Maintenance performance measurement – a case of the sugar industry

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present an empirical investigation of maintenance performance (MP) management practices from the sugar industry in India. Design/methodology/approach Empirical data for this study were collected through field visits, interviews and published reports. Statistical methods including correlation, multiple regression and cluster analysis are utilized to accomplish the objective of the study. Findings Explanation with multiple regression analysis showed that the sugar industry MP is significantly and positively related to maintenance approach (MA), continuous improvement (CI), financial approach and spare part management (SPM). Cluster analysis showed that sugar industries focusing on MA, CI and policy development and organization are having higher MP. The cluster analysis also pointed out that there is a substantial variation in MP due to the type of ownership (private and cooperative) while no variation has been observed due to installed capacity (low and high). Research limitations/implications The generalization of the results obtained in this work for the sugar industry can be possible through a larger sample size. Practical implications The study contributes to the better understanding of maintenance measures in the sugar industry and provides insights on the role of maintenance managerial practices in enhancing the MP. Originality/value The findings provide empirical evidence that maintenance practices across the sugar industry are important to improve MP.