CMMS: The acronym stands for the following:

Computerized – for use on a digital platform

Maintenance – optimizing safety, inventory, and more

Management – facilitating and organizing better results

System – a set of repeated actions customized to a platform

Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) come in many forms, including preventive, predictive, reactive, planned, unplanned, evaluative, and total. This article will present a basic overview of preventive maintenance: its purpose, types, advantages, and disadvantages.

What is Preventive Maintenance?

Preventive maintenance is routinely performed on a piece of equipment to reduce the chances of failure. These regular "checks" on the system, while it is actively working, are designed to prevent unexpected breakdowns. This type of maintenance is needed for systems that have critical operational functions, failure types that can be averted, and increased tendency to malfunction with time or use.

What Types of Preventive Maintenance are Available?

The type of maintenance needed depends on whether a time- or usage-based trigger is desired. A simple example of this would be whether a person elects to service a vehicle every twelve months (time-based) or every 1200 miles (usage-based). Similarly, a CMMS could inspect a critical portion of equipment on an everyday schedule (time-based), while checking a less essential portion after 100 production cycles (usage-based). CMMS software can automatically track data for each type of maintenance for multiple pieces of equipment. In addition, saved data provides valuable information on maintenance activities and results to optimize these services.

What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Preventive Maintenance?

Preventive maintenance has an advantage over unplanned, reactive maintenance: catching problems earlier can prevent lost production and lost time responding to emergencies. Planned maintenance is significantly more cost-effective than unplanned maintenance.

Unlike condition-based monitoring, usage- or time-based schedules remove the need for monitoring equipment and interpretation. However, there is a risk that preventive maintenance will be scheduled too often unless frequencies are adjusted correctly. Condition monitoring and analysis may be preferred if frequent preventive maintenance is using too many resources.

In summary, preventative maintenance is a systematic "check" on a system according to a usage- or time-based schedule. This type of CMMS is designed to reduce the chances of a breakdown — before it happens. An easy way to employ this method is through maintenance software. Programs are available that smoothly forward alerts to technicians when help is needed. Although these programs require time and resources to implement, their dependability is making them the new standard across multiple industries.

For more information on preventative maintenance CMMS software, reach out to a local software company.