Journal of Quality Engineering and Management

A Hybrid Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Framework for Risk-Based Maintenance Strategy Selection in Railway Critical Assets: Integrating FMEA, ANP, and ELECTRE III

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Reza naderikia 1
Mohammad Mahdi Movahedi 2

1 1 Department of Industrial and Technology Management, Faculty of Management and Economics, Science and Research Branch, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Associate professor, Associate professor, Department of Industrial Management, Firuzkuh Branch, Islamic Azad University, Firuzkuh, Iran

10.48313/jqem.2026.590357.1607
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to propose a novel integrated decision framework for risk-based maintenance strategy selection under uncertain and complex conditions. This paper aimed to address two critical research gaps: (i) inherent uncertainty in subjective expert judgments, and (ii) neglected interdependencies among risk evaluation criteria.

Methodology: The framework uniquely integrates three fuzzy-based methods: Fuzzy FMEA to identify and prioritize critical failure modes using linguistic variables; Fuzzy ANP to capture nonlinear interdependencies among risk factors and generate reliable criteria weights; and ELECTRE III to perform outranking-based ranking of alternative maintenance strategies under partial information conditions.

Findings: The framework is validated through a real-world case study of a Ballast Cleaning Machine in the Iranian railway network, using five years of CMMS historical data. Results demonstrate that Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) significantly outperforms other strategies in mitigating high-risk failures and improving asset availability.

Originality/Value: The originality lies in the synergistic integration of FMEA, ANP, and ELECTRE III within a fuzzy environment—a combination not previously explored in railway asset management. This study offers a transparent, robust, and generalizable decision-support tool applicable to various complex industrial systems, including power plants, oil and gas, and manufacturing sectors.

Keywords

Risk-based maintenance
Fuzzy FMEA
FANP
ELECTRE III
Railway
Critical equipment
Subjects
Journal of Quality Engineering and Management

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 14 September 2026

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