Preventive Maintenance Best Practices for Enterprise Operations

Preventive maintenance (PM) is the practice of performing scheduled maintenance on equipment before it fails. While reactive maintenance addresses problems after they occur, preventive maintenance aims to prevent those problems entirely—saving money, reducing downtime, and extending asset life.

The Business Case for Preventive Maintenance

Organizations that implement effective PM programs consistently outperform those that rely on reactive maintenance:

Cost Impact

Without PM:

• Emergency repairs cost 3-9x more than planned maintenance
• Unplanned downtime disrupts operations and revenue
• Equipment failures cascade into larger system problems
• Shortened asset lifespans require earlier replacements

With Effective PM:

• Maintenance costs become predictable and budgetable
• Parts can be ordered in advance at better prices
• Work can be scheduled during low-impact periods
• Equipment reaches or exceeds expected lifespan

Real-World Statistics

Industry studies consistently show:

• 25-30% reduction in maintenance costs through PM programs
• 70-75% decrease in equipment breakdowns
• 35-45% improvement in equipment uptime
• 20-25% increase in asset useful life

Types of Preventive Maintenance

Time-Based Maintenance

Scheduled at fixed intervals regardless of condition:

• Calendar-based: Every month, quarter, or year
• Examples: Annual HVAC inspections, quarterly fire extinguisher checks

Best for: Compliance requirements, degradation not visible until failure

Usage-Based Maintenance

Triggered by operational metrics:

• Hours of operation: Maintain after X running hours
• Cycles or counts: After X production runs or uses
• Miles traveled: Fleet maintenance schedules

Best for: Equipment where wear correlates directly with use

Condition-Based Maintenance

Performed when indicators suggest the need:

• Vibration analysis: Detecting bearing wear
• Oil analysis: Fluid degradation monitoring
• Thermal imaging: Electrical hot spots
• Performance metrics: Efficiency decline

Best for: High-value equipment where unnecessary maintenance is costly

Building Your PM Program

Step 1: Asset Criticality Assessment

Not every asset deserves the same maintenance attention. Rank assets by:

Operational Impact

• Critical: Failure stops operations (score 5)
• High: Significant production impact (score 4)
• Medium: Affects efficiency or quality (score 3)
• Low: Minimal operational impact (score 2)
• Minimal: Convenience items (score 1)

Failure Probability

• Consider age, condition, environment, and historical reliability

Maintenance Cost

• Factor in parts, labor, and downtime costs

Focus your PM resources on high-criticality, failure-prone assets first.

Step 2: Define Maintenance Tasks

For each asset type, identify:

Routine Inspections

• Visual checks for leaks, wear, damage
• Operational verification
• Safety feature testing

Preventive Tasks

• Lubrication schedules
• Filter replacements
• Belt and hose inspections
• Calibration checks

Predictive Monitoring

• Performance baselines
• Trend tracking
• Alert thresholds

Step 3: Establish Schedules

Consider multiple factors when setting PM intervals:

Manufacturer Recommendations

• Start with OEM guidelines
• Adjust based on your operating conditions
• Document any deviations and rationale

Operating Environment

• Harsh conditions may require more frequent maintenance
• Clean, climate-controlled environments allow extended intervals

Historical Performance

• Review past failure patterns
• Analyze maintenance records for optimization opportunities

Regulatory Requirements

• Some equipment has mandated inspection schedules
• Document compliance for auditors

Step 4: Create Standard Procedures

Each PM task should have documented procedures including:

Task Details

• Specific steps to perform
• Safety precautions required
• Tools and parts needed
• Estimated time to complete

Acceptance Criteria

• How to determine if equipment passes inspection
• Measurements and tolerances
• When to escalate to repair

Documentation Requirements

• What to record
• Photos or readings to capture
• Sign-off requirements

Executing PM Effectively

Scheduling Considerations

Production Impact

• Schedule PM during planned downtime when possible
• Coordinate with operations for minimal disruption
• Group tasks to reduce setup time

Resource Availability

• Match tasks to technician skills
• Ensure parts are on hand before scheduling
• Consider contractor availability for specialized work

Workload Balancing

• Spread tasks across the calendar
• Avoid month-end or quarter-end peaks
• Build in buffer for emergencies

Work Order Management

Every PM task should generate a work order that captures:

• Asset identification
• Scheduled and actual completion dates
• Tasks performed and findings
• Parts used and costs
• Technician notes and recommendations
• Time spent

Common PM Pitfalls to Avoid

Over-Maintenance

• Unnecessary maintenance wastes resources
• Can introduce problems through handling
• Review and adjust schedules based on findings

Paper Compliance

• Signing off without actually doing the work
• No verification or quality checks
• Build in random audits and inspections

Ignoring Findings

• PM inspections identify potential issues
• Failing to act defeats the purpose
• Establish follow-up procedures for discoveries

Skipping When Busy

• Deferring PM during high-demand periods
• Builds technical debt and increases failure risk
• Protect PM time in scheduling systems

Measuring PM Program Success

Key Performance Indicators

Maintenance Metrics

• PM completion rate (target: >95%)
• PM compliance (completed on schedule)
• Ratio of planned vs. unplanned maintenance (target: 80/20)

Reliability Metrics

• Mean time between failures (MTBF)
• Equipment availability percentage
• Number of emergency work orders

Cost Metrics

• Maintenance cost per asset
• Cost trend over time
• Variance from maintenance budget

Continuous Improvement

Regular Review Cycles

• Monthly: Review outstanding PMs and compliance
• Quarterly: Analyze trends and adjust schedules
• Annually: Full program review and optimization

Root Cause Analysis

• When failures occur, investigate thoroughly
• Ask: Could PM have prevented this?
• Update schedules and procedures accordingly

Feedback Loops

• Technicians often see opportunities
• Create channels for improvement suggestions
• Recognize and implement good ideas

Technology and Tools

Asset Management Systems

Modern asset management platforms like UniAsset provide:

• Centralized asset registry
• Automated PM scheduling
• Work order tracking
• Cost accumulation by asset
• Reporting and analytics

Mobile Access

Field technicians benefit from:

• Access to procedures on mobile devices
• Real-time work order updates
• Photo documentation capabilities
• Barcode/QR scanning for asset identification

Integration Opportunities

• Parts inventory: Automated reorder when stock is low
• Procurement: Purchase order generation
• Financial systems: Cost tracking and depreciation
• IoT sensors: Automated condition monitoring

Getting Started with PM

Quick Wins

1. Identify your critical assets: Start with the equipment that hurts most when it fails
2. Review manufacturer recommendations: Build initial schedules from OEM guidance
3. Create basic checklists: Document what to inspect and maintain
4. Track completions: Even simple tracking improves accountability
5. Review failures: Ask "could PM have prevented this?" every time

Building Momentum

• Show early wins to build support
• Calculate and communicate cost savings
• Expand scope gradually
• Invest in training and tools
• Celebrate reliability improvements

Conclusion

Preventive maintenance isn't about creating more work—it's about doing the right work at the right time to prevent bigger problems. The most successful PM programs start simple, focus on critical assets, and continuously improve based on data and results.

The shift from reactive to preventive maintenance requires commitment, but the payoff in reduced costs, improved reliability, and extended asset life makes it one of the highest-ROI investments an organization can make in operational excellence.

Start with one critical asset type, prove the concept, and expand from there. Your future self—and your finance team—will thank you.