The organization for maintenance can be varied and adjusted to fit many circumstances. The options detailed in this chapter are used by various organizations around the world. The main points to remember are these:

1. All organizations exist to accomplish certain goals or objectives. Maintenance is no different; be sure yours are known and accepted.

2. Organizingthemaintenancefunctionisimportant.Incorrectlyorganizing the resources can result in excessive maintenance costs.

3. Contractors are being increasingly used in the maintenance environment. Careful policy decisions can make contractors cost effective.

4. Attitudes toward maintenance are shown by the way the organiza tion is treated when it comes time to dedicate resources. Always insure that maintenance has proper tools, proper locations, and incentive-to work.

The previous chapter on benchmarking looked at the hidden narrative or enablers that do not show up in pure statistics. The organizational focus, structure, and disciplines discussed in this chapter are difficult points to analyze when benchmarking. They are seldom explored to the depth necessary to provide an understanding of how they impact the ability of an organization to achieve Best Practices in maintenance. If a company is to truly understand a benchmarking partner s practices, then the areas discussed in this chapter must be thoroughly understood.