Essential skills for Maintenance 5.0: a hybrid classification approach

Abstract

With the fifth industrial revolution, the required skills of professionals are rapidly evolving, especially in the context of maintenance. To stay competitive, a company must be able to draw in, train and keep maintenance specialists who can lead its plan. This study aims to classify the managerial, technical and soft skills needed for Maintenance 5.0 professionals and also proposes a framework that determines the Worker 5.0 profile. An extensive literature review was conducted to determine the skills. The identified skills were then analyzed and categorized using two robust multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques, i.e. Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and analytic hierarchy process (AHP)). The results show that the skills technology proficiency, cloud computing, cybersecurity awareness, emotional intelligence and problem-solving are the most needed skills for a professional to become a Worker 5.0. This paper and its results contributes to its practices by providing a comprehensive framework for skill development, enabling industry professionals, educators and policymakers to prepare the workforce for Maintenance 5.0. In the same manner, it contributes to the theory of maintenance management by offering valuable insights into the competencies needed to navigate the technological and human-centric demands of Maintenance 5.0 effectively.