PARADIGM FOR TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN BUILDING MAINTENANCE OPERATION

PARADIGM FOR TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN BUILDING MAINTENANCE OPERATION

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

By the nature of creation there is virtually nothing man-made that is indestructible, but the usefulness of many such items can be extended by carrying out repair at regular intervals through an activity known as maintenance. White (1979) defined maintenance as the “work undertaken to restore every facility to an acceptable standard at an acceptable cost. The use and exposure to environmental conditions subjects’ machines, buildings and other service facilities to deterioration. The process of deterioration if unchecked, culminate in rendering these facilities unserviceable and brings them to a standstill. Firms and organization, therefore have no choice but to attend to them from time to time, to repair and recondition them so as to prolong their usefulness to the extent that they are economically and physically privileged.

Maintenance is made responsible, for provision of a condition, of machines, buildings, and services that will permit uninterrupted implementation of plans requiring their use. Theoretically, maintenance should aim at keeping the machines and other facilities in a condition that allows them to be used without any interruption and at their maximum profit-making capacity. (Adegoke, 2003).However, as adequate care is being taken to ensure the reconditioning of the machine and building facilities back to their original state, a level at which it will be able to perform the intended use, however cognizance should be taken of the fact that, if it has to be done; it should be at minimum cost, with improved output, emphasis placed on employee involvement and empowerment, continuous improvement, cutting across the entire organisation, and with every responsibility for quality of work output. (Iyagba, 2005 and Wahab, 1987).