In examining maintenance organizations, we find they all have the same growth pattern (see Figure 3-7). When companies are small, they may only have one machine. The operator of the machine runs and maintains it, performing any small repairs or services. If a large breakdown occurs, the machine is disassembled by the operator and the defective parts are sent out for repair. As the company continues to grow, several machines are added. Growth also necessitates adding several production workers. Because the production workers are not dependent on one machine any longer, the first maintenance worker is added. This individual will be multi-skilled in order to care for the variety of repairs that will be needed.

The third step in the growth pattern is the addition of more machines and production workers. This step leads to the addition of more maintenance workers. With this new level of manpower required by maintenance, it is no longer convenient to have the maintenance workers report to the production supervisor. Instead, it is necessary to have a maintenance super-visor in place. The fourth step in the growth pattern is to watch the maintenance personnel begin to specialize in their particular skill areas. Craft technicians become proficient at repairing a particular piece of equipment, or a particular type of repair. As the number of craft technicians increases, the specialization continues. The fifth step in the growth pattern is the development of craft lines. This development may be due to union influence, or simply the...