Managing assets is a critical part of any company’s overall maintenance strategy. It ensures the performance and longevity of your assets, minimizes unplanned downtime, and encourages productivity.
Because asset management is so critical, it’s essential to implement a structured asset maintenance process as part of your overarching maintenance plan. Taking a reactive or hands-off approach without a defined strategy leaves organizations vulnerable to risk factors and inefficiencies.
In this article, we’ll cover how to plan your asset maintenance process, a step-by-step guide for implementing it, and best practices for refining your asset maintenance strategy.
Asset maintenance planning
Every good strategy begins with a plan; asset maintenance is no different. As you set up your asset maintenance strategy and surrounding processes, be sure that you have devoted adequate time and resources to planning and setting objectives for your strategy.
Asset inventory creation
As part of the planning process, you must take a detailed inventory of the maintainable assets within your organization. A comprehensive asset inventory of equipment, machinery, vehicles, and other physical assets will help the company stay organized.
When taking inventory, be sure to include the following asset information in correspondence with each item:
- Serial numbers
- Make
- Model
- Location
- Maintenance history
- Usage patterns
- Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) preventive maintenance schedules
Consider also listing locations and stock of spare parts that the asset requires for maintenance. Accurate asset tracking within this inventory is crucial for effective planning.
Setting maintenance goals
Setting goals will help ensure that your asset maintenance process aligns with the company’s production and overarching maintenance needs.
Define what you want to achieve with your asset maintenance process. Common objectives include reducing breakdowns and downtime, extending asset lifespans, improving safety, and lowering repair costs.
Establishing maintenance strategies
Developing a robust asset maintenance process requires careful consideration of various strategies. No single approach is universally ideal; the best solution often involves a blend tailored to your organization’s specific needs. To determine the optimal mix, it’s crucial to thoroughly discuss these strategies within your company.
Here are several types of asset maintenance strategies your organization can utilize when implementing asset maintenance processes.
Preventive maintenance (PM)
Preventive maintenance strategy involves performing routine maintenance tasks at predetermined intervals, regardless of the asset’s current condition. Think of it like regular oil changes for your car.
- Benefits: Reduces the likelihood of unexpected breakdowns, extends asset lifespan, and improves overall reliability.
- Considerations: It can lead to unnecessary maintenance if assets are in good condition, and it may not prevent failures caused by unforeseen factors.
Predictive maintenance (PdM)
Predictive Maintenance uses data and technology, such as sensors and analytics, to monitor asset performance and predict when maintenance will be required.
- Benefits: Minimizes asset downtime by addressing potential issues before they cause equipment failures, optimizes maintenance costs by performing maintenance only when needed, and improves asset’s useful life and efficiency.
- Considerations: Requires investment in technology and data analytics capabilities, and the accuracy of predictions depends on the quality of data.
Reactive maintenance (run-to-failure)
Reactive maintenance involves repairing assets only after they break down.
- Benefits: Simple and requires minimal upfront planning or investment.
- Considerations: Leads to unplanned downtime, which can disrupt operations and result in significant costs, and can shorten asset lifespan due to neglected maintenance.
Condition-based maintenance (CBM)
Condition-based maintenance is performed based on the actual asset condition, as determined by sensors, inspections, or other monitoring methods.
- Benefits: Performed only when needed, reducing unnecessary maintenance work and costs. It also allows for early detection of potential failures.
- Considerations: Requires investment in monitoring equipment and data analytics, and the effectiveness depends on the accuracy of the condition monitoring.
Reliability-centered maintenance (RCM)
Reliability-Centered Maintenance is a systematic process used to determine the maintenance requirements of an asset in its operating context. It focuses on maintaining the functions of the asset that are most critical to operations.
- Benefits: Optimizes maintenance efforts by focusing on critical functions, reduces the risk of failures that impact operational efficiency and improves asset reliability.
- Considerations: Requires a thorough analysis of asset functions and failure modes, and it can be time-consuming to implement.
Total productive maintenance (TPM)
Total Productive Maintenance is a maintenance philosophy that emphasizes involving all employees in maintenance activities, from operators to management. It aims to maximize equipment effectiveness through preventive maintenance, autonomous maintenance, and continuous improvement.
- Benefits: Improves equipment reliability and availability, reduces downtime, and fosters a culture of continuous improvement.
- Considerations: Requires a significant commitment from all levels of the organization and a change in mindset.
In addition to these strategies, corrective maintenance addresses issues discovered during inspections or through condition monitoring, ensuring assets are returned to optimal working order.
Most companies utilize a mix of each of these strategies. The appropriate balance will vary based on asset criticality, environment, available personnel, and budget. Effective resource allocation is key to a successful maintenance program.
Step-by-step asset maintenance process
Asset maintenance management varies depending on the number of assets within your organization, their criticality, and the personnel available to complete maintenance activities, but the basic steps of implementing asset maintenance are fairly standard.
Step 1: Maintenance scheduling
Proper maintenance scheduling is the foundation of any effective asset maintenance process. Based on prioritizing critical assets, usage patterns, and OEM (original equipment manufacturer) recommendations, maintenance tasks should be scheduled to minimize disruptions.
Whatever mix of strategies you employ, creating a clear maintenance schedule ensures that technicians are always prepared to complete tasks on time and in the appropriate manner. Developing your schedule will involve everything from routine checks to major overhauls, with the help of strategic thinking to avoid interrupting critical production processes.
Implementing a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) streamlines and simplifies maintenance planning and scheduling, and can automate many of these tasks. A CMMS software brings maintenance data, documents, and workflows together in a central location to help teams reach a new performance standard and grow into strategic allies for the business as a whole.
Step 2: Work order creation and assignment
Once you have the schedule in place, create detailed work orders for each maintenance task. These work orders should outline the following details:
- Which asset requires service
- How should the technicians carry out the maintenance activities
- Which materials and tools will the technician need
- Who should complete the task
Ensure that tasks are assigned to technicians with the necessary expertise and always consider the priority level of each task. A leading-edge CMMS will expedite the process of issuing and completing work orders with all the necessary detail. Applied strategically, these tools can effectively eliminate the risk of human error affecting maintenance processes or production lines.
Step 3: Performing maintenance tasks
With the work orders in place, technicians can then carry out the assigned maintenance tasks. This step could include repairs, replacements, inspections, or general upkeep.
During this phase, it’s critical to follow all safety protocols and use the correct tools and materials. You should schedule tasks for maximum cost efficiency and minimal impact to asset performance. Communicate any issues you discover promptly and carry out an official reporting and response process to ensure you make any needed adjustments in a timely manner.
A maintenance software helps by providing easy access to historical data and necessary documentation, aiding technicians in making informed decisions as they perform maintenance activities.
Step 4: Monitoring and documentation
All maintenance activities should be carefully documented along the way. This includes logging any actions performed, materials used, and any findings or concerns. Accurate records ensure that the asset’s maintenance history is up to date, informing future decisions and keeping equipment in peak condition.
Post-maintenance asset monitoring ensures that tasks were performed in the appropriate manner and that your approach is still sufficient for success. Additional tools like condition-based maintenance systems empowered by IoT sensors can provide real-time data on asset health and performance.
Step 5: Post-maintenance reviews and ongoing communication
Finally, conduct post-maintenance reviews to continue refining and improving your asset maintenance strategies. How well do your technicians meet company objectives for metrics like downtime, productivity and availability? What do your managers and technicians think about your maintenance processes and strategies?
By analyzing the outcomes and feedback from technicians, you can fine-tune scheduling, improve task execution, and ensure that the next round of asset maintenance is even more efficient. Reviews also provide an opportunity to update asset management systems with new insights or adjust future maintenance strategies.
Best practices for successful asset maintenance
As with all other aspects of maintenance, certain best practices will help you optimize your asset maintenance process for the most successful outcomes.
Training and skill development
Ensure maintenance teams receive proper training and certifications to keep them knowledgeable about the specific assets they manage.
Provide ongoing, specialized training to stay current with evolving technologies, repair techniques, and industry best practices.
Well-trained teams are more efficient, can accurately diagnose and prevent breakdowns, and ultimately improve overall productivity.
Collaboration across teams
Encourage open communication and foster cross-functional collaboration between maintenance, operations, and other relevant teams to ensure smooth maintenance operations.
Actively seek and incorporate feedback from all teams to improve asset performance and identify potential issues.
Strong collaboration ensures alignment on maintenance goals and minimizes operational disruptions.
Regular inspections and audits
Conduct regular internal audits to verify compliance with industry standards and regulations, and use these inspections as opportunities to analyze maintenance data, identify trends, and update processes for continuous improvement.
Routine inspections help to proactively identify potential problems, ensure regulatory compliance, and maintain high standards of asset care.
Data-driven decision making
Leverage historical maintenance metrics, such as MTBF and MTTR, and utilize real-time asset performance data to refine maintenance strategies and make informed decisions regarding the organization’s maintenance needs.
Transition from reactive maintenance to a proactive approach to optimize maintenance schedules, reduce downtime, and improve asset reliability.
Implement technology
Utilize tools like Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) platforms and condition-monitoring sensors, which are becoming standard within organizations that prioritize effective maintenance.
A CMMS streamlines maintenance workflows, tracks asset history, and schedules preventive maintenance, while sensors provide real-time data for predictive maintenance.
Integration with these technologies enhances efficiency, accuracy, and overall asset management, and helps to prevent costly breakdowns.
Read more: Guide to Asset Maintenance Management
Optimize asset maintenance with Limble CMMS
For a more strategic and data-backed approach to asset maintenance, Limble’s asset management software offers powerful solutions for simplifying scheduling, optimizing work order creation, and providing real-time monitoring.
Explore how Limble can enhance your asset maintenance and management by scheduling a free demo today.
FAQs
What is asset maintenance?
Asset maintenance is the practice of keeping physical assets in optimal working condition. This involves activities like inspections, servicing, repairs, and monitoring performance. The goal is to ensure assets remain functional, reliable, and safe throughout their lifespan.
What is an example of asset maintenance?
An example of asset maintenance could be a company that owns a fleet of delivery trucks. Regular oil changes, tire rotations, brake inspections, and engine tune-ups are all examples of asset maintenance activities. These actions are performed to prevent breakdowns, extend the life of the trucks, and ensure they operate safely and efficiently. Another example is the routine inspection and cleaning of HVAC units in a building.
Why is asset maintenance management important?
Asset maintenance management is important for several reasons:
- It improves reliability and safety by reducing the risk of asset failures
- Helps control maintenance costs by implementing efficient strategies
- Extends asset life span
- Improves asset performance
- Reduces asset downtime by preventing breakdowns
What is the difference between asset management and asset maintenance?
- Asset management is a broader, strategic approach to overseeing assets throughout their entire lifecycle. It involves planning, acquisition, utilization, performance monitoring, and eventual disposal of assets to maximize their value and contribution to the organization’s goals. It includes financial and strategic planning.
- Asset maintenance is a specific subset of asset management. It focuses on the physical upkeep and repair of assets to ensure they remain in optimal working condition. Maintenance activities include inspections, servicing, repairs, and condition monitoring. Essentially, asset maintenance is about keeping the assets running, while asset management is about strategically managing the entire asset lifecycle.