Title: Quality and productivity improvement of executive decisions in maintenance engineering: an ESS-based approach

Authors: K. Elangovan, V. Selladurai, S.R. Devadasan, Suresh Kumar Goyal, S. Muthu

Addresses: Mechanical Engineering Department, Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Coimbatore 641 014, Tamil Nadu, India; 5/219, Elango Illam, Thiruvalluvar Nagar Second Cross, New pet, Krishnagiri 635 001 Krishnagiri (DT), Tamil Nadu, India. ' Mechanical Engineering Department, Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Coimbatore 641 014, Tamil Nadu, India. ' Production Engineering Department, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore 641 004, Tamil Nadu, India. ' Department of Decision Sciences and MIS, John Molson School of Business, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. W., Montreal, Quebec H3G 1M8, Canada. ' Mechanical Engineering Department, Mahalingam College of Engineering and Technology, Pollachi 642 003, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract: Time and again scant emphases have been made to link quality with productivity and vice versa. However, these efforts are tilted towards improving quality and productivity of organisational performance. No attempts have been made to improve quality and productivity of executive decision-making. This happens despite the establishment of the need for management support and commitment to implementing managerial and technological models. On realising this research and practical gap, this article makes overtures towards this direction by showing the way to exploit Executive Support System (ESS) for implementing a maintenance engineering model. The construction and workings of the prototype version of an ESS are described for this purpose. A questionnaire-based feedback approach was adopted to verify and validate this prototype version of ESS.

Keywords: quality improvement; productivity improvement; executive decisions; maintenance engineering; executive support systems; ESS; strategic maintenance; quality management; decision making.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPQM.2007.011470

International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management, 2007 Vol.2 No.1, pp.112 - 139

Published online: 30 Nov 2006 *

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