Machine Maintenance Type and Quality of Output: Evidence from Ghanaian Manufacturing Firms

The need to manage machine maintenance effectively has gained more importance due to the high rate of changing operational technologies, changing market demands, increased emphasis on employee safety, and new environmental legislation. To demonstrate the purpose of maintenance in the manufacturing value chain, the study sought to investigate the relationship between machine maintenance type and quality of output as well as to establish whether machine maintenance contributes to quality of output among Ghanaian manufacturing firms. Data was collected from 150 manufacturing firms in Tema and Accra Metropolis by using questionnaire and analyzed with SPSS and SmartPLS software. The findings showed significantly direct relationship between all the maintenance types, except corrective maintenance, and quality of output. Therefore, if a company minimizes breakdown maintenance, quality defects are also minimized. Hence, adopting preventive maintenance help reduce cost of repairs and unplanned stoppages in the production process.