Matching the maintenance budget with market reality for a competitive advantage / S.W.J. van Wyk

This research report investigates whether a need exists for realistic maintenancebudgets that are aligned with market reality, providing the business with a competitiveadvantage. To achieve this, a theoretical model has been developed to define the needfor and the substance of a realistic maintenance budget.Subsequently, this issue was investigated in the South African coal mining sector, asthis sector is positioned in such a manner that the implementation and use of such amodel can and should have a major impact on business competitiveness. Theinvestigation took the form of data collection through means of an e-mailedquestionnaire.The data collected by means of the questionnaires were presented as findings, whichalso highlighted some important issues. These issues are discussed individually.The research report concludes that a need for having a realistic maintenance budgetthat is aligned with market reality, giving the business a competitive advantage, doesexist within the South African coal mining sector.Finally, the integrated theoretical budgeting model, which was developed to assist themaintenance practitioner in compiling a realistic maintenance budget, which is alignedwith the current market reality, will give any colliery (and for that matter any business) acompetitive advantage when applied.The research report ends with a proposed list of possible research opportunities thatcan be conducted as follow up studies to the research presented in this research report.