OPTIMIZING MAINTENANCE STRATEGIES IN SMART MANUFACTURING: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF LEAN PRACTICES, TOTAL PRODUCTIVE MAINTENANCE (TPM), AND DIGITAL RELIABILITY

Abstract

This systematic review investigates the integration of Lean practices, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), and digital reliability strategies to optimize maintenance operations in the context of smart manufacturing ecosystems. Drawing upon a comprehensive analysis of 96 peer-reviewed studies published between 2015 and 2024, the review rigorously follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to ensure transparency, methodological rigor, and replicability. The review critically examines how traditional maintenance frameworks—namely Lean Maintenance, which focuses on waste elimination, continuous improvement, and process standardization, and TPM, which emphasizes proactive and preventive maintenance through deep operator involvement—interact with advanced digital reliability approaches. These digital techniques include predictive analytics, IoT-enabled condition monitoring, artificial intelligence-driven diagnostics, and digital twin technologies, which collectively enable real-time fault detection, predictive failure forecasting, and data-informed decision-making. The synthesis reveals that hybrid maintenance models combining Lean, TPM, and digital reliability tools consistently deliver superior outcomes, such as substantial reductions in unplanned downtime, enhanced asset utilization rates, increased Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), and greater agility in production planning and scheduling. The review also highlights critical barriers to implementation, including workforce resistance to technological change, challenges related to data integration and interoperability, high initial investment costs, and organizational misalignment between maintenance goals and digital transformation strategies. Despite these challenges, the review underscores that with adequate technological readiness, organizational preparedness, and change management, integrated maintenance frameworks can drive significant operational efficiencies, reduce lifecycle costs, and foster sustainable competitive advantages in Industry 4.0 settings.