Maintenance management system (MMS) to support facilities management at Malaysian polytechnic

Purpose Conventional methods practiced by the Development and Facilities Management Unit (UPPF) have faced issues due to management deficiencies and incompetent staff members who were unable to handle facilities management assessment processes at Malaysian Polytechnics. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach The prime objective of this paper is to improve the conventional methods which tend to be both cumbersome and ineffective in the UPPF Maintenance Management Systems (MMSs) at Malaysian Polytechnics. Primary data were gathered through interviews to develop the proposed system. Eight Polytechnics were selected based on major problems arising from using conventional methods. A comparison was then conducted to investigate the maintenance management practices at each Polytechnic. There are around 32 Polytechnics in Malaysia and most are using conventional methods. Findings The major conclusion drawn from the interview results was that comprehensive MMSs are lacking, specifically those that integrate operation and maintenance (O&M) processes of facilities management and software programming that provides guidelines for decision-making processes. The interview results also revealed irregularities within the Malaysian Polytechnics' maintenance management database. This paper explores the concepts of Electronic Form Defect Assessment (E-Form Defect Assessment), relational databases and online customer complaints to adapt their role as dynamic maintenance management tools. Originality/value The paper concludes that the developed system is able to accommodate recording of data, such as complaints and specific items needed for maintenance, through the internet and intranet. MMSs potentially transform facilities management O&M processes into one of the most sophisticated technologies by providing access to all information published by each Malaysian Polytechnic institution. This technology was established in order to foster financial cooperation with the idea being that Polytechnics which compete with one another become financially interdependent with the goal of promoting successful facilities management in the construction of new facilities and infrastructure.