Decision-making criteria for boiler maintenance: an empirical study

Abstract

Accurate decision-making in boiler maintenance is essential to ensuring efficiency, reliability and costeffectiveness, especially in low-tech integrated buildings where manual data collection is prevalent. This study identifies key criteria for boiler maintenance decision-making to support structured and data-driven maintenance. A comprehensive literature survey was conducted to identify the key boiler maintenance activities which had been studied by different scholars. In addition to that, a qualitative research approach was adopted, including expert interviews and the Delphi technique, to develop the criteria based on practical understanding. Findings highlight critical factors such as equipment-specific parameters, resource allocation, and operational impact, influencing effective maintenance decisions. The proposed criteria provide a structured basis for improving boiler maintenance practices in low-tech environments. This research contributes to developing a systematic software-based decision-making model that enhances maintenance efficiency, minimizes downtime, and optimizes operational performance.