this regard. The medium of collecting data will be note taking and audio
recording (with the permission of the interviewee) in order to collect data more
accurately.

I assure that the information collected will be purely used for the research purpose,
whereas the confidentiality of the details provided will be maintained at all times. As
a means of ensuring this transcript of the interview will be shared with you. The
information shared and the time dedicated despite the busy schedule is highly
appreciated.

Thank You,
Yours faithfully,
..........................
Chamini T.H.W.
Email: wcthenuwara@gmail.com | Tel: 071-9122989

Page | 101
ANNEXURE II: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

Section I – Background Information

1.1 Details of the Factory

Name of the organization (optional) : Organization X

Venue (optional) : Factory A in Ratmalana
1.2 Details of the Respondent

Name (optional) : Respondent A1

Designation : Deputy General Manager – Engineering
Work experience (No of years) : 12 years

Section II – Current Practices of Facilities Maintenance

1. What are the maintenance activities handled by your maintenance department?

Building maintenance, Civil, mechanical and electrical (M&E) maintenance,
Interior and Furniture
2. What are the maintenance strategies/approaches followed to handle those
maintenance activities?
In our factory, the prominent strategy to manage maintenance activities is
preventive maintenance. Apart from that, corrective, predictive and computerized
maintenance are followed. But, computerized maintenance is not totally practised,
but some of their applications will be practised.
3. Do you follow a maintenance management process to carry out maintenance
activities as mentioned in below? If “Yes” please explain. If “No” why?
Yes, we have practised a maintenance process. Maintenance job can be identified
in different ways such as user complaint, Facilities Maintenance System (FMS)
requirement and regular inspections. Job planning and scheduling carried out via
preventive maintenance schedule. Work execution will be carried out by either in-
house maintenance staff or outsourced party.
4. What are the techniques currently used by your organization to measure the
maintenance performance?
User feedback, Job Card Tracking, Preventive Maintenance Checklists

Page | 102
5. Do you follow any maintenance process improvement techniques to enhance the
maintenance performance? If “Yes” please explain. If “No” why?
Yes, practising annual maintenance contracts (AMC) provide specialized
knowledge, keep up to date M&E drawings, practising common standardized
formats and conduct knowledge sharing sessions
6. What are the barriers in existing maintenance approach which followed by your
organization?
• Unexpected maintenance requirements come due to production changes
• Service payment delays
• Maintenance cycle is continuously changing
• Not allocate enough financial resources
7. Do you have strategies to overcome aforementioned maintenance barriers in your
organization? If “Yes” please explain. If “No” what would be your opinion?
Yes, we normally tried to prevent unexpected maintenance requirements through
following preventive maintenance but in some cases, it is not enough to manage
that situation. For changes in a maintenance cycle, generally, we have a corrective
practice.

Section III – Integration of Agile and Facilities Maintenance

(Definitions are attached in Annexure I)

8. Do you know the concept of Agile? If “Yes” what is your definition?

Yes, Speed up the customer requirements

What is your comment on the definition presented to you?

Agreed
9. Have you come across agile principles when performing facilities maintenance
function? Yes No

What is your comment on the definition presented to you?

Agreed

10. Have you come across agile strategy when performing facilities maintenance
function? Yes No

What is your comment on the definition presented to you?

Agreed

Page | 103
11. Have you come across agile processes when performing facilities maintenance
function? Yes No

What is your comment on the definition presented to you?

Agreed

12. Have you come across agile linkages when performing facilities maintenance
function? Yes No

What is your comment on the definition presented to you?

Agreed

13. Have you come across agile people when performing facilities maintenance
function?
Yes No

What is your comment on the definition presented to you?

Agreed

14. Have you come across agile enablers when performing facilities maintenance
function?
Yes No

What is your comment on the definition presented to you?

Agreed

15. Have you come across agile barriers when performing facilities maintenance
function?
Yes No

What is your comment on the definition presented to you?

Agreed
16. Do you think that following agile principles are applicable to facilities
maintenance?
Agile Principles
Responsive Planning
Breaking down long-term objectives into
shorter delivery cycles and then accepting
ongoing work based on each delivery
cycle’s results
Business Value Driven Work
Prioritizing work according to the primary
and secondary value that each task added
to the organization
Expert Opinion
Applicable?
If “Yes” how? If “No” why?
Not applicable to short-term
maintenance activities like
No repair/service, but can be applied
to long-term maintenance projects
like renovations, alternations
Prioritizing maintenance activities
Yes which are directly engaged in the
production

Page | 104
 Hands on Business Outputs
Regular inspections on outcomes to ensure
business requirements are being met
Direct Stakeholder Engagement
Actively involves internal and external
customers
Immovable Deadlines
Fixed time commitments that motivate
staff member to send in regular ongoing
value to the organization
Management by Self-motivation
Includes utilizing the power of self-
organized teams to deliver results under
the directions and control of the customer
‘Just-in-time’ Communication
Used more effective communication and
technology instead of traditional corporate
meetings
Immediate Status Tracking
Facilitate tools that strength staff to keep
others in the organization continuously
aware of the condition of the work
Waste Management
Involves maximizing the firm’s resources
value through eliminating non-value-added
activities
Constantly Measurable Quality
Associates with making active checkpoints
where company can assess outcome
withstand both qualitative and quantitative
measurements
Rearview Mirror Checking
Provides relevant tools for the staff to
reviewing and self-correcting their work
Continuous Improvement
Involves routine reviewing and adjusting
business actions to confirm that the
organization is continuing to meet market
and stakeholder needs
17. Do you think that following agile strategy is applicable to facilities maintenance?
Agile Strategy
Wide-Deep Scanning
Firm’s need to be tracked multiple factors
in external environment including
competitors' strategies, technological
developments, customers' needs and so on
Strategic Commitment
Practicing preventive maintenance
checklists, Tracking maintenance
Yes
KPIs, Audit inspections
Proper relationship between in-
house maintenance staff and
Yes
outsourced company
To conform the given deadline, it is
a necessity to align all other
No functions i.e. Finance, spare part
availability and human resources.
Otherwise, people get disappointed
Assigning individual KPIs for the
Yes maintenance staff and reward them
for their achievements
Practicing SMS alert system to
inform the relevant maintenance
Yes
person when any of the systems is
breakdown
BMS provides on-time condition of
the building services and Sewing
Yes Machine Tracking System (MIMS)
provides the current status of the
sewing machines
Yes Practicing Lean
Preventive maintenance checklists
Internal Audits
Yes
User feedback tracking system
(FMS)
Facilities Maintenance System
(FMS) and Job Card Tracking
Yes System allow maintenance staff to
get feedback on the job which they
carried out
Yes Applicability of Kaizen projects
Expert Opinion
Applicable?
If “Yes” how? If “No” why?
This aspect is market-oriented not
No
service oriented
To being agile it necessity keep
Yes
specific budget, for that top
Page | 105
 The willingness of the top team to adopt
agile policies
Full Deployment
Relates to the extent to which agile
policies and practices are adopted by every
department, group, project-team and cell
Agile Scoreboard
Refers to the degree to which the
performance management system of the
firm supports agile policies and practices
18. Do you think that following agile processes are applicable to facilities
maintenance?
Agile Processes
Flexible Assets and Systems
This includes buildings, services,
production layout, technologies, IT,
equipment and control systems.
Fast New Product Acquisition
Relates to the ways in which companies
improve their products offered
Rapid Problem Solving
Problems need to be identified quickly and
sufficient resources allocated to find an
effective solution
Rich Information Systems
Having depth information help to ensure
that decision-making is shared and
effective
19. Do you think that following agile linkages are applicable to facilities maintenance?
Agile Linkages
Agile Benchmarking
Provides the comparative background to
set agile objectives in terms of flexibility,
responsiveness, market position,
technological innovation, application of
technology and human resource capability
Deep Customer Insight
Provides a very close relationship with
customers, and potential customers
management commitment is
essential
To speed the whole system, it is
required the participation of each
Yes
and every member of the
organization and their contribution
Under the performance
management, each supportive
department (financial, spare part)
Yes should set KPIs which measures
the on-time assistance/availability
of the respective departments, in
order to create agile services
Expert Opinion
Applicable?
If “Yes” how? If “No” why?
To carry out the maintenance
activities assets and systems are
Yes
required i.e. BMS, Service
inventories,
This concept is production
No
oriented not service oriented
Pay more attention towards
critical systems which directly
involved with core function and
Yes
prioritized them while developing
specific problem-solving
mechanism
Keep past repair/service records,
system inventory records, database
Yes on spare part availability,
Information on potential service
providers
Expert Opinion
Applicable?
If “Yes” how? If “No” why?
Assign maintenance KPIs for
individuals as well as maintenance
Yes
department i.e. downtime
No This concept is market-oriented
Page | 106
 Maintain a proper supply chain
Aligned Suppliers network with outsourced
Flexible and quick responsive supply chain Yes companies as well as potential
service providers
Under the Annual Maintenance
Performing Partnerships
Contract (AM)C supplier has to be
Firms can link together to form “virtual Yes
maintained a separate spare part
enterprises”
stock on behalf of the organization

20. Do you think that following agile people are applicable to facilities maintenance?

Expert Opinion
Agile People Applicable?
If “Yes” how? If “No” why?
Assign separate individuals for the
maintenance department by
Adaptable Structure
representing other supportive
Development of adaptable organizational Yes
departments i.e. Separate financial
structures to respond quickly
person for maintenance
department
Multi-Skilled/Flexible People
Recruit multi-skilled technicians
Agile firms are more dependent on the
i.e. Plumbing, Electrical, AC
intelligence and opportunism of people Yes
Engineers with good HR
with their skills, knowledge, judgement,
knowledge
experience and intelligence
Rapid, Able Decision
Speed of response and decision-makers Give skills development training
Yes
must be skilled and decision-making for technical personnel
processes robust
Continuous Learning
Implementing Kaizen projects
The rate at which the people in the firm are
Yes Organize exhibitions
open to new ideas and adopt new practices

21. Do you think that following agile enablers are applicable to facilities
maintenance?

Expert Opinion
Agile Enablers Applicable?
If “Yes” how? If “No” why?
Virtual Enterprises
Facilitates the reconfiguration of the Outsourcing (expertise knowledge,
Yes
organization in order to respond quickly to spare parts)
changing market needs
Rapid Partnership
Shared other firm’s new technologies and
Annual Maintenance Contracts
products, critical resources, new markets Yes
(AMC)
and core competencies to remain
competitive
Physically Distributed Teams
Temporary alliances of partner enterprises
Getting consultant services on the
located all over the world, where each
Yes critical maintenance issues from
contributes their core competencies to take
foreign expertise
advantage of a specific business
opportunity

Page | 107

Concurrent Engineering
Every team member of a company must do
all of the relevant functions in parallel
Integrated Product/ Production/ Business
Information System
Use of technical elements including
communications and information into
organizational processes
Rapid Prototyping
This allows firms to test proposed designs
against customer requirements
Electronic Commerce
Transmitting standard business documents
electronically or online
To proceed the maintenance
function all other departments
works in parallelly i.e. finance
Yes
department, stores (checks spare
parts reorder levels, outsourced
parties (update AMC) and etc.
Currently practised online system
called Facilities Maintenance
Yes System (FMS) to carry out the
maintenance activities, Spare part
database, Inventory Systems
This concept is totally product
No
oriented
Online invoices, contracts and
Yes
payments

22. Do you think that following agile barriers have an impact on the facilities
maintenance?

Agile Barriers
Lack of Management Skills
Paying less attention to
improving the core
competencies within the
organizations
Technological limitations
Absence of advanced
machine, IT supports
Lack of workforce
experience
Requirement for educated
workforce
Expert Opinion
Strategies to Overcome
Applicable? If “Yes” how? If
Barriers
“No” why?
Failure in decision
Training
making
Knowledge sharing
Yes Budget over-allocation
Standardization Work and
Production and
Deskilled
Productivity losses
Low efficiency
Encourage to invest
Yes Long response time
Outsourcing
Occur human errors
Maintenance errors Training, Multi-skilled
Yes System failures employees,
Financial losses Outsourcing, Job rotation

23. In your opinion, what would be the benefit(s) that could be achieved by following
the agile concept integrated facilities maintenance approach?
Speedy service delivery, Less downtimes, Production efficiency
24. Do you believe that agile concept integrated facilities maintenance approach is
applicable to the Sri Lankan context? If so why?
Yes. But, before adopting this kind of concept, it is necessity analyse the industry
which is going to applied the agile concept integrated facilities maintenance
approach. Since some of the industries are purely market-oriented or
manufacturing oriented. Therefore, this concept is much applicable to the
outsourced companies since they have enough potential to adopt agile policies and
practices in order to provide agile maintenance services.

Page | 108
Concept Definition
Agile is being able to react quickly and cleverly to changing
markets and customer needs, to produce high-quality products,
to reduce lead times and to provide a superior service
Agile
The capability of surviving and prospering in the competitive
environment of continuous and unpredictable change by
reacting quickly and electively to changing markets, driven by
customer-designed products and services
Wide range of tools that are used to achieve agility in
Agile Enablers
manufacturing
Restriction forces that are emerged in the agile
Agile Barriers
implementation process
A range of business practices and techniques that used to
Agile Principles increase productivity, quality, efficiency and customer
satisfaction in the workplace.
Agile Strategy Agile strategy focuses on tactical aspects of agility
Agile processes focus on organizational processes that
Agile Processes
support agility
Agile Linkages Agile linkages focus on outside linkages i.e. supply chain
Agile people focus on people and the management of the
human resource of the firm i.e.
▪ Employees at all levels contribute to decision making
▪ Compensation is skill-based than task-based
Agile People ▪ Team-working is recognized and rewarded
▪ People trusted and empowered
▪ People receive continuous training and education
▪ People aware of company strategy, plans, problems,
and opportunities

Thank you for your kind contribution

Page | 109