CMMS for reactive, preventative and predictive maintenance plans

Last Updated on July 7, 2021 by Admin

Maintenance plans are crucial, particularly for large-scale industrial equipment. The reason for this is because the right maintenance plans will enable a company to ensure that their machinery and assets will operate with minimal unexpected breakdowns occurring. A maintenance plan will ensure that companies will not have to spend large sums of money and outlay vast resources to ensure that processes continue. 

Regardless of the industry, whether it is mining, construction, or manufacturing, it is not often clear what type of maintenance plan a company should implement, particularly when industrial equipment is involved. 

Maintaining operations within your company is vital. Breakdowns can be very damaging to a company, both financially and to the companies brand and reputation. Implementing a maintenance plan can help companies avoid this outcome.

While it is clear that companies need a maintenance plan, it can be challenging to understand what type of maintenance plan is required. Especially as companies are unsure of whether the maintenance plan will cover all the requirements of the business. 

CMMS role in the maintenance plan

How does a CMMS fit into a maintenance plan? Regardless of the maintenance plan implemented, a CMMS can easily slot in and streamline the processes. As a computerized maintenance management system, a CMMS provides a cloud-based platform that is accessible via any employee’s computer or mobile form. Through this platform, companies can schedule maintenance activities, assign work orders and monitor their maintenance plans.

Maintenance Plans

Reactive maintenance

Often not considered a plan, reactive maintenance can be defined by the idea of correcting a problem once it has occurred. 

The challenge companies face when using a reactive maintenance plan is the possibility of an unforeseen breakdown. Depending on the severity of the problem, it can even lead to production halted, and the business having to continue running overtime. 

Many companies implement a reactive maintenance strategy due to the low cost and ease. 

The problem with reactive maintenance is the lack of control, which makes it unsuitable for large enterprises with industrial machinery. 

Generally, a CMMS is not used by companies that use a reactive maintenance plan.

By understanding reactive maintenance, we can now get a better understanding of preventative and predictive maintenance. 

Preventative maintenance

Unlike reactive maintenance, preventative maintenance consists of the company conducting regular maintenance on assets and machinery. The reason for this planned maintenance is to pick up any breakdowns or issues before they can occur. 

The aim of preventative maintenance is to acknowledge the potential weak points that may lead to a breakdown and correct these issues through preventative maintenance and inspections. A CMMS can assist in doing so. By implementing CMMS businesses can schedule preventative maintenance programs and record the data collected on the platform. 

Preventative maintenance plans are beneficial for large industrial companies with complex and highly specialized machinery. With the inclusion of a CMMS, companies can conduct their preventative plans more efficiently. 

Another benefit of using a CMMS in conjunction with your preventative maintenance plan is the ability to gather data that can assist in refining the maintenance plan in place. CMMS platforms provide the ability to develop reports based on the data the company has collected from maintenance processes. Data such as the maintenance issue, parts required, and the rate at which the breakdowns occur can help to refine the preventative maintenance plan. 

A preventative maintenance plan is suitable for all types of industries and company sizes as the system is scalable. This allows all companies from small to medium and large enterprises to implement the plan. 

Predictive maintenance

Predictive maintenance can be viewed as the next stage in maintenance plans. This is due to predictive maintenance providing many of the same benefits found in preventative maintenance plans along with optimized scheduling. 

Predictive maintenance requires a CMMS for the plan to be accomplished. Predictive maintenance can be achieved with research compiled from previous maintenance records. A company can implement a CMMS system and accurately store the maintenance history of its assets and machinery. Once the information is reviewed, the company can make educated decisions on when to conduct maintenance.

The benefit of this plan is that it is proactive and reduces the possibility of a breakdown. This makes predictive maintenance plans suitable for large-scale companies with specialized machinery. Another reason why predictive maintenance is appropriate for large companies is that the predictive maintenance plan requires an initial investment before implementation.

While this may put off smaller businesses if the company can afford to implement this maintenance plan, it can provide positive results in the long term by providing a plan to ensure consistent production and efficient maintenance. 

Conclusion

Preventive and predictive maintenance plans are no complicated theories, they can be easily implemented in many companies along with a CMMS to ensure that the machinery and assets within the company are maintained. It is particularly beneficial for large-scale industrial equipment.