Investigating the Optimal Management Strategy for a Healthcare Facility Maintenance Program

Reacting to the need to transform and the increasing pressure to outsource all non-core activities, Air Force Material Command Surgeon General discontinued its previous use of full service contracts with original equipment manufacturers and adopted a relatively new maintenance outsourcing strategy: strategic partnering with an equipment management firm. The objective of this study is to create a decision-model for selecting the optimal management strategy for a healthcare organization's facility maintenance program. This study used personal interviews with facility management personnel from MAJCOMs to collect and analyze data. This study offers a re-conceptualized framework for viewing and understanding the various maintenance programs and their interrelationships. Additionally, the study evaluates the strategic fit between maintenance programs and strategic objectives and finally examines the strength of the strategic fit and how it relates to overall customer satisfaction of the maintenance program. The data from the interviews tested the interviewee's relative satisfaction with their programs and analyzed each management program and determined which strategic objectives resulted in satisfaction. This research found that facilities should determine their particular level of risk. Facilities that prefer "term vs. whole" insurance may be more satisfied with a program that hedges its risk by utilizing multiple OEMs or 3rd party providers. Facilities that desire stable pricing and cost structures and consolidated management would do well to investigate single OEMs or single comprehensive providers.