A computer-aided prioritisation framework for planned maintenance management

The mismatch between maintenance budgets and the ever-increasing maintenance needs of public buildings is a worldwide problem. As a result, many public buildings are deteriorating. Although it is unlikely to completely overcome this problem without an injection of further resources, it is possible for maintenance managers to improve the situation by ensuring that the best solution in terms of "value for money" is achieved in the planned maintenance programme. A computer-aided maintenance plan that is based on rational assessment of priorities and up-to-date knowledge of the condition of the property stock will help to ensure the best use of available resources. This paper presents the results of a major research project undertaken at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. It focuses on the development of a multi-attribute prioritisation model by using the analytic hierarchy process to assign weightings to selected criteria for maintenance priority setting, followed by a description of the computer-aided prioritisation framework that implemented the prioritisation model. The framework is simple in practice and flexible from a management point of view, which empower maintenance managers to make more objective and rational decisions.