The food and drink industry is a key industrial sector employing many thousands of people making a substantial contribution to the global economy. Small to medium enterprises (SMEs) account for a considerable percentage of the sector’s activity. While many manufacturing sectors have
embraced and contributed to the development of modern maintenance practices, the food and drink industry is perceived to be falling behind, a trend which is having a negative effect on the productivity of this industry. This
paper investigates the barriers, both real and perceived, to the implementation of modern maintenance practices and the opportunities to apply modern technology to support improved efficiency.