Context
Effective maintenance management requires more than technical intervention on equipment. It depends on reliable performance indicators, clear daily management routines and structured problem solving processes that enable teams to prioritise the most critical losses and prevent recurring failures. This thesis project aims to develop and test an integrated Maintenance Performance Management System, combining maintenance KPIs, daily management routines, downtime analysis, root cause analysis and action follow-up. The work will be developed within a defined pilot area or group of assets, allowing the student to diagnose the current situation, develop practical tools and validate the proposed approach before potential wider deployment.
Main Objective
Develop and validate a structured maintenance performance management approach that transforms maintenance data into clear priorities, daily actions and systematic problem resolution.
Key Activities
- Map the current maintenance management process and routines.
- Assess existing maintenance data, systems and KPI definitions.
- Define a coherent maintenance KPI framework.
- Analyse historical failures, interventions and downtime.
- Perform Pareto and trend analysis to identify critical assets and recurring failures.
- Develop indicators such as:
- MTBF / MTBR
- MTTR
- Technical availability
- Planned vs. unplanned maintenance o Preventive maintenance compliance o
- Downtime frequency and duration
- Maintenance productivity / resource utilisation
- Review and improve daily maintenance management routines.
- Develop a standard structure for daily Kaizen / maintenance meetings.
- Define escalation criteria for recurring or high-impact problems.
- Develop a standard Root Cause Analysis workflow.
- Apply tools such as 5 Why, Ishikawa and Pareto where appropriate.
- Define a structured action follow-up and effectiveness verification process.
- Pilot the proposed system in a selected area.
Expected Deliverables
- Current-state maintenance management assessment.
- Maintenance KPI tree and KPI definition sheet.
- Baseline of key maintenance performance indicators.
- Pareto analysis of equipment, failures and downtime.
- Prototype maintenance performance dashboard.
- Standard daily maintenance / Kaizen meeting routine.
- Problem escalation and action-management flow.
- Root Cause Analysis standard and template.
- Action tracking and effectiveness verification process.
- Pilot results and lessons learned.
- Recommendations and roadmap for broader implementation.
Candidate Profile
Preferred background:
- MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management
- MSc in Mechanical Engineering
- MSc in Industrial / Manufacturing Engineering
- MSc in Maintenance, Reliability or Asset Management
Desired skills:
- Interest in maintenance, operations and continuous improvement.
- Analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Understanding of maintenance and reliability concepts.
- Familiarity with Lean, Kaizen, RCA, Pareto or FMEA is a plus.
- Strong Excel skills; Power BI or similar tools are advantageous.
- Ability to work closely with maintenance technicians and production teams.
- Practical and structured mindset.
Academic Scope
The expected outcome is a tested and structured maintenance management methodology, supported by data, standards and practical management routines. The success of the thesis should not depend on achieving a predefined percentage improvement in MTBF, downtime or productivity, but rather on the robustness, applicability and sustainability of the proposed system.
Tipo de oferta: Integral/Full-time
Localização do trabalho: Presencial
