AI driven predictive maintenance (PdM)(opens in new tab) has become a buzzword in the maintenance world, but not all PdM is created equal. While AI-driven PdM has set a new standard for performance, many solutions on the market today still rely on traditional, non-AI methods. These techniques have value, but they don’t offer the intelligence or automation many organizations assume they’re getting.
In this blog, we’re touching base with our subject matter experts to draw a clear line between what’s actually predictive and what’s just marketed as such.
The long history of non-AI predictive maintenance
Predictive maintenance didn’t begin with artificial intelligence. As Mike Cooper(opens in new tab) highlights, “for decades, maintenance teams have used tried-and-true methods to anticipate failures before they happen. AI is relatively new for maintenance teams; there are a lot of traditional forms of prediction that aren’t always talked about.”
The traditional forms Mike mentions include:
Condition-based or threshold monitoring This is when an alert is triggered for a variable like temperature or vibration that exceeds a predefined limit.
Statistical trend analysis This is when you are spotting anomalies by analyzing changes in equipment performance over time.
Physics-based models An example of this is using mathematical models to simulate how and when components are likely to degrade.
OEM guidelines and lifecycle models This is when you are estimating failure timelines based on historical data and manufacturer specs.
Each of these approaches laid the foundation for PdM, and they’re still being used today. Mike adds that “the catch with these four approaches is that they’re not truly predictive in the ways AI can be, and that’s important for the users of a CMMS to understand.”
AI driven predictive maintenance isn’t what you think
After speaking with some of our industry experts, one thing has become abundantly clear: many CMMS providers are claiming predictive AI capabilities, but it’s mostly statistical or threshold-based logic.
What we see in the market is the bold claim that a CMMS has AI-driven predictive maintenance capabilities, and that’s simply not true.
Mike goes on to explain that true AI-driven PdM uses machine learning (ML) to identify certain patterns. For example, it can:
Recommend optimal maintenance timing based on real-world behavior and not just predefined rules
“When predictive maintenance is truly AI-enabled, it changes how teams think, work, and measure success. It doesn’t just detect problems; it helps prevent them altogether, with fewer false alarms and more confident decision-making,” says Mike.
But what form can AI-enabled PdM take? What does it look like?
“For one thing, AI-enabled means it can look at specific, measurable, machine details,” Mike adds. For example, these can be:
Remaining useful life (RUL): Instead of guessing when an asset might fail, AI calculates how much time is left before a breakdown occurs.
Failure rate: AI models continuously learn from operational data to estimate how often similar failures occur.
Mean time to repair (MTTR): With earlier warnings and clearer fault diagnostics, teams can reduce the time it takes to fix issues.
Unplanned downtime reduction: AI helps maintenance teams prioritize interventions before failures happen, cutting costly disruptions.
Condition indicators: By analyzing data like vibration, temperature, and pressure, AI detects subtle shifts that precede failure, often weeks in advance.
Non-AI vs. AI based PdM approaches
Below is a table that outlines the non-AI and AI based predictive maintenance approaches:
Does predictive maintenance really work?
In short, yes. But it needs to be implemented correctly in order to work effectively for maintenance teams.
“Since PdM uses data from sensors, ML models, and historical trends to predict things like failures, that data needs to be accurate, and not only does it need to be accurate, but it also needs to be available,” Mike highlights.
Success for PdM really depends on the data quality and availability, the technological maturity (i.e., AI/ML models are trained and validated properly), and of course integration with operations (i.e., PdM is embedded into the workflows and decision-making process).
Why is predictive maintenance so important today?
Predictive maintenance is important because it changes maintenance from a reactive or scheduled task into a strategic, data-driven process. For industries like manufacturing, energy, and transportation, PdM can lead to thousands of dollars in savings and productivity gains.
Improving safety (e.g., preventing hazardous failures in critical systems)
Increasing operational efficiency (e.g., keeps production lines running smoothly)
Not all predictive solutions are made the same
In an industry crowded with predictive claims, it’s easy to assume all solutions offer similar value. But when predictive maintenance doesn’t use AI, you’re still doing most of the heavy lifting like manually setting thresholds, analyzing trends, and reacting after the fact.
With a true AI-powered system, your maintenance strategy becomes proactive, adaptive, and continuously improving.
If your PdM strategy still relies on old-school rules or statistical models, you’re missing out on the full potential of what AI can do, not just for assets, but for uptime, productivity, and peace of mind.
That’s where solutions like Fiix CMMS AI features stand out.
Predictive maintenance (PdM)(opens in new tab) is a proactive maintenance strategy that uses data analysis tools and techniques to detect anomalies and potential issues in machinery and equipment before they fail and lead to unscheduled downtime. Unlike traditional maintenance approaches—such as reactive maintenance(opens in new tab), which addresses equipment only after it fails, or preventive maintenance(opens in new tab), which relies on fixed schedules—PdM aims to predict and prevent failures through continuous monitoring and analysis.
PdM spans various industries, including manufacturing, energy, transportation, and healthcare. Human-machine collaboration in PdM involves the integration of advanced technologies, such as sensors, machine learning (ML) algorithms, and data analytics, with human expertise and decision-making. This collaboration leverages the strengths of both humans and machines to enhance maintenance processes. Machines handle data collection and analysis, providing insights and predictions, while humans interpret these insights, make informed decisions, and take necessary actions.
In this blog, we’ll explore the collaboration between humans and machines in PdM, its benefits and challenges, and future trends and representations.
The role of machines and humans in PdM
Machines and people have been working together since the great revolution, and they will continue to collaborate across sectors with new and exciting changes. As we discussed previously, machines are advancing to the point where they can self-diagnose(opens in new tab). What does this kind of evolution mean for the relationship between people and machines?
Jason Afara, our Director of Solutions Consultants, shares his thoughts on the machine and human dynamic in PdM:
“Right now, the critical thing to remember in the relationship between human and machine, at least in the context of predictive maintenance, is this … machines collect the data, analyze it, predict problems, and automate tasks, while the person has the job of interpreting the data, making the decisions on what to do with the data that’s been analyzed, implement any changes, and always look to improve,” says Jason.
Below are some common examples of the role of machines in PdM:
Data collection: Sensors and IoT devices continuously monitor equipment, collecting data on temperature, vibration, and pressure.
Data analysis: Machine learning (ML) algorithms process and analyze vast amounts of data to identify patterns, anomalies, and potential failure points. This ultimately assists in the decision-making process.
Predictive analytics: Advanced predictive models forecast equipment failures and maintenance needs based on historical and real-time data.
Automation: Automated systems can trigger alerts, schedule maintenance tasks, and perform certain maintenance activities without human intervention.
“The role of the machine in PdM is also advancing in how we can react. Previously, if something didn’t sound right with a machine, it would have been flagged and fixed by a technician who had been there for a while, or it would have been seen during a preventative maintenance schedule. Now, we don’t necessarily need to interact with the machine. We get the data right to our fingertips in something like a CMMS, and that data will get to us quicker and with even more detail,” Jason adds.
Jason indirectly references the evolution of the human-machine collaboration, something covered by experts and authors in the manufacturing and automation sector [1]. As machines advance and quicken with the quality and amount of data they can capture, people will evolve to make faster decisions.
Jason highlighted a strong point earlier regarding the role of people in human-machine collaboration that we need to circle back to. “We can’t have successful PdM without people,” Jason adds. People are essential in PdM for tasks that require critical thinking, contextual understanding, and complex decision-making.
The human role in PdM includes:
Interpretation of data: Engineers and maintenance professionals interpret the insights and predictions generated by machines, considering factors like operational context and business priorities. This task isn’t easy, and different people can look at data differently. It’s important to collaborate with your team and test your thinking.
Decision-making: Humans decide on the appropriate maintenance actions, balancing cost, safety, and operational impact. They also get support from other departments to gain access to the machine.
Adaptability:Maintenance professionals bring their expertise, problem-solving skills, and speed when it comes to challenges and managing the rapid evolution of PdM technologies.
Implementation: Skilled technicians carry out maintenance tasks, repairs, and adjustments that machines are not equipped to handle.
Continuous improvement: Human expertise is vital for refining PdM processes, incorporating feedback, and enhancing the accuracy of predictive models.
It goes without question that people and machines need to collaborate to execute PdM and enhance maintenance processes. Let’s review a case study that highlights the success of this kind of collaboration.
A practical example of human-machine collaboration in PdM
In 2017, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) commuter rail system experienced the highest number of mechanical failures in the U.S., primarily involving locomotives [2]. In response, the MBTA created a program to upgrade its legacy locomotives, incorporating AI and machine learning to predict maintenance problems before they lead to breakdowns.
Ryan Coholan, the MBTA’s chief railroad officer, recognized the potential of data analytics to improve commuter rail performance. The MBTA previously collected diesel locomotive oil samples and conducted primary analyses, but an approach was needed to relate sample values to maintenance problems. Coholan enlisted Mike Jensen from 4Atmos Predictive Analytics to explore using machine learning models to predict engine breakdowns. The MBTA had extensive historical data from oil samples, which was used to train the model.
The trained machine learning model analyzed elements within the oil to predict engine issues. It could identify high-probability engine problems within the next fifteen days, providing specific predictions like turbocharger or injector failures based on oil composition. The model’s success led to the implementation of regular oil analysis, now conducted every ten days. The project, named Project Velocity, integrated AI-driven oil analysis into the MBTA’s daily operations. The MBTA established an in-house oil lab, enhancing its maintenance capabilities and attracting interest from staff.
Benefits of the MBTA’s PdM model
The predictive maintenance model provided substantial benefits:
Cost savings: Predicting and preventing failures before they occurred saved significant time and money.
Operational efficiency: Preventing on-track failures avoided passenger inconvenience and improved service reliability. Awareness of data at near real-time, remotely from the machine. Ability to change context based on the available data.
Investment and practices: The success in predictive maintenance prompted a $40 million investment in locomotive rehabilitation and changes in maintenance practices.
The program dramatically increased the mean miles between locomotive failures and improved on-time performance for the commuter rail system.
Benefits and challenges of human-machine collaboration
As we’ve seen in the MBTA’s project, human-machine collaboration in PdM can be very effective and beneficial. Still, it is important to highlight the challenges of this kind of collaboration. Below is a table to illustrate some of the benefits and challenges of this collaboration:
Benefits
Challenges
Increased accuracy: Combining machine-generated insights with human expertise enhances the accuracy of predictions and maintenance decisions.
Data quality and integration: Ensuring high-quality data from diverse sources and integrating it seamlessly is complex and requires robust systems.
Reduced downtime: Proactive maintenance based on precise predictions minimizes unplanned downtime and extends equipment life.
Skill gaps: There is often a gap between the technical skills required for PdM technologies and the existing capabilities of the workforce.
Cost savings: PdM reduces maintenance costs by preventing failures and optimizing maintenance schedules.
Change management: Implementing PdM requires a cultural shift and buy-in from all levels of the organization, which can be challenging.
Improved safety: Early detection of potential issues ensures a safer working environment by preventing hazardous equipment failures.
Cost and investment: The initial investment in PdM technology and training can be substantial, posing a barrier for some organizations.
By addressing the challenges and capitalizing on the benefits, industries can achieve greater efficiency, safety, and cost-effectiveness in their maintenance practices.
Future trends of human-machine collaboration in PdM
As we reviewed earlier, the future of human-machine collaboration is an exciting topic; when data becomes faster to access, people evolve to respond quickly, too. Some trends shaping the future of PdM include the integration of IoT technologies and Industry 4.0, as well as the adoption of emerging technologies like digital twins.
“IoT devices like sensors are collecting real-time data from equipment, but these devices are going to allow us to monitor data down to the second, not down to the hour, or even several days of data,” says Jason.
It’s not necessarily a psychic prediction to say that the future of IoT devices and Industry 4.0 will involve faster, better, and more responsive data readings on machines. We know from other technological evolutions that product development focuses on things like speed of data transfer and lowering the cost of manufacturing, and therefore, a lower price to purchase said technology. In the later point, reducing the cost means more access, which means more manufacturing facilities can implement smart factories.
A confident prediction is the fusion of physical equipment with digital systems, which enables real-time interaction and autonomous decision-making. Machines equipped with cyber-physical systems (CPS) can self-monitor and communicate their status, optimizing maintenance schedules. Additionally, the use of digital twins more proactively will prove to evaluate the outcomes of various maintenance actions, leading to more informed decision-making. Digital twins and machine learning will likely work with artificial intelligence (AI) to automate anomaly detection, learn even more in-depth about a team’s maintenance process, and evaluate current and ongoing strategies.
Human-machine collaboration in PdM represents a transformative approach
The evolution of human-machine collaboration in PdM reflects a continuous shift towards more proactive, efficient, and intelligent maintenance practices. From the early days of reactive maintenance to the present era of AI-driven predictive maintenance, the collaboration between humans and machines has been instrumental in enhancing equipment reliability, reducing costs, and improving operational efficiency. As technology continues to advance, this collaboration will only deepen, leading to even more innovative and effective maintenance solutions.
Maintenance has evolved a lot in the last 50 years. The tools, technology, processes, and people who make up this industry have also changed. As a profession, maintenance is made up of a diverse group of people that don’t just fix things, but who plan, purchase, design, analyze, and optimize. This includes technicians and maintenance managers, but also engineers, planners, and even IT personnel. In world-class companies, maintenance is an integral part of business operations contributing positively to an organization’s overall growth and profitability. But it wasn’t always this way.
In this article, we walk through the evolution of maintenance from a do-as-needed profession to a critical role in every facility, plant, and organization.
The journey to modern maintenance
In the journal of Hazardous Materials, N.S. Arunraj and J Maiti documented how maintenance has changed from World War II to the present day. In the article, it was clear that each generation saw an increase in production demands and needed their equipment to be reliable. The increased production made companies more profitable, and to ensure they continued to bring in revenue, they needed to make sure their equipment was reliable. This focus on reliability led to improvements in their maintenance strategy.
As part of this improvement, the techniques for performing maintenance have significantly changed. In the early days of maintenance, work was mostly reactive—teams fixed breakdowns only when they occurred. In the decades since, maintenance has embraced a proactive approach with the goal of preventing unplanned downtime of any sort before it happens.
To make the shift to world-class maintenance, each generation needed to improve how, when, and what type of maintenance was needed. The first thing to change was adding planned preventative maintenance to the first maintenance generation. This was a good start, but there was little way to predict what equipment would break and when, so a system needed to be created for planning and controlling work.
In the second and third generations, new technology and developments in failure theory helped to put the focus on predictive maintenance. This type of maintenance is part of the same family as preventive maintenance. However, predictive maintenance uses condition-monitoring tools and techniques and asset information to track real-time and historical equipment performance so you can anticipate failure before it happens. Since predictive maintenance aims to give you an ideal window for proactive maintenance tasks, it can help minimize the time equipment is being maintained, the production hours lost to maintenance, and the cost of spare parts and supplies.
These new maintenance practices changed the way maintenance was done. The most dominant of these was reliability centered maintenance, which provides a structure for determining what maintenance activities should be done and when. It works by identifying the functions of the company that are most critical and then seeking to optimize maintenance strategies to minimize system failures and increase equipment reliability and availability. With this maintenance strategy, possible failure modes and their consequences are identified, all while the function of the equipment is considered.
Most recently, the maintenance industry has begun to consider the total cost of asset ownership. Ideas such as evidence based asset management, risk-based maintenance, and total productive maintenance, have contributed to this. There has also been a big push toward adopting new technologies. The gradual adoption of maintenance management software and artificial intelligence have shown to be useful in improving and predicting a facility’s maintenance strategy.
Unfortunately for many companies, the fact is their maintenance is still seen as a necessary evil. For those companies, their maintenance has not stayed in touch with world-class maintenance practices. To progress, one of the first steps is to change the corporate culture so that maintenance is a cooperative partnership that can significantly contribute to profitability and customer satisfaction.
The maintenance department itself will have to up-skill and adopt new practices before the corporate culture changes to view maintenance as the important business function that it is. For the maintenance department, up-skilling will mean new techniques are learned to predict and prevent equipment failures. The new practices will include a more involved relationship with the production and management teams as well as adopting software tools that will facilitate a world-class maintenance practice.
It’s about time you started taking care of your equipment. It’s not just about whether or not you’re working with the latest and greatest, it’s about making sure that what you have is up and running as efficiently as possible. You don’t want to find out that your equipment needs repair in the middle of a critical operation, or worse: when it breaks down completely. That can lead to lost time, money, and even injury.
But why does this happen?
A lot of facilities and maintenance managers find it challenging to manage their preventive maintenance programs without using spreadsheets—but spreadsheets can be time-consuming, get lost among other paperwork, or be downright frustrating.
Preventive maintenance (sometimes called preventative) software enables managers to schedule maintenance, send alerts to the right people when a job is due, and increase resource access and allocation. It also keeps equipment operating efficiently, increases the safety of employees, and helps you avoid costly repairs down the road. In this article, we will discuss preventive maintenance software, why its used, examples, and some important things to consider when implementing it at your organization.
What is preventive maintenance software (and who uses it)?
Preventive maintenance software is used to help schedule ongoing preventive maintenance work. It allows companies to be proactive about their maintenance, rather than reactive. It’s often used by maintenance and plant managers and other industrial and maintenance personnel. It’s used because it’s one of the best solutions to avoid unexpected repairs. By planning your preventive maintenance schedule, you can be proactive about the regular checkups that keep your equipment running smoothly.
Three steps to consider when choosing a preventive maintenance software
1. Understand at what level your organization manages preventive maintenance
Before choosing your preventive maintenance software it’s important to first understand at what level your organization manages preventive maintenance. If you have a large company with many different sites, it would be beneficial for you to use something like a CMMS. This will allow your sites and teams access to the same information and data.
Whereas, a good fit for a smaller organization may be a single-site solution. The next step to consider is how much money you want to spend or can spend on a solution. While there are programs that are low cost, and sometimes free, others may need more funding to run properly and improve your processes.
2. Assess your needs vs. your wants
When choosing the right preventive maintenance software, it’s important to first assess your wants and needs. This means reviewing your processes and seeing how they can be improved with the software. Think about what features the software has that can improve efficiencies for your team and maintenance process, and ask yourself:
What are my goals?
How much time do I have to dedicate to a project? (Consider if there’s already a system that needs improving)
What kind of data do I want to track? (Think about how many assets you have, and how many technicians and managers you employ)
3. Stick to the financial budget
Every maintenance team needs to stick to its financial budget, and choosing preventive maintenance software can be costly. When you’re making a decision consider the budget you have available and the structure of the business. This will help you determine the best solution. In addition, it’s important to keep future scenarios in mind, and financial forecast and plan for things like: business growth, new facilities, and economic downturns.
Types of preventive maintenance software
Preventive maintenance software comes in all shapes and sizes, from extremely specialized systems to giant platforms connecting maintenance to other business units. Below are the most common types of preventive maintenance software.
1. Computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS)
CMMS software and maintenance apps help maintenance teams keep detailed and centralized records of all assets, equipment, and completed work. A CMMS allows facilities to plan, track, and optimize work orders, inventory, and everything associated with maintenance.
A CMMS manages all the maintenance activities that take place during the operational part of an asset’s life. At the same time, this type of preventive maintenance software works as a productive part of a facility.
All CMMS preventive maintenance software can be divided into two groups: Cloud-based CMMS software and on-premise CMMS software.
2. Enterprise asset management (EAM)
EAM software provides a holistic view of an organization’s physical assets and infrastructure throughout its entire lifecycle, from design and procurement to operation, maintenance, disposal, and replacement. EAM systems record asset information, manage work orders, coordinate inventory purchasing and usage, organize labor, track contracts, measure costs, and spending, and calculate KPIs.
3. Enterprise resource planning (ERP)
Here’s how ERP software works: every company has different business units that make it function, like accounting, human resources, and maintenance. ERP software takes everything these different departments do and connects them, so the entire organization has the same processes and information.
Because there is one central place for all data, it means an accountant, a salesperson, a maintenance technician, and a CEO can all use the system for their day-to-day activities while relying on the same information to plan, assess, and complete those activities. By collecting transactional data from multiple sources, ERP systems eliminate data duplication, offer data integrity, and provide a single source of truth.
While it’s not exactly maintenance software, ERP systems are part of the larger maintenance technology ecosystem. It’s important for maintenance technology to be able to integrate with an ERP system to help keep accurate inventory levels and keep your finance team in the loop. Many other preventive maintenance technologies are used in asset-heavy production and manufacturing facilities.
Steps to take when integrating preventive maintenance software at your organization
Integrating any type of new technology or software into an existing workplace can be challenging, but taking the right steps will make the process much easier for everyone involved in using the new technology. Here are the steps to follow when implementing a new preventive maintenance software:
Recognize that integration is a process, not an event. Integrating preventive maintenance software involves a lot of planning, and preparation, as well as addressing technical challenges that may occur prior to the implementation and cause risk, and a plan of action for when and if those challenges occur.
Plan at the right level. You will inevitably ask yourself if it makes sense to integrate this software with the existing systems or processes, but you need to plan ahead for the future as well. For example, if you’re integrating a CMMS for multiple facilities and warehouses, you can easily integrate them together from day one—rather than having two separate systems talking to each other through other means (like an email).
Recognize that acceptance of the new software won’t always be smooth. Read that again. It’s hard for managers to recognize that their team may not embrace the new software with open arms. You may face challenges and questions about the software, why it’s being used, and how exactly it’s going to save time and money. Be prepared to address these concerns and work with your team to get into the new processes. With time, your team will recognize how valuable software like a CMMS or ERP really is.
The right maintenance software can help your company save money and reduce downtime
By implementing preventive maintenance software your team can become more proactive about your maintenance. The first step is to assess where preventive maintenance occurs in your organization, and next, you need to review your current needs and wants so that when you find the right software for your organization there are no surprises.
Want to build a great preventive maintenance program, but don’t know where to start? Here are 8 tips to set you up for success.
What is a preventive maintenance program?
A preventive maintenance program is a series of processes, guidelines, and tools for conducting regular and routine maintenance on equipment and assets to keep them in good condition so as to avoid failure and costly unplanned downtime.
Preventive maintenance and planning fit together perfectly, just like salt and pepper, Batman and Robin, and movies and popcorn. That’s because in order for a preventive maintenance program to succeed, it requires a solid blueprint.
For facilities looking to break out of a reactive maintenance rut, a preventive maintenance plan can do wonders. Having a roadmap to preventive maintenance allows your operation to conquer unplanned downtime while staving off the temptation to fall back into a reactive approach.
A PM plan makes everything clearer so the path to reliability is obstacle-free. Goals and responsibilities are defined, timelines are understood and necessary resources are accounted for. Everyone knows what success looks like and how to sustain it.
What is preventive maintenance?
Preventive maintenance is proactive maintenance that is regularly performed on a piece of equipment in working condition to prevent unplanned failure or breakdown maintenance. Preventive maintenance is triggered for an asset based on time or usage. For example, if an asset has operated for 100 hours, a preventive maintenance work order will be automatically triggered. The goal is to increase asset reliability, reduce downtime and maximize the impact of costs and labor.
For facilities looking to break out of a reactive maintenance rut, a preventive maintenance plan can do wonders. Having a roadmap allows your operation to conquer unplanned downtime while staving off the temptation to fall back into a reactive approach.
Transitioning from predominantly reactive maintenance activity to a mostly preventive one takes time, dedication, resources and, most importantly, a plan. Achieving a successful preventive maintenance program means creating a preventive maintenance schedule and sticking to it. It means a reduction in unplanned downtime, backlog, miscommunication, accidents and the corrective maintenance costs associated with each. At the end of the day, preventive maintenance will help you conquer inefficiency and improve your maintenance program from top to bottom.
What should a preventive maintenance plan include?
A preventive maintenance plan should include eight steps at its foundation:
Establish and prioritize goals
Create and measure KPIs
Get stakeholder buy-in
Use the right technology/software
Set up PM triggers
Train maintenance workers on how to implement the preventive maintenance plan
Build a preventive maintenance checklist
Fine-tune your plan based on results
We’ll take you through each step in detail.
How to create a preventive maintenance program in eight steps
Each and every facility is different, with different goals, assets and resources. That’s why there is no one-size-fits-all approach to creating a preventive maintenance program. However, by using these eight important elements, you can build an effective blueprint for success. Following this template for a preventive maintenance plan will go a long way to making your operation more efficient and sustainable.
1. Establish and prioritize goals
The first step in building a successful preventive maintenance program is to sit down and lay out what you want to achieve. Every facility has different goals and those goals influence all future decisions. Do you want to reduce downtime? Increase reliability? Cut costs? Think about the reasons for wanting to create a structured PM program and write them down.
Next, it’s time to prioritize your goals. Let’s face it, you’re always busy, and implementing a preventive maintenance plan is another huge project to add to your to-do list. With everything that’s going on, it’s nearly impossible to go full steam ahead on all your goals. By prioritizing, you know where to focus your attention and resources first when establishing a blueprint for preventive maintenance. When those tasks are firmly underway, you can begin the next step in your plan.
Once you know which KPIs you’ll be using to define the success, the next step is to create a framework for consistently measuring these metrics. Stats are only valuable if you are consistently using them to improve the preventive maintenance plan. It’s crucial to build processes and procedures that ensure data is collected, analyzed, understood and actioned on a regular basis. This way, you will know if you are meeting your goals and where your strengths and weaknesses lie.
3. Obtain buy-in from stakeholders
It doesn’t matter how much time you’ve put into your preventive maintenance program if you don’t have your entire team on board. Total buy-in is crucial as an effective PM strategy requires everyone to chip in, from a maintenance manager or technician who must input data to a reliability engineer who reads that data and makes decisions based on it. What seem like small details add up to make a big difference. That’s why establishing the concept of total productive maintenance is so important to creating a strategy that works.
Getting buy-in from all stakeholders for a preventive maintenance plan includes having discussions about goals, skill sets, needs, resources and more with each member of the team. This will give you a holistic view of how an increase in scheduled maintenance will affect each person and the team, how people might react to change and what is necessary to execute your strategy with fewer snags.
4. Leverage the right technology
Technology is one of the most important ingredients for an effective PM strategy. Leveraging a digital solution allows you to efficiently arrange all the smaller preventive maintenance tasks required for your facility to embrace a PM mindset, such as scheduling, inventory maintenance management, reporting and organizing work orders. If your facility operates on a legacy system, such as pen and paper or Excel, now is the time to plan for a transition to a digital solution.
There are several factors that must be considered when choosing the right technology for a preventive maintenance program, including the skillset of your team, budget, asset capabilities, team preference, data security and more. One of the most important things to remember when looking for preventive maintenance technology, such as a CMMS, is ease of use. If a system is too hard to understand and use properly, it will not be used effectively and all the time and money invested in the solution will be for naught.
5. Make sure your PM triggers are accurate
Because all effective PMs are built on accurate triggers, this is a crucial step in building a preventive maintenance plan. Matching maintenance tasks with the right trigger will help your operation flow efficiently and will ensure assets are as reliable as possible. These triggers should also be known by all members of the maintenance team so no maintenance task falls through the cracks. Automated scheduling and mobile notifications are two tools that make this simple to do.
It doesn’t matter how much time you’ve put into your preventive maintenance program if you don’t have your entire team on board. Total buy-in is crucial as an effective PM strategy requires everyone to chip in, from technicians to reliability engineers.
When defining a preventive maintenance trigger for an asset, it’s important to look at a few variables. This includes the manufacturers recommended guidelines, the performance history of the asset, how critical the asset is to production, the cost of repair vs. maintenance and the projected future use of the asset. When you take all these elements into account, you should have a good idea of when to trigger maintenance for a particular piece of equipment. This number should be fine-tuned moving forward to optimize your preventive maintenance.
6. Train and implement
At this point in your quest for an effective preventive maintenance program, you probably know what needs to be done and how it needs to be done. Your team, on the other hand, probably does not. It’s important to remember this and create a training strategy so everyone can get up to speed on proper equipment maintenance. Team members should be trained on any new technology as well as any processes and procedures that come with a shift to preventive maintenance, such as prioritizing work orders, creating failure codes, and accessing documents digitally.
The obvious next step is to implement your preventive maintenance plan. If preventive maintenance is something completely new for your team, you might consider a pilot program at one site, one section of your facility or a few particular assets. This way, you can help your team adjust to a new way of doing things while working out the kinks in your PM program.
7. Build a preventive maintenance checklist to analyze results
Once your preventive maintenance plan is in motion, it’s important to prioritize inspection and keep an eye on the numbers. It is essential to have a preventive maintenance checklist that helps you to consistently track KPIs, such as mean time to repair, planned maintenance percentage and mean time between failures. Analyzing these stats and comparing them to pre-plan numbers should give you a good idea of how your program is impacting the efficiency of your maintenance operation.
Check these metrics against the benchmarks you established when you were first building your preventive maintenance processes. This will help you identify where you are hitting your goals and where you aren’t so you can target issues in your program before they get out of hand. Take advantage of data capture tools to make tracking and analysis easy, quick and actionable. For example, there are many automated reporting templates you can use that are commonly available in maintenance management programs.
8. Fine-tune plan
This is one task you should never feel is complete. Your preventive maintenance program should always be under construction as you continually fine-tune, improve, fill in the gaps and fortify procedures that are working well. Use the data you capture through sensors, work order notes and digital reports to see where strengths and weaknesses lie. Uncover opportunities to improve and focus on embracing preventive maintenance wherever possible in your operation.
One crucial element in this phase is to include all stakeholders, such as technicians, operations, reliability engineers, etc., in the process of improvement. Digital profiles and forums for team members make it easy to schedule a time to get feedback, work through problems and review issues that have been flagged while you smooth out any wrinkles in your plan.
The bottom line on building a preventive maintenance program
Creating a successful, sustainable, and effective preventive maintenance program doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a lot of planning, but it’s worth it when you achieve the many benefits. It’s important to build a sturdy strategy by identifying goals, creating proper KPIs and triggers, discussing the plan with stakeholders, leveraging the right technology and conducting training for regular maintenance. It takes consistent analysis and fine-tuning to ensure all your careful planning doesn’t go to waste. And just remember, a well-oiled preventive maintenance program is not an unattainable dream for maintenance operations; it’s a viable option for all. And once you have a solid program in place, there’s always room for growth, like expanding into predictive maintenance.
There are very few modern processes that don’t benefit from a good checklist— basic car maintenance? Yep. Packing for a trip? For sure! Boiling an egg? Yes, even that. And the same goes for your preventive maintenance program.
A preventive maintenance checklist gets all the steps and information out of a manual and into the hands of experienced technicians by standardizing PMs in your CMMS.
This guide will lead you through how to create a preventive maintenance checklists to make your maintenance team more efficient, cost-effective, and safe.
What is a preventive maintenance checklist?
A preventive maintenance checklist is a set of tasks that the technician needs to complete in order to close a preventive maintenance work order.
A checklist gets all the steps and information out of a manual and into the hands of experienced technicians by standardizing PMs in your CMMS.
The purpose of a preventive maintenance checklist is to ensure preventive maintenance tasks are done correctly and in the same sequence of steps, regardless of which maintenance team member completes them.
Preventive maintenance checklists are known by several names, the most common being preventive maintenance task lists or task groups. There are two main types of preventive maintenance checklists: Pass-or-fail checklists and step-by-step checklists.
Examples of preventive maintenance checklists
Pass-or-fail preventive maintenance checklist
Many parts of a machine have an ideal condition. For example, a compressor has an ideal operating temperature. A pass-or-fail preventive maintenance checklist might include instructions to measure the actual temperature of the compressor and compare it to acceptable standards. The compressor can either meet this standard or not. It can pass or fail the test.
A pass-or-fail preventive maintenance checklists can identify problems and prevent bigger issues by scheduling maintenance sooner than usual. While these checklists can be done by maintenance personnel, they are usually the responsibility of machine operators. If a problem is identified during a pass-or-fail checklist, the follow-up tasks are assigned to a maintenance technician.
Example of a pass-or-fail preventive maintenance checklist
Record the strokes-per-minute at which Machine-X is running. Is the inlet temperature of Machine-X below 70°F? (Yes/Pass, No/Fail)
Record the outlet temperature of the product from Machine-X using the infrared temperature meter. Is the outlet temperature under 95°F? (Yes/Pass, No/Fail)
Notify maintenance/create a work request in your CMMS if you have marked “No/Fail” on any of the tasks above.
Step-by-step preventive maintenance checklist
There are also asset parts that require preventive maintenance based on the usage of that asset. For example, a motor might be changed every 500 hours. A step-by-step preventive maintenance checklist outlines instructions for changing the motor, from beginning to end. These checklists ensure no critical steps are missed during a PM so failure can be avoided as often as possible. These checklists usually include more complex and technical tasks, which is why they are normally assigned to or lead by maintenance technicians.
Example of a step-by-step checklist
Lockout from the main panel to complete the following preventive maintenance task
Test machine to ensure lockout is properly preventing the machine from running
Remove belting from conveyor
Replace both bearings on the non-drive side and inspect shaft for any damage
Install conveyor belting on the belt
Remove lockout/tagout and test conveyor at the following speeds: 5, 10, and 15 on VFD
Benefits of a preventive maintenance checklist
Members of your maintenance team can probably recite the steps to certain tasks off the top of their heads. But not everyone necessarily has the same information, especially if they’re new to the job. A formal preventive maintenance checklist puts this knowledge in the palm of your hand for easy access. Here’s how:
Tasks and outcomes are standardized
Checklists create a standard way to do preventive maintenance tasks and regular inspection, which leads to reliable outcomes. There’s no guesswork or miscommunication, reducing the chances of error and the need for costly repairs. For example, if you need to replace an engine, a good checklist will tell you what kind of engine, so you don’t use the wrong part. Reliability helps you plan better and helps mitigate the effects of turnover by ensuring there’s continuity in your processes, even if there isn’t continuity on your team. It makes training more effective, improves safety, and keeps you from relying too much on one person.
Work is more efficient and labor is maximized
Preventive maintenance checklists make is easier for technicians to complete PMs, which makes them quicker. This reduces downtime and allows technicians to move onto more skilled tasks in less time. Detailed checklists also free up time for technicians by allowing other members of the facility, like machine operators, to take on routine tasks. In this way, checklists are an integral part of establishing a great total productive maintenance program.
Troubleshooting and reporting are easier
Because preventive maintenance checklists provide consistency, they create a great baseline for measuring maintenance activity. This baseline helps you to report with more certainty and pinpoint whether a certain action did or did not lead to better results. When all tasks are done the same way, over and over again, it also eliminates the number of reasons why a problem might occur. By reducing the number of possible issues, it makes troubleshooting much easier.
7 steps to build an effective preventive maintenance checklist
Not all preventive maintenance checklists are created equal. Poorly constructed guidelines can be as problematic as having none at all. The good news is, you are likely halfway there when it comes to building great checklists. Your maintenance team has all the necessary information—the key is to gather that information and organize it into formal processes. There are seven things to keep in mind when you’re going through this process:
Focus on safety– Preventive maintenance checklists should start and end with safety instructions, like required PPE, lock-out tag-out instructions, and steps to sanitize the area.
Ensure it’s sequential– Preventive maintenance checklists should list tasks in the order they should be completed.
Follow the preventive maintenance framework– A PM checklist should follow this order of tasks when appropriate:
Example of a preventive maintenance checklist for machines:
Safety – Ensure that machinery is clear of debris before every shift.
Clean – Wipe machine surfaces of lubricant, dirt and other loose debris each day.
Adjust – Check for any parts that have loosened and tighten accordingly. Calibrate machines regularly.
Inspect – Regularly inspect tools for sharpness and proper functionality. Check for leaks, cracks, equipment failure, and safe electrical connections.
Replenish – Routinely check all machinery fluid levels, and air filters in the HVAC system, and replace as needed.
Replace – Check for any worn out parts or damaged tools and replace.
Rebuild – Rebuild any worn out or damaged parts that were custom built.
Include necessary detail– PM checklists should provide enough detail that new technicians can realistically complete the task by reading the checklist. Having too much detail can be confusing and difficult to change if needed.
Provide photos and/or diagrams– PM checklists should include visual representations of the instructions to make the task easier and clarify any ambiguity.
Be as concise as possible– Every task on a PM checklist should have a clear action and goal associated with it so you can ensure maximum efficiency.
Insert total time for the checklist or time requirements for each task– Make sure to give sufficient time for tasks so technicians don’t feel rushed.
Tips for using a preventive maintenance checklist
Now that you know how to create PM checklists, it’s time to decide who should take the lead when it comes to building them.“Best practice for creating checklists is to have it be a team effort between the maintenance manager, the maintenance planner, and the supervisor,” says Fiix solutions engineer Jason Afara.
Afara recommends having the maintenance planner write and plan checklists with input from the manager and supervisor as well as senior technicians. These experienced personnel have been working with the equipment for years and may be able to identify any gaps in checklists.
Because preventive maintenance checklists provide consistency, they create a great baseline for measuring maintenance activity. This baseline helps you to report with more certainty and pinpoint whether a certain action did or did not lead to better results.
The maintenance manager should be the one reviewing checklists and making sure they’re doing the job they’re supposed to be doing and that there are no instances of pencil-whipping occurring.
“You always want to be proactive to ensure your PMs are still relevant and leading to better maintenance,” says Afara.
“The best time to review checklists and make sure they’re still strong is during periods of high turnover, just before production spikes, or when an asset is consistently breaking down right after it’s been inspected.”
Building checklists for better maintenance
Preventive maintenance checklists are an essential part of an effective PM program and are included in preventive maintenance software. Checklists eliminate miscommunication and reduce the chance of human error. They make everyone’s life easier and allow your maintenance team to focus on tasks that optimize their skills and time. Creating checklists for each preventive maintenance task can easily be incorporated into a preventive maintenance schedule. It only takes a few simple steps and can yield tremendous benefits across your facility. So before you set out on the next leg of your maintenance journey, make sure you have well-built maintenance checklists to act as a compass on your way to higher efficiency, better spending, and a safer operation.
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