Typology of repair shops for maintenance spare parts

Repair shops for maintenance spare parts have varying levels of complexity and uncertainty when it comes to the capacities and materials required in the repair process. In this paper we outline four type repair shops, based on two dimensions: capacity complexity and material uncertainty. This typology can be used to determine which control principles should be applied to each type of repair shop. In-depth case studies show that all repair shop types exist in practice. From interviews with repair shops managers we found that the perceived complexity to control the repair shops increases as the capacity complexity and/or material uncertainty increases.