Time replacement optimization models for urban transportation buses with indexation to fleet reserve

Abstract

An efficient management of physical assets in general and the urban transportation buses in particular, has as objective the optimization of its Life Cycle Cost (LCC), being the optimization of its maintenance and the determination of the right moment of its withdrawal or its renewal, essential elements for optimization of the capital investments. These aspects are related to the determination of the optimal dimension of the fleet reserve, aiming the maximization of its availability and the investment minimization. This can be reached through several algorithms that ought to be in consideration aspects like the maintenance costs, reseller cost, and inflation, among others. This is reached trough the adequate maintenance policies, being these scheduled and or on-condition predictive or any kind of planned ones. This type of decisions are determinant to maximize the LCC and, by consequence, the dimension of reserve fleet. It is through this perspective that the identification of the right moment of replacement or total renewal of an asset can be a strategic element in the competitiveness of the organizations by reducing the costs that can come from there. The validation of the management models to be implemented will be done in the road transports sector of passengers’ transportation and the models and the results have the potential to help this strategic sector in the global economy.