A serious maintenance management game for decision-making on digitized railway assets

Abstract

The life cycles of information technology (IT) components are notably distinct in both duration and nature when compared to their physical counterparts, commonly referred to as operational technology (OT). However, OT is increasingly getting converged with IT technologies. To ensure effective oversight of these converged IT/OT assets throughout their life spans, it is imperative to align the various stakeholders. Critical areas for achieving this alignment in the context of IT/OT converged assets encompass cybersecurity and the management of maintenance processes. This paper presents a design for a “Maintenance Management Game”. The purpose of this game is to educate maintenance professionals managing IT/OT converged assets. As part of the game mechanics, the players must make decisions trading off the different objectives and needs of a fictional railway company. The game mechanics are developed using design science research and employ the iterative process of participatory prototyping. The initial findings indicate that the game is an engaging approach to learn about managing and maintaining digitized railway assets.