This paper proposes a method for determining the optimal location of a centralised maintenance workshop and the corresponding transportation plan for delivering spare parts, with the aim of minimizing long-term maintenance costs in scenarios where equipment failures occur at geographically dispersed production sites. The study considers three types of maintenance-related costs—operational costs, penalty costs due to downtime, and transportation costs—and introduces a practical optimization approach that separates the first two from the third to achieve solutions within reasonable computation time. This methodological contribution is commendable.
The case study explores the impact of factors such as penalty cost magnitude, planning horizon, and workshop location. As noted in the paper, however, the assumptions and outcomes can vary significantly depending on the specific application domain (e.g., aerospace, railway). Therefore, including at least one case study based on a real-world application would have further strengthened the work. Such an example could help readers better understand how the proposed method can be applied and its practical effectiveness.
Although a real industrial case study is not included, the paper addresses a highly relevant and realistic problem, which is a notable strength of the research.