A reliability-based and sustainability-informed maintenance optimization considering risk attitudes for telecommunications equipment

Purpose: This study presents a reliability-based and sustainability-informed maintenance optimization model for telecommunications equipment. It considers several risk attributes associated with sustainability dimensions (i.e. social, economic and environmental aspects). Design/methodology/approach: Many companies have developed long-term strategies to promote higher resource utilization, which has led to a paradigm shift in the role of maintenance. In parallel, reliability has been recognized as a fundamental factor in characterizing the optimal blend of maintenance strategies for a given system. It is essential for accurate failure prediction, which contributes toward more efficient use of all resources. Findings: The corresponding subattributes are identified based on expert opinions and then incorporated into the proposed model. Subsequently, using the multiobjective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO), the proposed sustainability risks together with the maintenance costs are optimized, and the proper blend of maintenance strategies is identified. Originality/value: Effective management of all human and natural resources, which are particularly emphasized by the concept of sustainability, has attracted much attention in recent years. However, contributions that effectively apply this concept in maintenance problems are very few and very few studies have attempted to quantify sustainability.