A Survey of the Underlying Success Factors of Maintenance Digital Transformation

Advances in information technology and sensors, efficient connectivity, and ground-breaking computational ability are proving to be game-changer for improving maintenance strategies and production outcomes. The integration of conventional maintenance concepts with disruptive technological developments leads to significant changes in current maintenance practices in a response to the digitalized context requirements. However, despite the availability of technology and its relative affordability, many maintenance digital transformation (MDT) initiatives fail to accomplish their goals. This is due to the fact that technology alone is not sufficient for an organization to successfully digitalize its operations. Several challenges including the absence of a business case, limited analytical capabilities, uncertainties about new technologies, and impact of the human factor are hindering the success of attempted MDT efforts. MDT enablers reflect various aspects and span different implicated areas of the organization. This study seeks to develop a comprehensive and structured list of the underpinning factors driving the success of MDT. To that end, the authors conducted a systematic literature review in order to extract the various factors highlighted in the literature. Subsequently, a purification phase was conducted which consisted of merging the redundant factors together, then mapping them into various thematic categories based on the aspect covered. The final consolidated list comprises 63 enablers of MDT that are classified into 14 categories. This research enriches the extant relevant literature and provides guidance to practitioners in this field. Copyright (C) 2022 The Authors.