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RESEARCH PAPER

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Certification of maintenance providers: a competitive advantage

CEMUCs University of Coimbras Mechanical Engineering Research Center, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

Manuel Torres Farinha Jose Diego Galar

Division of Operation and Maintenance Engineering, University of Technology, Lulea , Sweden Lulea CEMUCs University of Coimbras Mechanical Engineering Research Center, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal, and

cio Adelino Fonseca Ina Uday Kumar

Division of Operation and Maintenance Engineering, University of Technology, Lulea , Sweden Lulea
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to synthesize some relevant norms, namely European norms (EN), to the maintenance field. Design/methodology/approach The methodology is based on the conjunction of the most relevant norms to the maintenance field that represent a coherent set of tools to aid maintenance activity and maintenance companies to achieve a new level of competitiveness. Findings Until now, the companies have not given relevance to specific certifications, such as PAS 55 or NP4492. But, with the increase of competitiveness and the market more and more exigent, it is necessary to introduce this new paradigm to raise the maintenance activity at an upper level. Practical implications The approach presented in the paper constitutes a base for an upper level of competitiveness among companies, based on common standards that make the maintenance activity more exigent and transparent. Originality/value The paper presents a conjunction among standards, including the newest ones, that constitutes a new vision for maintenance providers, representing a definitive contribution for a new positioning of the maintenance market. Keywords Maintenance programmes, International standards, Competitive strategy, Maintenance management, European norms, Qualifications, Portuguese norms, ISO Paper type Technical paper

Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering Vol. 19 No. 2, 2013 pp. 144-156 r Emerald Group Publishing Limited 1355-2511 DOI 10.1108/13552511311315959

1. Introduction This paper synthesizes a number European Norms (ENs) in the maintenance field. Their conjunction provides a coherent set of tools that will assist maintenance to reach a new level of competitiveness. The most important norms discussed herein are NP 4483, NP 4492, EN 13269, EN 13306, EN 13460 and EN 15341. The norm connecting them is NP 4492. The paper will also refer to ISO 9001 because of its importance in managing maintenance processes. Finally, it will mention other important norms which have significance in specific situations.

The structure of the paper is the following:

. .

Section 2 discusses ENs; Section 3 examines ISO 9001 and the norms related to it, including ISO 9000 and ISO 9004; Section 4 mentions other relevant maintenance norms; Section 5 discusses NP 4492, an important Portuguese norm to certify companies selling maintenance services; and Finally, Section 6 presents the conclusions.

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2. EN main standards The European main standards related to maintenance organization are the following:
. . . .

EN 13269 (2007) guideline on preparation of maintenance contracts; EN 13306 (2007) maintenance terminology; EN 13460 (2009) documentation for maintenance; and EN 15341 (2009) maintenance Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

EN 13269 (2007) guideline on preparation of maintenance contracts The scope of this norm is to provide guidance for the preparation of maintenance services contracts. It can be applied to:
.

Relationships between contractors and suppliers of maintenance services, both foreign and national; the whole range of maintenance services, including planning, management and control; and all kinds of equipment, with the exception of computer programs, unless the program computer is subject to maintenance as an integral part of the technical equipment. EN 13306 (2007) maintenance terminology; EN 13460 (2009) documents for maintenance; and EN ISO 9000 (2005) quality management systems fundamentals for maintenance.

To implement EN 13269 it is necessary to make use of the following standards:

. . .

EN 13306 (2007) maintenance terminology The scope of this norm is to specify generic terms and definitions for the technical, administrative and managerial areas of maintenance. It is not applicable to terms used only for software maintenance. EN 13460 (2009) documentation for maintenance This standard specifies guidelines for:
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The technical documentation, that is, provided with an asset before it is put into service, to support its maintenance; and information/documentation to be established during the operational phase of the asset to support maintenance needs.

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This norm is primarily directed at designers, manufacturers, suppliers, technical writers of documentation and documentation suppliers. It does not include documents related to training and skills of users, operators and maintenance staff. It may not be applied to the documentation of software maintenance. To implement this norm it is necessary to make use of the following standards:
.

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EN 13269 (2007) guideline on preparation of maintenance contracts; EN 13306 (2007) maintenance terminology; and EN 60300-3-14 (International Electrotechnical Commission, 2004) dependability management Part 3-14 application guide maintenance and maintenance support (International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 60300-3-14:2004).

. .

EN 15341 (2009) Maintenance Maintenance KPIs The scope of this norm is to describe a management system of indicators (KPIs) to measure the performance of maintenance, under the influence of various factors, including economic, technical and organizational ones. These indicators evaluate and seek to improve efficiency and effectiveness, thus achieving the maintenance excellence of the assets. To implement this norm is necessary to make use of the following standards:
. .

EN 13306 (2007) maintenance terminology; and IEC 60050-191 (International Electrotechnical Commission, 1990) IEC vocabulary; dependability and quality of service.

3. The ISO 9001 It is important to refer here to the ISO 9000 series not because these standards are indispensable to implement maintenance norms, but because they may help and/or simplify its implementation. The most relevant ISO norms for the present discussion are the following:
.

International Organization for Standardization 9000 (2005) quality management systems fundamentals and vocabulary; International Organization for Standardization 9001 (2008) quality management systems requirements; International Organization for Standardization 9004 (2009) quality management systems guidelines for performance; and International Organization for Standardization 19011 (2011) Guidelines for quality and/or environmental management systems auditing.

The ISO 9000 family norms are generic standards for any type of organization and are intended to contribute to the implementation of effective quality management systems. The norms have the following scope:
.

ISO 9000 describes the fundamentals of quality management systems and specifies the terminology; ISO 9001 specifies the requisites of a quality management system to be used by any organization that must demonstrate its capacity to supply products satisfying a clients requirements while meeting the applicable regulations; the objective is improved customer satisfaction;

ISO 9004 considers both the efficiency and the effectiveness of a quality management system. The objective is the improvement of the organizations performance and the satisfaction of customers and stakeholders; and ISO 19011 considers the auditing of quality management systems and the environment of quality management systems.

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Taken together, these four make a coherent set of norms for quality management systems, creating consistency at both the national and international level. 4. Other relevant norms Specific norms can be used in the maintenance field to meet certain specific requirements. The main norms are those mentioned above. However, it is important to mention other norms that can be applied according to the specificity of the assets and that complement the management norms. 4.1 EN ENs are the main subject for this paper. One of these norms, EN 50126 (2000), Railway applications: the specification and demonstration of reliability, availability, maintainability and safety (RAMS), has the following scope:
.

defines RAMS in terms of reliability, availability, maintainability and safety and their interactions; defines a process based on the life cycle of the system and its tasks for managing RAMS; ensures that the conflicts that may arise among RAMS elements are controlled and managed effectively; defines a systematic process to specify the requirements of RAMS and demonstrates that these requirements are achieved; is directed specifically at railways; does not define the objectives, amounts, requirements or specific solutions for RAMS applications in private railways; does not specify the requirements for ensuring the safety of the system against external factors; does not define rules or processes with a view to certification of products required by this standard; and does not define the approval process by the authorities responsible for safety regulations. The specification and demonstration of RAMS to all railway applications at all levels as appropriate, from a complete line to the major systems of a line, and matched to individual subsystems, as well as components of larger systems, including those containing software applications, particularly:
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This European Standard applies to:

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All new systems; All new systems integrated into existing systems in operation before the creation of this standard, although not generalizable to all aspects of the existing system; and

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All modifications of existing systems before the creation of this standard, although not generalizable to all aspects of the existing system.

All phases of the lifecycle of an application; and use by a railway and its suppliers. IEC TCs/SCs (technical committees and subcommittees) develop International Standards for the specific area of electrotechnology. Normative standards reflect agreements on the technical description of the characteristics required of the product, system, service or object in question; and Informative standards provide background information on implementation procedures or guidelines.

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4.2 IEC (1)

These fall into two broad categories:

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The IEC standards for dependability are particularly relevant for maintenance, but their benefits are often taken for granted; their importance is not appreciated until problems arise. On the IECs Technical Committee 56 (IEC TC56), experts from manufacturing, professional institutions, government, academia, test labs and so forth, prepare standards. The standards have been organized into the following three levels, with IEC 60300, dependability management, acting as the focal point:
. . .

Management; process; and tools or supporting standards.

Another important norm is IEC 61508 for the functional safety of electrical, electronic and programmable electronic equipment. IEC 61508 is an umbrella norm covering multiple industries and applications. A primary objective is to help individual industries develop supplemental standards, tailored specifically to their needs based on the original 61508 standard. A secondary goal is to enable the development of electrical and/or electronic and/or programmable electronic (E/E/PE) technologies safety-related systems where specific application sector standards do not already exist; however, IEC 61508 may also be applied to business loss and asset protection cases. The total IEC 61508 standard is divided into seven parts:
. .

Part 1 general requirements (required for compliance). Part 2 requirements for electrical/electronic/programmable electronic safetyrelated systems (required for compliance). Part 3 software requirements (required for compliance). Part 4 definitions and abbreviations (supporting information). Part 5 examples of methods for the determination of safety integrity levels (supporting information). Part 6 guidelines for the application of parts 2 and 3 (supporting information). Part 7 overview of techniques and measures (supporting information).

. . .

. .

4.3 PAS 55 Another important specification is PAS 55 from the British Standards Institution for the optimization of the management of physical assets. This standard provides definitions and specifications for 28 requirements, with the objective of establishing and verifying a linked optimized and whole-life management system for all types of physical assets. PAS 55 applies to any organization, public or private, regulated or non-regulated, with a high dependency on physical infrastructure or equipment. It permits the establishment of connections between strategic organizational plans and the actual day-to-day work and asset realities. Finally, it describes what must be done in linking planning and delivery, in the integrated management of acquisition/creation operation, maintenance and disposal/renewal, and in the many generic enablers that underpin sustainable, optimized performance. PAS 55 is going to become a worldwide specification for any organization seeking to demonstrate a high level of professionalism in the whole life cycle management of its physical assets. The standard is split into two parts, with a third part suggested:
.

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Part 1 PAS 55-1 specifications for the optimized management of physical infrastructure assets. Part 2 guidelines for the application of PAS 55-1. Part 3 sector-specific guidance. Assuring external stakeholders that physical infrastructure assets are managed in an optimal way; improving customer satisfaction; adding environmental, health and safety benefits; optimizing the return on investment in physical assets; demonstrating good practices by providing value for money; complying with regulations; improving proactive risk management and governance; enhancing the corporate image; and demonstrating a commitment to sustainability issues.

. .

With PAS 55, an organization can add value by:

.

. . . . . . . .

4.4 MIL STD United States Defense Standards, often called Military Standards (MIL-STD, MIL-SPEC) or informally MilSpecs, are used to help the US Department of Defense achieve its standardization objectives. These standards are also applicable to industry, hence their inclusion here. Standardization helps the military achieve interoperability and ensures product quality. Defense Standards ensure that products and services meet certain physical and quality requirements, have commonality, show reliability and are compatible with existing systems, including military logistics systems. Some MIL-STDs related to maintenance are the following:
.

MIL-STD-1629A procedures for determining failure mode and performing effects and criticality analysis;

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. . .

MIL-HDBK-217F reliability prediction of electronic equipment; MIL-STD-105 sampling procedures and tables for inspection by attributes; MIL-STD 461 requirements for the control of electromagnetic interference characteristics of subsystems and equipment; MIL-STD-499 engineering management (system engineering); MIL-STD-882 standard practice for system safety; and MIL-STD-1472F human engineering.

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4.5 NP A Portuguese norm, NP 4483 (2009), Guide for the implementation of a maintenance management system, is also relevant to the present discussion. The scope of this standard is to specify the requirements for a maintenance management system when an organization needs to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide a service that meets customer requirements, legal requirements and regulations. It aims to increase customer satisfaction through the effective application of the system, including processes for continual improvement, based on customer requirements and regulatory requirements (Figure 1). NP 4483 requires the following normative documents:
. . . . . .

NP EN 13306 (2007) maintenance terminology; NP EN 13269 (2007) guideline for the preparation of maintenance contracts; NP EN 13460 (2009) documentation for maintenance; NP EN 15341 (2009) maintenance KPIs; CEN/TR 15628 (2007) qualification of maintenance personnel; and NP 4492 (2010) requirements for the provision of maintenance services.

Customer requisites

Management responsibility

Customer satisfaction

Service requisites

Resources management

Maintenance, analysis and improvement

Service performance

Process requisites

Input

Maintenance planning

Maintenance execution

Output

Process performance

Figure 1. NP 4483 (2009) management process

5. NP 4492 NP 4492 (2010), requirements for the provision of maintenance services, is supported by the following norms:
. . . .

NP 4483 (2009) guide for the implementation of maintenance management system; NP EN 13269 (2007) guideline for the preparation of maintenance contracts; NP EN 13306 (2007) maintenance terminology; NP EN ISO 9000 (2005) quality management systems: fundamentals and vocabulary; NP EN 13460 (2009) documentation for maintenance; NP EN 15341 (2009) maintenance KPIs; and CEN/TR 15628 (2007) qualification of maintenance personnel.

Certification of maintenance providers 151

. . .

This norm is particularly interesting. Because it is Portuguese, it can act as a pilot project for the rest of Europe. It certifies maintenance companies and as the norm makes clear, to have a certificate is a competitive advantage. Simply stated, certification will help maintenance services become more professional and competitive and provide better quality. In todays economy, assets have longer life cycles, and this calls for more maintenance interventions. It is therefore likely that the maintenance market will become increasingly attractive and maintenance providers will be more competitive if they are certified (Figure 2). The scope of this norm is to do the following:
.

It specifies requirements whereby service providers demonstrate their ability to consistently provide services that meet customers requirements, legal requirements and regulations; and all requirements of this standard are generic and are applicable to all organizations, regardless of type, size and service.

(Planning process) Planning and revision (Interface with suppliers) Supply Service (Action)

(Control process) Monitoring measurement and control (Interface with clients) Commercial

Human resources

Materials resource (Resources and support)

Information resource

Figure 2. NP 4492 (2010) management process

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It aims to:
.

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Define requirements so that service providers can offer their maintenance customers solutions that align with their needs and objectives, guaranteeing performance by keeping assets operational and reliable, thus reducing idle time; establish a benchmark for the certification of service providers and their regular maintenance through audits performed by an approved entity; support maintenance service providers by providing a means of recognizing their efforts and distinguishing them from their competitors; make the quality of maintenance services a permanent and transparent criterion for the buyer, thus encouraging the implementation of the concept of Life Cycle Cost to replace the concept of Acquisition Cost, and creating a mark of competitiveness for the company providing maintenance services; and encourage the establishment of a mechanism of market self-regulation, providing increased competence and innovation. The company must have a manual of the services that it provides; and the company should seek to:
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Some important considerations include the following: (1) (2)

Establish goals and targets for the performance of the business; establish the necessary processes and their application throughout the organization; establish criteria and methods to ensure effective execution and supervision; ensure the availability of the resources and information required to support effective execution and supervision; supervise, measure (where applicable) and analyse earlier cases; implement the actions required to achieve the planned results and continually improve upon earlier cases; and the provider of maintenance services must have the following:

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Documented procedures and records required by NP 4492 (2010); documents including records determined by the company as necessary to ensure planning, operation and effective control; and a service manual.

Requirements services provided: (1) (2) The maintenance service must define in a clear, complete and detailed manner as possible the purpose and scope of the services offered; and the provider of maintenance services must demonstrate the experience and outcome of its work. The service provider must have a maintenance staff that ensures the quality of services, based on education, specific training, appropriate qualifications and experience.

Requirements human resources: (1)

Requirements material resources: (1) (2) The facilities of the provider of maintenance services must meet the needs of management and the operation of its portfolio of services; and the maintenance provider must take care of the customers assets while they are under its control.

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Requirements preparation of proposals: (1) When preparing proposals, the service provider must take into account:
. .

The requirements of the potential customer; and the legal and regulatory requirements applicable or relating to the activities included in the services to be provided.

Requirements purchase of property, equipment and services: (1) (2) The proposal to the client must be validated by the person with legal authority to bind the company, prior to issue; the process of purchasing goods, equipment and services must be documented, including purchasing information and verification of the purchased product; and the service provider must establish and implement procedures to manage the security of equipment, if included in the contract. Management control must be applied to measuring and monitoring the performance of contracts for maintenance services; EN 13269 (2007), guidelines for the preparation of maintenance contracts, must be applied in the preparation of maintenance contracts; and in its contract management, the provider of maintenance services must establish indicators, monitor performance and evaluate the services provided using NP EN 15341 (2009), maintenance performance indicators (KPIs). The provider of maintenance services, as part of its quality program, must apply appropriate methods for monitoring and where applicable, measuring and analysing services provided. The provider of maintenance services must prepare a flowchart that describes the main stages of the service and indicate the points where control measures are carried out internal or externally. The provider of maintenance services must use technical engineering work, when requested by the customer or when, on its own initiative, it seeks to safeguard the efficiency of its work or to improve upon certain critical points of the installation.

(3)

Requirements management of contracts for maintenance and management control: (1) (2) (3)

Requirements program quality: (1)

Requirements preparation, planning and supervision: (1)

Requirements engineering studies: (1)

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Requirements safety, health and environment: (1) With regard to safety, health and environment, the personnel involved in providing maintenance services must have training and knowledge appropriate to the specific risks of tasks to be performed. The maintenance service provider must carry out internal audits to determine if maintenance services are provided according to the requirements of NP 4492 (2010). The provider of maintenance services, where applicable, will have performance indicators (KPI) for control and to ensure continuous improvement.

Requirements auditing:

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(1)

Requirements performance indicators KPI monitoring: (1)

6. Conclusions The paper lists the main maintenance management ENs and indicates how they are related. It argues that many of these ENs provide maintenance organizations, namely maintenance providers, with higher levels of exigency, thus creating more confidence in the market. The application of the norms mentioned here leads to better performance and a better quality product. It also leads to increased competitiveness among maintenance companies. The paper also examines a new Portuguese norm that permits the certification of maintenance providers. This may represent a new step in the maintenance market, one that can be adopted by other countries. It is still too early to determine the efficacy of the norm and whether it promotes competitiveness, but arguably, having a certificate is a competitive advantage.
References CEN/TR 15628 (2007), European Committee for Standardization. Maintenance qualification of maintenance personnel, available at: www.cenorm.be (accessed 24 January 2013).. EN 50126 (2000), European Committee for Standardization. Railway applications the specification and demonstration of reliability, availability, maintainability and safety (RAMS), available at: www.cenorm.be (accessed 24 January 2013). International Electrotechnical Commission (2004), IEC 60300-3-14, dependability management, Part 3-14: Application guide Maintenance and maintenance support, available at: http:// webstore.iec.ch/preview/info_iec60300-3-14%7Bed1.0%7Den.pdf (accessed 26 April 2013). International Electrotechnical Commission (1990), IEC 60050-191-1990 international electrotechnical vocabulary. Chapter 191: dependability and quality of service, available at: http://webstore.iec.ch/preview/info_iec61160%7Bed2.0%7Den.pdf (accessed 26 April 2013). International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9000 (2005), Quality management systems fundamentals and vocabulary, available at: www.iso.org (accessed 24 January 2013). International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001 (2008), Quality management systems requirements, available at: www.iso.org (accessed 24 January 2013). International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9004 (2009), Quality management systems guidelines for performance improvements, available at: www.iso.org (accessed 24 January 2013).

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 19011 (2011), Guidelines for auditing management systems, available at: www.iso.org (accessed 24 January 2013). NP 4483 (2009), Portuguese Quality Institute. Guide for the implementation of maintenance management system, available at: www.ipq.pt (accessed 24 January 2013). NP 4492 (2010), Portuguese Quality Institute. Requirements for the provision of maintenance services, available at: www.ipq.pt (accessed 24 January 2013). NP EN 13269 (2007), Portuguese Quality Institute. Guideline on preparation of maintenance contracts, available at: www.ipq.pt (accessed 24 January 2013). NP EN 13306 (2007), Portuguese Quality Institute. Maintenance terminology, available at: www.ipq.pt (accessed 24 January 2013). NP EN 13460 (2009), Portuguese Quality Institute. Maintenance documentation for maintenance, available at: www.ipq.pt (accessed 24 January 2013). NP EN 15341 (2009), Portuguese Quality Institute. Maintenance maintenance key performance indicators, available at: www.ipq.pt (accessed 24 January 2013). Web References Available at: www.iec.ch/standardsdev/publications (accessed 24 January 2013). Available at: www.defense.gov (accessed 24 January 2013). Available at: www.osha.gov (accessed 24 January 2013). Available at: www.iec.ch (accessed 24 January 2013). Available at: http://pas55.net (accessed 24 January 2013). About the authors Manuel Torres Farinha, Aggregate Professor in Electrical Engineering and Computers since Jose 2012, obtained his PhD in Mechanical Engineering in 1994 and Licenciate (five-year course) in Electrical Engineering in 1984. He worked as an engineer in several private companies before becoming an academic. He was President for ten years of one of the biggest higher education institutions in Portugal. He has developed a Computer Maintenance Management System and his main research is in the field of maintenance management, including predictive maintenance, augmented reality and new maintenance methodologies. He develops research at CEMUCs Manuel Torres Farinha is University of Coimbras Mechanical Engineering Research Center. Jose the corresponding author and can be contacted at: torres.farinha@dem.uc.pt Diego Galar obtained his Telecommunications Engineering degree from the University of Zaragoza in 1997 followed by a Master degree in Manufacturing Engineering and later a PhD in the field of Maintenance Engineering. He has worked as a Professor in several universities (University of Zaragoza, Institute Polytechnic of Braganza, and European University of Madrid) in the fields of Electronics and Industrial Engineering. He was Deputy Director of R D in the engineering school in Zaragoza, director of international relations and finally pro-vice-chancellor of the University. He worked in industry for five years as Director of the Condition Monitoring Department at Anantasa. Currently he is a Senior Researcher in the Division of Operation and University of Technology, Lulea , Sweden. Maintenance Engineering at Lulea cio Adelino Fonseca obtained his PhD in May 2010, the theme of his thesis being Ina Maintenance of Renewable Wind Energy Generation through IP Networks. He has participated in two projects funded by the Portuguese FCT entity. He was a doctoral fellow from October 2007 to May 2010. He is author or co-author of many international scientific papers, including one book chapter and five international transactions papers. He has supervised more than 50 BsC projects, including a Masters thesis in the area of indoor air quality in buildings.

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Uday Kumar obtained his B.Tech in 1979 (India). After working for six years in Indian mining University of Technology, Lulea , industries, he joined the postgraduate program of Lulea Sweden and in 1990 obtained a PhD degree in the field of Reliability and Maintenance. He University 1990-1996 and in 1997 worked as a Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor at Lulea was appointed Professor of Mechanical Engineering (Maintenance) at the University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway. In July 2001 he took up the position of Professor of Operation and University of Technology, Lulea , Sweden. Currently he is the Maintenance Engineering at Lulea Railway Research Center (JVTC) and Director of Center of Maintenance and Director of Lulea Industrial Services (C-MIS). His research areas are equipment maintenance, reliability and maintainability analysis, etc. He is also a member of the editorial boards and reviewer for many international journals. He has published more than 150 papers in international journals and conference proceedings.

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