DOI: 10.1108/jqme-08-2025-0096 ISSN: 1355-2511

A conceptual prescriptive maintenance framework for a vehicle fleet with several heterogeneous factors

Sabrine Dachraoui, Bruno Castanier

Purpose

This paper proposes a conceptual prescriptive maintenance (PsM) framework for a heterogeneous fleet of degrading vehicles, aiming to synchronize maintenance schedules and reduce inventory and operational costs.

Design/methodology/approach

A mathematical framework is developed using real-time degradation data from inspections. The policy prescribes two actions: vehicle swaps to optimize fleet management and usage rate adjustments to influence individual degradation trajectories. A simplified case study with numerical examples illustrates the approach.

Findings

Results show that the policy effectively manages fleet heterogeneity and achieves cost savings compared to conventional maintenance strategies.

Originality/value

The contribution lies in explicitly linking system usage with degradation. Unlike predictive or condition-based approaches, the policy prescribes both maintenance actions and operational adjustments, broadening the decision space for fleet optimization.

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