Preventive Maintenance2
Preventive Maintenance2
Preventive Maintenance2
Table of Contents
1. Definition and types
2. Applications: when to use or not to use
3. The importance of preventive maintenance
4. How to create a maintenance plan
5. How to outline a schedule
6. Automation of preventive work order
7. Advantages and disadvantages of preventive maintenance
8. Plan assessment and review
9. Free Template: Preventive Maintenance Plan in Excel
inspection plans, calibration and/or gauging plans, detection of gas leaks and
Types of preventive maintenance
Generally, we can divide preventive maintenance into two main types:
time-based, i.e. periodic reviews performed at previously defined
periods, regardless of asset utilisation (e.g. periodic inspection of
elevators every 2 years or elevators every 6 years).
usage-based, i.e. based on the actual use of the assets, such as the
lubrication of a machine every x production cycles (every 500 uses, as
an example) or the review of the fleet vehicles when they reach a
certain mileage (10,000 km).
Some consider that there are two other types of preventive maintenance
predictive maintenance focuses on predicting when a failure will
occur to prevent it. Unlike preventive maintenance, which is scheduled
and follows predefined time or usage milestones, it is based on the
condition of the equipment. Check here for more differences between
predictive and preventive maintenance.
prescriptive maintenance uses Artificial
Intelligence to prescribe maintenance actions based on the data and
indicators collected about each equipment. Therefore, it requires a
high level of computerisation and is associated with Industry 4.0.
account the types mentioned above, let see in which situations this strategy is
recommended.
When NOT to use preventive maintenance
Let’s start by discarding those assets where we cannot use this technique. If
Usually, if it is not possible to establish a standard for the breakdowns of
When preventive maintenance is recommended
On the other side of the coin, we have the assets whose probability of failure
increases with time and use. In these cases, there is a pattern – we can
That being said, planned maintenance allows us (1) to increase the lifetime
time.
In the case of manufacturing, the priority assets are the machines essential to
Reducing downtime and increasing effectiveness (OEE)
your customers.
Increase in asset reliability
Any company, both in the secondary and tertiary sectors, needs to guarantee
the operationality of its facilities. A hotel, for example, can only accept
reservations several months in advance if it can predict how many rooms will
actually be available.
Reduction of reactive maintenance costs
Preventive maintenance reduces the cost of parts and transport – just imagine
the cost of ordering a part for the HVAC system overnight from an
Increased security
Preventive maintenance and regular overhauls detect wear on parts and keep
Greater comfort
Whenever we talk about a building used by a large number of people,
Can you imagine what it would be like to be without air conditioning in the
be surprising if at this point you were not yet thinking about applying
1. Setting goals.
To make your preventive maintenance plan really useful, the first step is to
set the goals you want to achieve. What do you want? To reduce downtime,
rate? What have you done so far to meet these goals? What has failed? This
2. Make an asset inventory.
For your plan to be comprehensive, you need to map the assets, that is,
organise the assets by equipment families and location. Each asset should be
linked to the manufacturer’s recommendations, warranties and quality
standards to be met.
For example, air conditioning equipment should be grouped into the HVAC
equipment family, with the respective location of each appliance and user
3. Establish priorities.
Both time and resources are limited. Unfortunately, you are unlikely to be
able to perform all the preventive maintenance you would like, so give
priority to the most critical assets. Select those assets that are essential to
the normal operation of the company, those that can cause high losses, and
to rank the priority level of each asset. The inspection of gas leaks, for
example, is always a priority because it puts at risk the safety of all those
be able to track events over time. The best way to do this is through
performance indicators (KPIs), which we talk about later on in the
5. Review and improve the plan.
Even the best things can be improved. Depending on the results you get
that you read our expert tips on how to create a preventive maintenance
plan.
(and not looking for tools, on trips, or reading requests). The average is 25-
35% of the total hours, but it can go up to 50% with good planning.
2. Analyse the maintenance backlog.
Evaluate overdue work orders and finish pending work orders before
3. Adjust the schedule based on the maintenance plan.
Determine how many employees, hours, materials, and tools you need for
each task in the maintenance plan. You must also define the best days and
deactivate assets.
4. Get ready for surprises.
Remember that there are always failures that occur randomly.
maintenance.
5. Schedule the work orders
The final step is to schedule the work orders by day and time, with all the
(IMMP).
A CMMS or IMMP allows you not only to catalog your assets but also to
serial number, location, supplier, the technician in charge, user manuals, and
Schedule preventive maintenance tasks with an IMMP
platforms.
plan).
Track the plan in real-time
software analyses the data calculates the main KPIs automatically and allows
you to review and adapt the plans at any time (steps 4 and 5 of how to make
have defined for your company, there are some metrics and “targets” you
should always be aware of. We remember the golden rules of preventive
maintenance:
Preventive maintenance compliance
Scheduled maintenance critical percentage
80/20 ratio for scheduled and non-scheduled maintenance
At least 80% of the hours spent on maintenance must be for preventive work
scheduled.
The 10% margin rule
Try to complete all work orders ahead of schedule, with a 10% margin. That
is if you have a task to complete in 100 days, try to do it only in 90 (10 days
ahead of schedule).
maintenance are clear. However, it is not always the ideal strategy, and may,
We then review the advantages and disadvantages of preventive
well as the impact on the service provided and the customers’ satisfaction.
What are the advantages?
Increases equipment lifetime, which increases return on investment;
Prevents unpredicted stoppages, which improves the operation of the
company;
Improves equipment reliability, which makes forecasts more
realistic;
Reduces maintenance costs on high-value assets: it is less expensive
than reactive maintenance and predictive maintenance currently
available;
It is easier to follow a budget for maintenance activities because
it predicts (reliably) how you will allocate your
resources throughout the year;
Saves resources, since equipment with operational failures, tend to
spend more energy and lose quality;
More safety on the facilities, since all assets are kept in the best
conditions and without wear and tear;
Meeting deadlines with customers, as there are fewer stoppages and it
is easier to predict the output;
It provides a better customer experience by meeting expectations
about the quality of your service – which, in the end, results in loyal
customers.
However, preventive maintenance has some disadvantages…
What are they?
It requires more time, both to plan and to inspect;
You need to readjust your team’s habits and possibly adopt new
software;
It cannot be used on equipment that malfunctions randomly;
Since it is not condition-based, it can result in unnecessary
maintenance activities;
May result in higher costs if applied to assets of lower value or
priority;
May require more outsourcing maintenance work, forcing you to look
for new suppliers;
To ensure that the deadlines are met, you should negotiate SLAs with
suppliers and partners.
your business needs. Now, it’s time to get down to business and create a
plan.
Download our free template and increase the lifetime of your assets and
→ Click here to download yours
Platform can help you plan and manage all your preventive maintenance
plans, assets, stock, work orders, and more, featuring a mobile app and