Lean maintenance management framework for sustainable operational excellence: a Latin American petroleum industry perspective

Purpose This study presents a scoping review with integrated bibliometric analysis to develop a Lean Maintenance Management framework for achieving sustainable operational excellence in the Latin American petroleum industry. This investigation examines how current maintenance optimisation approaches can be reframed through Lean principles to systematically eliminate waste while contributing to the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs). Design/methodology/approach Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, this study maps existing literature to identify Lean transformation opportunities in petroleum maintenance. A thorough four-stage screening process found 39 articles out of 823 records from Scopus, Web of Science and OnePetro. Bibliometric analysis investigated two timeframes (2016–2020 and 2021–2025) to identify the journey from algorithmic optimisation to integrated management systems. Framework development integrates identified best practices with Lean principles contextualised for Latin American operations. Findings The analysis reveals significant implementation challenges, with only 7.7% of studies achieving full real-world validation while 20.5% demonstrate practical validation, indicating substantial waste in the research-to-practice pipeline. Maintenance-production integration appears in 38.5% of studies, aligning with Lean continuous flow principles. Four main themes emerged: algorithmic approaches, resource management, sustainability and computational methodologies. Contributions from Latin America show a good balance between theoretical progress and practical application, which suggests that the region is ready for Lean transformation. Practical implications The proposed framework addresses eight wastes specific to petroleum maintenance operations. It helps organisations cut down on maintenance costs by a lot while also promoting SDG 9 and SDG 12 through a culture of continuous improvement and systematic waste elimination. The framework provides actionable guidelines adapted to Latin American operational contexts, including hierarchical organisational structures and resource constraints. Originality/value This review provides the first comprehensive mapping of maintenance optimisation research through a Lean lens for the Latin American petroleum sector. By answering three key research questions and synthesising findings into an integrated framework, the study bridges the gap between advanced optimisation techniques and practical Lean implementation, proposing a contextualised framework that balances operational excellence with sustainable development objectives.