Impact of IT procurement on the quality of the maintenance process: Results from a study in Swedish industry

Abstract

Purpose

IT investments in maintenance are of strategic importance, but it is hard to fit the IT systems to the business demands. One possible reason could be inadequate planning and execution of the procurement. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the IT procurement process within maintenance, and its impact on the quality of the maintenance process.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is performed as a web‐based questionnaire survey addressing maintenance managers in Swedish industry followed by five additional interviews.

Findings

The decision to purchase IT is, to high extent, a maintenance internal matter and the purchases are often run in project form involving several working areas and the decision making is commonly based on the purchaser's own experience. The involvement of future users is frequent. Maintenance IT investments are seen as connected to real needs and beneficial for the maintenance.

Practical implications

Highlighting the current practices within procurement helps practitioners to understand the process and thereby better prepare the purchasing of technology.

Research limitations/implications

Systematic methods for the procurement of IT are used to a low extent, which implies a need for practical and easy tools within the area. In addition, the economic importance of IT investments should be further studied and tools for assessing the impact of the procurement should be developed.

Originality/value

Papers dealing with maintenance IT procurement are scarce and do not cover the full procurement process, and no empirical studies within the area have been found.

Citation

Kans, M. (2012), "Impact of IT procurement on the quality of the maintenance process: Results from a study in Swedish industry", Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, Vol. 18 No. 2, pp. 196-215. https://doi.org/10.1108/13552511211244229