Scoping Review: Factors, Threats and Opportunities of Outsourcing Maintenance Activities in the South African Pulp and Paper Industry

• W. Maphanga Department of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa https://orcid.org/0009-0008-2410-971X
• S. Grobberlaar Department of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8148-2440
• R. Peach Department of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3104-4482
• J. K. Visser Department of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4334-9838

Abstract

Outsourcing is a tool to realise the strategic intent of an organisation. Before outsourcing maintenance services, the maintenance manager should consider the relevant factors, opportunities, and threats. The study aimed to perform a scoping review of the applicable factors, opportunities, and threats in the pulp and paper industry. The review also aimed to determine whether there was a gap in the literature from a South African perspective. Scopus and Web of Science were used as databases to collect 21 articles published from 2002 to 2021. Using ATLAS.ti, 11 categories in these articles were coded, and Sankey diagrams were used to visualise the data. The percentage strength of the correlations indicated recurring themes in the literature. The results found strategy through targeted outsourcing of non-core activities (50%), supplier performance (53%), and employee impact (15%) to be critical factors. Cost reduction (42%) and access to vendor expertise (21%) were key opportunities, while poor supplier performance (29%) and loss of organisational know-how (33%) were key threats. As a recurring theme, outsourcing was found to be common to industries in Europe, Asia, and North America. Based on the findings of the scoping review, it was concluded that there was an opportunity to explore the local context. It was recommended to use the findings and to determine whether these factors, threats, and opportunities could be applied to the South African context.