Maintenance management strategies are essential for any organization that wants to keep its assets in good condition and reduce the risk of unexpected breakdowns. There are four main types of maintenance management strategies, including continuous maintenance until failure, preventive maintenance, predictive maintenance, and reliability-focused maintenance. Each of these strategies has its own advantages and disadvantages, and can be used together or independently to ensure the best results. When it comes to continuous maintenance until failure, this is the least efficient strategy of all.
It involves waiting for equipment to break before taking action, which only increases maintenance costs without reducing them. This type of maintenance is not recommended as it can lead to costly repairs and unexpected shutdowns.
Preventive maintenance
consists of regular inspections of equipment and maintenance operations planned at different intervals. The goal is to extend the useful life of assets and prevent faults and breakdowns from occurring. Most organizations that use this type of maintenance strategy use CMMS software to receive alerts about work orders when a preventive maintenance plan needs to be drawn up.This procedure allows companies to automate most programming processes, which represent a key factor in this preventive approach.
Predictive Maintenance (PdM)
aims to predict faults before they occur so that maintenance can be carried out at the right time. The PdM uses data from the machine's sensors and intelligent technology to alert the maintenance team when equipment is at risk of failure. For example, a sensor can use vibration analysis to alert the maintenance team that equipment is at risk of failure, at which point it will be disconnected, inspected, and repaired accordingly.Reliability-Focused Maintenance
is a combination of preventive and predictive maintenance strategies. It involves using sensors and special software to collect and analyze data from sensors installed directly on or near your assets.In the case of conditions, the software looks for readings outside the preset parameters. To be predictive, the software analyzes the data to predict future failures long before they begin to develop. Choosing the right maintenance strategy starts with understanding your options, advantages and disadvantages. Execution to failure usually gets a bad rap, but for a specific class of assets and equipment, it's the best option. Use it when things are difficult or impossible to maintain, cheap to carry in inventory, easy to replace, or not essential to your operations. When an asset is newer, you can use default maintenance.
Later, when you have accumulated a history of maintenance and repairs, you can begin to adjust the schedule to better suit your specific situation. As with many other strategies, you don't have to make a difficult decision between strictly one or the other. In the end, there is no perfect strategy for all time. You must choose the combination that best suits your assets and adjust your approach as your assets age and your department collects data. Join more than 14,000 maintenance professionals who receive monthly CMMS advice, industry news, and updates.
To ensure success in this endeavor, it's important to understand each type of strategy available: continuous maintenance until failure, preventive maintenance, predictive maintenance (PdM), and reliability-focused maintenance. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages that should be taken into consideration when deciding which one is best for your organization. The key is finding a balance between cost-effectiveness and reliability. Continuous maintenance until failure may be cheaper in the short term but can lead to costly repairs in the long run.
On the other hand, preventive or predictive strategies may require more upfront investment but can help reduce downtime and extend asset life. Ultimately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to choosing a maintenance management strategy. It's important to assess each option carefully before making a decision that best suits your organization's needs.
