Is it better to have your own maintenance crew or to have a maintenance contract with a contractor company? Why?

Dear Engr.
Gasser, According to my opinion, you may keep your own maintenance team or contractual team for perform maintenance work.
It depends upon your machine type.
For simple and available machine you can keep your own team but for complex machine you should keep contractual team.
Sometimes the supplier of Hi-Tech machine offers this maintenance option.
I would like to mention my company maintenance policy as example here.
We use contractual maintenance team for our Generator, VMC Machine, PU foaming Machine, Thermo Forming and other Hi-Tech machineries because if we want to keep such team the per head production cost of our product will be high.
But we have our own maintenance team for our simple machineries such as Lath Machine, EDM Machine, Planomiller Machine, and Grinding Machine etc.
Finally I would conclude that, for simple machine you should keep your own team and for complex machine you should keep contractual team.
Let me know if you have any confusion.
   Thanks   Engr.
Shaikat Raihan 

Both the models are emloyed worldwide.
Advantages or disadvantages are many for both too.The choice need to taken based on the organisational requirement.
In the case of maintaining a crew, the advantages are: 1.
In House skill development leading to reliabiity in operation.
2.Better ownership by the team on the assets.
3.
Better management of crisis, due to readymade high skill team at disposal.
4.Oppertunity to develop skills in workforce due to longterm retainment (posibility).
The advantages of the contractor company: 1.
Best in the field can be hired.
2. 
Problems of aging problem for the workforce are minimum & controllable 3.
Contracting costs are less than maintaining own team.
 

a hybrid of both systems can give you the maximum efficiency and the least cost , a small team of well experienced maintenance technicians lead by a couple of engineers in order to supervise and do the routine checks along with the preventive maintenance and emergency interventions , and for major maintenance and major overhauls bring in the contractor company .

this will guarantee a smooth running for your estblishment and the least cost , unless the nature of the establishment doesn't require much maintenance so you should go for the contractor company .

Depends on the equipment and schedule of the maintenance and the total cost involved, if it's preventive maintenance and daily routine inspection then one must be having their own maintenance team, and if the cycle of the scheduled maintenance is large, then it is better of giving it to a contractor firm.

Dear Eng.
Gasser,  Firstly, it depends on the type of maintenance required for your machines and equipment.
Most of preventive maintenance and daily inspection can be handled by a well trained maintenance team.
On other hands, corrective maintenance is totally different, because most of manufacturers needs to keep their customers in touch by renewing their machines or representing after sales service.
There are no big different if you make a contract with the original manufacturer or any other company which provide the service for the type of your machines, although dealing with the original maufacturer is the best when it comes to after sales service.
To be clear, dealing with a contractor company for preventive maintenance and daily inspection is a lost of money.
On the other hands, highly quality and performance level for predictive and corrective maintenance could be achieved by your maintenance screw.
Only if a well innovative environment created for them, with availaiability of the spare parts and tools needed.
Besides, management system which allows risk-taking for their employees.
Finally, some would prefer to deal with a contractor company.
Because, for example they provide a warranty of service.
But, others are smart enough to save their money and create the appropriate environment for their own maintenance screw.

In house maintenance is ideal for routine maintenance, however you are then responsible for the long term training and staffing issues required. If your maintenance team is on leave then you have a gap in your schedule.

 

Contract maintrenance companies are responsible for there on in house training and so the cost and responibility will not impact directly on your business, they will also routinely rotate crews in order to cover the shortfall when employees are on leave.

 

Contractors are easier to ensure performance agreements and compliance than permanent employees however the convienance comes at a cost.

 

In general contractors are the perfered option for all critical / technical operations.

Both r require for industry due to the long term operatinol process & short term shut down process,when plant it in operatation so only for inspected problem & preventive maint the own maintinace team is enough but in shut down we require the more work force so both r important.