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Key Takeaways: Workers spend only 30–50% of their time actually performing their tasks.  Unexpected machine breakdowns are the leading cause of productivity loss in plants. Knowing when to retire an asset can significantly improve backlog management.  Backlogs are an inevitable part of maintenance, regardless of the industry, sector, team size, or asset types.  They will never completely go away, and that’s fine.  What truly matters is how you handle them.  In other words, real problems arise only when backlogs are poorly managed, causing unexpected equipment failures, production delays, and unnecessary costs. Fortunately, your CMMS can help you get everything under control.  These solutions track, organize, and systematically reduce your backlog, turning chaos into efficiency and reliability. In this article, we’ll show you how to manage your maintenance backlog effectively and how your CMMS can support you at every step of the process. 1. Analyze Your Backlog First, use your CMMS to assess the current situation.  The system’s dashboards display all your work orders and requests, and whether they are open, awaiting approval, completed, or pending.  Source: WorkTrek You can also filter these by various criteria, such as status, priority level, asset, location, and more.  Ultimately, this gives you a real-time, organized snapshot of your total backlog, rather than data scattered across spreadsheets, paper logs, or emails.  Use this data to analyze the scope, size, and type of work sitting in the backlog.  Once you know how many work orders are overdue, which assets they affect, and when they’ve accumulated, you’ll be better equipped to identify the main causes of these problems. Maybe there’s an issue with the availability of spare parts. Or, maybe you’ve been stuck in reactive mode for too long. There are all kinds of inefficiencies plaguing modern operations.  In fact, according to McKinsey’s 2021 research, workers in most heavy industry companies spend only 30–50% of their time actually performing their tasks.  Illustration: WorkTrek / Data: McKinsey & Company In other words, productivity is an issue for practically everyone.  However, this isn’t due to a lack of effort.  Instead, the research claims it’s due to operational complexity.  There are countless factors to coordinate nowadays: workers, materials, tools, PPE, equipment access, and so much more.  Making one wrong move can easily cause workflows to spiral out of control. Maintenance operations are no exception.  Operational inefficiencies and poor resource use are bound to lead to backlog issues.  Luckily, your CMMS minimizes that complexity, providing complete visibility into completed and pending work.  As a result, you don’t have to guess what’s causing problems and what to do about it. You see it immediately.  2. Determine Order of Task Completion Once you’ve analyzed your backlog and understand what’s in it, the next step is deciding what to tackle first.  Your CMMS should allow you to assign priorities to each work order, helping technicians determine which tasks should come first based on factors such as safety and operational impact. Source: WorkTrek This step is vital.  After all, not all maintenance tasks are created equal.  Some are key for safety or production continuity, while others can wait.  Failing to distinguish between these can lead to wasted time and resources on low-impact work while high-risk issues are left unresolved, ultimately worsening your backlog. Jason Afara, Director of Solutions Engineering at Fiix Software, agrees: Illustration: WorkTrek / Quote: EDMS Consultants A CMMS makes implementing this prioritization system much easier.  It gives your team immediate visibility into each task’s priority, eliminating guesswork and subjective judgment.  You just need to establish clear, consistent criteria for task prioritization first.  Therefore, assign your maintenance managers to assess and rank tasks according to factors such as: SafetyDoes the task directly affect the safety of employees, visitors, or equipment?Operational impactWill delaying the task disrupt critical operations or cause equipment failure?ComplianceIs the task required to meet regulatory or legal standards?CostWhat are the financial implications of delaying the task? Could postponement lead to higher costs later? After tasks have been categorized and ranked, use your CMMS to schedule and prioritize accordingly.  This will almost immediately create a more efficient and better-managed backlog. 3. Automate Preventive Maintenance Scheduling Don’t forget your recurring work.  A strong CMMS helps you create preventive maintenance (PM) schedules based on various triggers, automatically generating work orders when these thresholds are met.  This ensures critical checkups, inspections, or minor fixes aren’t forgotten or delayed, and don’t escalate into major failures, which are a common source of backlog. Think of it this way: neglecting preventive maintenance creates a vicious reactive cycle: missed PM → equipment failure → emergency repair → even more backlog.  The 2022 ATS research confirms this, showing that unexpected machine breakdowns are the leading cause of productivity loss in plants. Illustration: WorkTrek / Data: ATS But by making your team more proactive about maintenance, you can reduce unplanned downtime and smooth out workloads by scheduling maintenance predictably.  This gives you far greater control over your backlog. Anna Waters, Director of Asset Management at EDP Renewables, a company that develops and operates wind farms, solar parks, and energy storage systems, puts it perfectly: Illustration: WorkTrek / Quote: Solar Power World Therefore, let your CMMS handle PM for you and ensure important tasks get done on time.  For example, with a CMMS like WorkTrek, you can schedule preventive maintenance based on time triggers or meter readings, such as usage hours, mileage, temperature, or pressure.  That means no more guessing when an asset needs servicing; WorkTrek automatically alerts your team when criteria are met, making it virtually impossible to miss PM. Additionally, if an inspection fails, WorkTrek can automatically generate follow-up work orders, so nothing slips through the cracks ever again. Source: WorkTrek At the end of the day, you’ll never get your backlog under control if you’re constantly reacting to sudden equipment failures.  Get your preventive maintenance program right first, and you’ll have the breathing room to coordinate all your other activities effectively. 4. Optimize Resource Allocation  Even if your maintenance prioritization and scheduling are spot-on, it won’t matter much without the necessary spare parts and manpower to get the job done.  Therefore, you should use your CMMS to track, analyze, and optimize technician and inventory availability. It’s simple, since the system handles most of the heavy lifting for you. For instance, it can show which technician is assigned to which task, where they’re working, and when the job should be completed.  Source: WorkTrek This helps you assign your workers more efficiently.  Similarly, CMMS automatically updates inventory levels, lets you set reorder points, and sends alerts when stock runs low.  All you need to do is reorder when prompted. Location data is typically available as well, which can be a major time-saver.  Debbie Fox, Co-Founder of Fortell Automotive UK Ltd, a company delivering real-time AI voice technology to fleets, explains:  Illustration: WorkTrek / Quote: Fleet News So, instead of wasting time searching for parts, technicians can quickly look up their exact location on a phone or computer and retrieve them in seconds. In short, your CMMS gives you a clear view of what you have, how much, where it’s located, and when it’ll be available.  Thanks to this, you can allocate resources strategically and ensure every task has exactly what it needs. No more, no less.  5. Monitor Equipment Health A CMMS doesn’t just track your workforce and the parts used for maintenance.  It also monitors the equipment itself, giving you access to vital asset data, including location, maintenance history, performance metrics, warranties, downtime records, and more.  Source: WorkTrek Some systems even integrate with IoT devices to track equipment health in real time, monitoring factors such as temperature, vibration, and other key indicators.  According to the 2025 Cheqroom survey, this is precisely the kind of information most companies wish they had.  Illustration: WorkTrek / Data: Cheqroom Which assets are used most, which break down most often, and when they require upkeep: with CMMS-powered asset tracking, you can answer all these questions with confidence.  Ultimately, this enables you to focus your resources where they matter most and avoid unexpected failures that clog your maintenance backlog. Ken Beinhower, Director of Operations at the construction company, E.K. Services, uses his maintenance management system in exactly this way:  Illustration: WorkTrek / Quote: For Construction Pros But he doesn’t just use this data to schedule maintenance.  He also uses it to decide when it’s time to retire an asset.  After all, every machine has a finite useful life, and a CMMS helps you pinpoint exactly when it’s time to let go by analyzing repair costs and history.  This prevents wasting resources on “black hole” assets and reduces recurring backlog caused by aging, failure-prone equipment. 6. Ensure Technicians Have All Relevant Information You need to ensure your technicians have all the information they need to do their jobs safely and correctly.  Here’s how to achieve that using your CMMS. Start with your work requests and orders.  Typically, they come with customizable templates that let you set required fields such as problem description, location, required materials and parts, signatures, time estimates, and more. Source: WorkTrek You may even be able to upload photographs of the issue.  Once these templates are in place, all task information is captured consistently, eliminating the need for technicians to call around in an attempt to understand what happened and what needs to be done. Safety comes next.  Many CMMS solutions allow you to attach reminders about potential hazards, PPE requirements, and LOTO procedures directly to work orders.  Source: WorkTrek These details are easy to overlook, but forgetting them even once can lead to serious delays, injury, or worse.  A CMMS ensures these reminders are always visible, reducing the risk of safety incidents and workflow disruptions. Over time, centralizing and digitizing this information drives significant productivity gains.  Take it from Cleanaway Waste Management Limited, an Australian waste management company. They saw a measurable efficiency boost after implementing digital work orders.  Now, they have all the information they need at their fingertips, instead of having to sift through endless paper-based work orders. Preet Brar, their Executive General Manager, explains: “The most immediate benefit is our medium-term target of five percent increased mechanic productivity, which leads to more tool time and reduces the amount of work we need to divert to external mechanics at three times the cost.” Simply put, more work gets done, more money is saved, and backlogs are easier to manage, all by simply making relevant information more easily accessible.  7. Regularly Track Progress Once you’ve analyzed, prioritized, and optimized your maintenance workflows in your CMMS, you might think the hard work is over.  But it’s not.  To truly take your backlog under control for good, you need to keep tracking your progress.  Use your CMMS’s reporting features to monitor how the backlog evolves and ensure your improvements are sticking. Consider tracking metrics such as: Total open work orders Overdue vs. completed tasks Average completion time Planned vs. actual costs PM compliance rate These metrics reveal how well your maintenance processes are performing, showing what’s working and what isn’t, ultimately helping you optimize further. For example, a wrongly set reorder point for spare parts may be causing delays due to stockouts.  Or perhaps labor shortages are preventing your team from hitting PM targets, signaling it’s time to hire additional technicians.  By analyzing the data your CMMS provides, you can quickly identify suboptimal processes and investigate root causes, keeping your operations on track. The 2023 Databox survey supports this, showing that most companies improve performance through monitoring and reporting.  The specific benefits they unlock include increased efficiency, easier trend identification, and even better financial outcomes. Illustration: WorkTrek / Data: Databox So, don’t skip this final step, as this could make all your previous efforts ineffective.  Pay attention to the data, and let it guide your decisions toward more efficient, cost-effective, and reliable maintenance operations. Conclusion Remember, the backlog isn’t the real enemy, and the goal isn’t to eliminate it.  Instead, focus on being proactive with your maintenance efforts and thinking more strategically.  Do this, and soon you’ll realize: when you rely on data and ensure your team has everything they need to do their jobs effectively, everything runs much more smoothly.  In other words, the objective isn’t necessarily to do more work, but to do better work.  And with your CMMS, you can achieve exactly that.

Key Takeaways Match the maintenance program type to equipment requirements and company resources for best results Focus on time-based, usage-based, or condition-based triggers, depending on the asset characteristic Regular monitoring and program adjustments ensure continued effectiveness and cost savings Choosing the right preventive maintenance program can make the difference between costly equipment failures and a productive operation. Businesses often struggle with equipment breakdowns, unexpected repair costs, and production delays that could be prevented with the right maintenance approach. So what is the solution? The key to selecting the right preventive maintenance program lies in matching the program type to specific equipment needs, operational goals, and any available resources. Developing and building the right program for your facility depends on understanding the preventive maintenance process. For those companies that implement an effective preventive maintenance program, they can generally see reduced downtime, lower costs, and extended asset life. The right program transforms reactive maintenance into a proactive strategy that protects both equipment and budgets. Understanding Preventive Maintenance Programs What is part of a preventive maintenance program? Let's first start with a definition. Definition and Core Concepts Preventive maintenance is the ideal solution for keeping assets in good working order. PM programs often involve scheduling maintenance tasks, such as inspecting equipment for potential issues before they become significant problems. Source: WorkTrek In addition, it can include policies, procedures, and tools to regularly maintain company assets. A typical program includes tasks like cleaning, lubricating moving parts, and replacing components before they fail. Key elements of preventive maintenance include: Asset inventory and prioritization Scheduled maintenance activities Regular inspections and monitoring Documentation and record-keeping PM contrasts sharply with reactive maintenance. In reactive maintenance, equipment is only fixed or maintained after it breaks. Understanding Your Maintenance Strategy Options Before you can choose the right maintenance strategy, you need to understand what's available. Each approach has distinct advantages depending on your equipment, industry, and resources. Time-Based Preventive Maintenance Time-based maintenance schedules maintenance tasks at fixed intervals—daily, weekly, monthly, or annually—regardless of equipment condition or usage. Source: WorkTrek Best For: Equipment with predictable wear patterns Assets subject to regulatory requirements Operations with consistent usage patterns Organizations new to preventive maintenance Advantages: Simple to implement and manage Predictable scheduling and budgeting Ensures compliance with regulations Easy to track and measure compliance Limitations: May perform unnecessary maintenance Doesn't account for variable usage Can miss developing issues between intervals Studies indicate that up to 30% of time-based preventive maintenance is performed too frequently, wasting resources without improving reliability. Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) Condition-based maintenance monitors equipment performance and schedules maintenance based on actual condition rather than time or usage. Source: WorkTrek Best For: Critical equipment with high failure costs Assets with variable usage patterns Equipment where condition indicators are easily measured Operations seeking to optimize maintenance costs Advantages: Maintenance only when needed Reduces unnecessary maintenance by 25-30% Catches problems before failure Extends equipment lifespan Requirements: Investment in monitoring systems Technical expertise for data interpretation Integration with maintenance software WorkTrek's condition-monitoring features automatically generate work orders when equipment parameters exceed thresholds, ensuring timely intervention. Usage-Based Maintenance Usage-based maintenance triggers maintenance tasks based on actual equipment usage—operating hours, cycles, mileage, or production volume. Best For: Fleet vehicles Production equipment with variable schedules Seasonal equipment Multi-shift operations Advantages: Aligns maintenance with actual wear Optimizes maintenance intervals Reduces over-maintenance Improves cost efficiency Implementation Needs: Hour meters or cycle counters Usage tracking systems Flexible scheduling capabilities Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) Reliability-centered maintenance uses systematic analysis to determine the most cost-effective maintenance strategy for each asset based on failure modes and consequences. Best For: Complex industrial equipment High-value critical assets Operations with diverse equipment types Mature maintenance organizations Benefits: Optimizes maintenance resources Reduces maintenance costs by 25-40% Improves equipment reliability Minimizes safety risks Challenges: Requires extensive analysis Higher initial implementation cost Needs skilled personnel Time-intensive setup Predictive Maintenance Integration While technically a separate strategy, predictive maintenance often complements preventive programs by using advanced analytics to forecast failures. Enhancement Benefits: 8-12% additional cost savings beyond preventive maintenance 30-50% reduction in machine downtime 20-40% extension in equipment life 70-75% elimination of breakdowns Selecting the Right Preventive Maintenance Program A strong preventive maintenance program requires three core components that work together. These elements create the foundation for reducing equipment downtime and extending asset life through organized planning and execution. Asset Inventory and Maintenance History An accurate asset inventory forms the backbone of any effective PM program. Teams must document every piece of equipment with key details, including manufacturer, model number, installation date, and current location within the facility. Source: WorkTrek Asset inventory systems should capture each item's warranty status and maintenance history. This data helps maintenance managers make informed decisions about repair versus replacement costs. Essential inventory details include: Asset name and equipment type Serial numbers and specifications Purchase or installation dates Current condition assessments Attached manuals and documentation Maintenance history tracking reveals failure patterns and helps predict future issues. Teams can identify which components fail most often and adjust their maintenance schedule accordingly. Digital systems work better than spreadsheets for managing large inventories. They allow quick searches and updates across multiple locations. Defining Maintenance Tasks and Schedules Clear maintenance tasks and schedules prevent equipment failures before they happen. Each task must specify exactly what work needs to be done and when it should occur. Maintenance schedules can be time-based, usage-based, or condition-based depending on the equipment type. Time-based tasks happen on fixed intervals like monthly or quarterly. Usage-based maintenance depends on operating hours or production cycles. Source: WorkTrek Task definitions should include: Specific steps to complete the work Required tools and replacement parts Estimated time for completion Safety procedures and lockout requirements Maintenance managers must balance manufacturer recommendations with actual equipment performance data. OEM guidelines provide starting points, but real-world usage patterns often require schedule adjustments. Coordination with production schedules ensures maintenance occurs during planned downtime. This approach minimizes disruption to daily operations. Preventive Maintenance Checklists and Work Orders Standardized checklists create consistent work quality across different technicians and locations. Each preventive maintenance checklist should break complex tasks into simple, actionable steps. Source: WorkTrek Work orders track task completion and capture important details about the maintenance performed. They create a paper trail that helps with warranty claims and regulatory compliance. Effective checklists contain: Step-by-step procedures in logical order Inspection points with specific criteria Documentation requirements for findings Sign-off spaces for quality control Digital work orders allow real-time updates and photo attachments from mobile devices. Technicians can access procedures, report issues, and request additional parts without returning to the office. Source: WorkTrek Preventive maintenance programs that use digital checklists report higher completion rates and better data accuracy. The system automatically generates new work orders based on the maintenance schedule and sends notifications when tasks become overdue. How to Select the Right Preventive Maintenance Program Selecting an effective preventive maintenance program requires analyzing organizational needs, equipment priorities, and available resources. The decision impacts maintenance costs, equipment reliability, and operational efficiency across all facility operations. Assess Organizational Goals and Constraints Start by evaluating budgets, staffing levels, and operational priorities before implementing any maintenance program. Building the right program for your facility depends on understanding what resources are available for maintenance planning. Budget constraints can directly influence the complexity of maintenance schedules that facilities can support. Simple time-based programs require fewer resources than advanced condition-based maintenance systems. Staffing capabilities determine whether organizations can handle internal maintenance or need external service providers. Smaller teams may benefit from streamlined pm schedules rather than complex monitoring systems. Key organizational factors include: Available maintenance budget Size of the maintenance team Technical expertise of staff Regulatory compliance requirements Acceptable downtime levels Companies should also consider their growth plans and whether the maintenance program can scale with expanding operations. A preventive maintenance program that works for current needs may become inadequate as facilities grow. Evaluating Maintenance Needs by Equipment Criticality The level of equipment criticality determines how much attention and resources each asset should receive in maintenance scheduling. Critical equipment that stops production requires more frequent maintenance than support systems. Organizations should classify assets into three main categories. Critical equipment includes production machinery, safety systems, and assets that cause significant downtime when they fail. Important equipment supports operations but has backup systems or longer acceptable downtime windows. Non-critical equipment includes office systems and assets that don't impact core operations. Source: WorkTrek Reliability-centered maintenance can help identify the most effective maintenance strategy that is based on equipment criticality and failure consequences. This approach ensures resources focus on assets that matter most to operations. Regular maintenance for critical equipment often requires multiple approaches. Facilities might use condition-based maintenance for monitoring, plus scheduled inspections for comprehensive coverage. Deciding Between Time-Based, Usage-Based, and Condition-Based Approaches Time-based maintenance works best for equipment with predictable wear patterns and manufacturer recommendations. This approach schedules regular maintenance based on calendar intervals, regardless of actual equipment usage. Usage-based maintenance aligns maintenance schedules with actual equipment operation hours, cycles, or mileage. This method suits assets with variable usage patterns, such as vehicles or production equipment. Condition-based maintenance uses sensors and monitoring to track equipment health in real-time. This advanced approach reduces unnecessary maintenance while catching problems before they cause failures. Time-based maintenance benefits: Simple to implement and manage Works well for regulatory compliance Requires minimal technology investment Usage-based maintenance advantages: Aligns with actual wear patterns Reduces over-maintenance of lightly used equipment Better resource utilization Condition-based maintenance strengths: Prevents unexpected failures Optimizes maintenance timing Reduces total maintenance costs Source: WorkTrek Successful maintenance programs follow a hybrid approach. For example, critical equipment might use condition-based maintenance while support systems rely on time-based schedules. Your Preventive maintenance strategy should align with equipment characteristics and operational needs rather than using a single approach for everything. Implementation Steps for Your Preventive Maintenance Program To ensure a successful implementation, you first need to define clear role definitions, properly integrate technology, and provide comprehensive staff training. These three foundational elements ensure smooth workflow execution and long-term program success. Assigning Roles and Responsibilities A clear role definition prevents maintenance tasks from falling through the cracks. Organizations should designate who will handle scheduling, execution, and oversight of preventive maintenance activities. Typically, maintenance managers oversee program strategy and resource allocation. Their job is to coordinate schedules, track performance metrics, and ensure compliance with maintenance workflows. Source: WorkTrek These managers also handle budget decisions and vendor relationships. Technician responsibilities include: Executing scheduled maintenance tasks Recording work completion and findings Reporting equipment issues or anomalies Following safety protocols during maintenance Facility managers often serve as liaisons between maintenance teams and operations. They communicate downtime schedules and ensure maintenance activities align with business needs. Some organizations designate maintenance coordinators to handle daily scheduling. These coordinators manage work orders, track inventory, and coordinate between different maintenance teams. Their goal is to ensure that effective preventive maintenance programs run smoothly. Leveraging Maintenance Software and CMMS CMMS platforms like WorkTrek streamline maintenance management by automating schedules and tracking asset performance. The right CMMS makes or breaks preventive maintenance implementation success. With modern maintenance software, you can automatically generate work orders based on time intervals or usage metrics. This automation ensures technicians receive timely notifications for upcoming maintenance tasks, eliminating the need for manual scheduling. Key CMMS features include: Asset tracking and history management Automated work order generation Inventory management integration Performance reporting and analytics CMMS centralizes maintenance data, allowing managers to track costs, completion rates, and equipment performance trends. This data helps optimize maintenance schedules and identify problematic assets. Mobile CMMS applications enable technicians to access work orders, update task status, and record findings from anywhere. This real-time connectivity improves communication and reduces paperwork delays. Training Technicians and Staff With proper training, maintenance teams can perform preventive maintenance tasks safely and effectively. Training programs must cover equipment-specific procedures, safety protocols, and software usage. Illustration: WorkTrek / Data: Interviewer.AI Technical training should focus on equipment maintenance procedures, troubleshooting techniques, and proper tool usage. Technicians need hands-on experience with each asset type they will maintain. Safety training covers lockout/tagout procedures, personal protective equipment requirements, and hazard identification. This training prevents workplace injuries during maintenance activities. Training components include: Equipment-specific maintenance procedures CMMS software navigation and data entry Safety protocols and emergency procedures Quality standards and documentation requirements Software training teaches technicians how to access work orders, record completion data, and update asset conditions in the CMMS. This ensures accurate data collection and proper execution of the maintenance workflow. Monitoring, Optimization, and Continuous Improvement Successful preventive maintenance programs require ongoing tracking of performance metrics and regular adjustments based on data analysis. Organizations must establish measurement systems and foster improvement mindsets to reduce operational costs and maximize equipment reliability. Tracking Key Performance Indicators Organizations need specific metrics to assess the effectiveness of their preventive maintenance programs. The most critical KPIs include equipment downtime, mean time between failures, and maintenance costs. Essential Maintenance KPIs: Equipment downtime during unplanned maintenance Mean time between equipment failures (MTBF) Preventive maintenance compliance rates Maintenance cost per asset Overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) Teams should track PM labor hours versus emergency maintenance hours. This ratio shows whether preventive efforts are reducing reactive work. Monitoring key performance indicators helps identify areas that need improvement in maintenance strategies. Companies can spot patterns in equipment failures and adjust their approach accordingly. Monthly KPI reports should compare current performance to baseline measurements. This data reveals whether the maintenance program is meeting its goals. Analyzing Data to Refine the Maintenance Process Data analysis transforms raw maintenance information into actionable insights. Teams must review equipment history for the past 30, 60, and 180 days to identify trends. Key Analysis Areas: Root causes of critical equipment breakdowns PM frequency, accuracy and effectiveness Rework patterns and recurring issues Maintenance procedure effectiveness The maintenance process improves when teams examine PM compliance rates against equipment performance. Low compliance often correlates with higher failure rates and increased operational costs. Organizations should regularly review their current maintenance procedures. Some may need complete rewrites, while others require frequency adjustments based on actual equipment performance. Encourage a Culture of Continuous Improvement Effective maintenance teams need structured processes for ongoing improvement. Cross-functional teams —including operators, technicians, and engineers —should collaborate on optimization efforts. Team Roles for Continuous Improvement: Operators: Provide daily equipment observations Maintenance technicians: Share hands-on repair insights Engineers: Analyze technical data and trends Planners: Coordinate improvement implementations Teams should establish clear expectations and measurable goals for improvement initiatives. Regular progress reviews keep everyone focused on results. Continuous improvement in maintenance operations requires less reactive firefighting and more proactive planning. This approach ultimately leads to lower maintenance costs and improved safety. Organizations should share improvement results with the entire team. Common Challenges and How to Overcome Them Companies face three major hurdles when implementing preventive maintenance programs: employee resistance to new processes, limited budgets for technology and training, and overwhelming amounts of maintenance data that don't lead to clear action steps. Overcoming Resistance to Change Resistance to change remains one of the most significant barriers to the success of preventive maintenance programs. Employees often prefer reactive maintenance because it feels familiar and easy to perform. So, how to overcome the resistance? Show concrete benefits to maintenance teams. Present data on how preventive maintenance reduces equipment downtime by 30-50% compared to reactive approaches. Highlight reduced emergency repair calls and less stressful working conditions. Start with willing participants. Identify maintenance staff who embrace new methods and use them as program champions. Their positive experiences will influence skeptical colleagues. Provide hands-on training rather than just theory. Let technicians practice new procedures on non-critical equipment first. This builds confidence and competence before moving to essential machinery. Create clear accountability measures. Use maintenance workflow tracking to show individual and team performance improvements. Don't forget to track technician compliance with automated work-order systems that reduce manual tracking errors. Address workload concerns directly. Many technicians worry that preventive maintenance adds to their existing duties. Show how planned maintenance actually reduces emergency calls and overtime hours. Managing Budget and Resource Limitations Budget constraints force many organizations to delay preventive maintenance programs. Innovative implementation strategies can overcome these financial barriers. Start small with critical equipment. Focus on high-impact assets first rather than attempting company-wide implementation. Target machines that cause the most equipment downtime when they fail. Demonstrate return on investment quickly. Track maintenance costs before and after program implementation. Most companies see 15-25% reduction in maintenance expenses within the first year. Use existing resources creatively. Train current staff instead of hiring specialists. Many maintenance technicians can learn preventive procedures with proper guidance. Prioritize based on failure impact. Create a simple scoring system: Source: WorkTrek Phase implementation over 12-18 months. This spreads costs while building momentum through early successes. Avoiding Data Overload and Ensuring Actionability Modern CMMS systems generate massive amounts of data. Without proper structure, this information becomes overwhelming rather than helpful. Focus on key performance indicators that drive decisions. Track equipment failures, mean time between failures, and planned maintenance completion rates. Avoid collecting data that doesn't lead to specific actions. Set up automated alerts for critical thresholds. Program systems to notify managers when equipment approaches failure points or maintenance tasks fall behind schedule. Create simple dashboards for different audiences. Technicians need detailed work instructions while managers need summary reports. Customize data presentation based on user needs. Establish regular review cycles. Schedule weekly equipment performance reviews and monthly program assessments. This prevents data from accumulating without analysis. Use predictive analytics selectively. Start with condition-based monitoring on the most critical equipment before expanding to comprehensive predictive maintenance programs. Train staff to interpret data correctly. Many maintenance teams struggle to translate reports into actionable improvements to the maintenance workflow. Provide specific examples of how data should influence scheduling and resource allocation decisions. Conclusion The difference between organizations that thrive and those that struggle often comes down to the selection of a maintenance strategy. The right preventive maintenance program can: Reduce equipment failures by 70-75% Extend equipment lifespan by 20-40% Cut maintenance costs by 25-40% Yet many organizations continue using ineffective strategies simply because "that's how we've always done it." Don't let tradition or inertia dictate your maintenance future. The data, tools, and knowledge exist to choose and implement the perfect preventive maintenance program for your needs. Start with an honest assessment. Match strategies to equipment characteristics. Invest in appropriate technology like WorkTrek's comprehensive CMMS platform. Monitor results relentlessly. Adjust based on data. Your equipment is waiting. Your budget is ready. Your competitive advantage depends on it.

Key Takeaways: A healthy backlog is essential for maximizing maintenance labor productivity, but it requires active management. Reactive maintenance rapidly inflates the maintenance backlog. 27 days of downtime per year are due to planned or unplanned maintenance activities. The cost of an hour of unplanned downtime has doubled in the last five years. Is your team constantly pulled from planned maintenance to deal with urgent breakdowns?  This struggle is often a symptom of a growing and disorganized maintenance backlog.  While backlogs are unavoidable and often a necessary part of the job, leaving pending work unmanaged can directly jeopardize operations.  In this article, we’ll break down what a maintenance backlog is, why it grows, and some of the risks it poses if left unchecked. What Is a Maintenance Backlog? Let's start by defining exactly what a maintenance backlog is. Like any other backlog, a maintenance backlog is simply a list of all outstanding maintenance tasks.  It includes all necessary repair, preventive, and predictive work that has been identified but not yet completed. Essentially, this is work you know about, but your team hasn't started or perhaps hasn't even scheduled it yet.  To visualize how these tasks can be organized, take a look at the example below. Source: WorkTrek Of course, the specific way a backlog is tracked can vary.  Some teams use simple spreadsheets like the one shown above, while others rely on modern computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS).  Regardless of the tool, the basics are the same.  A backlog is typically calculated in man-hours, the total estimated labor hours required to complete all listed tasks. However, keep in mind that having a backlog is not automatically a bad thing.  A healthy, well-managed backlog is actually a useful tool, as it helps you prioritize important jobs and plan your team's workload effectively.  But major issues can arise when this backlog becomes too large and grows uncontrollably. What Causes Maintenance Backlogs? Now, it's time to dig into why maintenance backlogs tend to grow.  There are several common culprits, often working together to create an ever-increasing list of tasks. Lack of Resources Balancing the resources available for maintenance work is the biggest factor contributing to a growing backlog.  When a facility operates with limited staffing, it becomes difficult to address maintenance tasks as they arise.  This inevitably causes work to pile up, ultimately adding to the backlog. Furthermore, a lack of physical resources, such as essential spare parts, or long delivery times for specialized components, can also stall planned work.  This forces teams to delay repairs even when labor is available.  Owe Forsberg, VP of consulting services at IDCON, a company specializing in reliability and maintenance consulting, emphasizes the challenge of effectively managing this aspect. Illustration: WorkTrek / Quote: IDCON He elaborates that maintenance teams need to plan long-term resource demands meticulously.  This includes accurate time estimates for tasks, realistic staffing estimates, and proper scheduling.  Calculating and planning are key here, even with simple metrics like crew weeks, i.e., the total available labor hours for maintenance in a given week.  For instance, a team of 10 workers, each working 40 hours a week, has 400 available hours, which equals one crew week of capacity. Source: WorkTrek In general, it's recommended to maintain a backlog of about 2-4 crew weeks.  If your backlog consistently exceeds this range, it's usually a clear indicator that resources are insufficient or poorly utilized, leading to an expanding list of overdue work.  Ultimately, addressing this can mean re-evaluating staffing, improving planning, or securing additional budget, but it’s essential for reducing backlogs. Overly Reactive Approach to Maintenance A persistent lack of resources, combined with poor planning, often forces maintenance teams to adopt an overly reactive approach. This means less preventive work gets done, leaving teams constantly responding to failures as they happen.  This is commonly referred to as run-to-failure maintenance, in which equipment is used until it fails, and maintenance is performed only then.  The ideal, however, is to shift towards greater proactivity and less reactivity.  According to reliability expert Ricky Smith, the goal should be zero-backlog maintenance, where more than 80% of maintenance work is proactive.  He explains that the main focus should always be on preventing issues before they occur. Illustration: WorkTrek / Quote: PlantServices He goes on to explain that a proactive approach includes a mix of preventive, detective, and predictive technologies to spot problems before they become critical failures. A major part of being proactive is basing maintenance work on actual equipment conditions, often using automated reminders facilitated by a software solution.  For instance, modern CMMS solutions like WorkTrek are designed specifically for this purpose.  Source: WorkTrek Beyond its powerful functionalities for tracking and managing your maintenance backlog, you can set up automations and notifications to streamline your work. These can be triggers that activate after a piece of equipment has run for a set number of hours, or for specific meter readings. Source: WorkTrek When a piece of equipment triggers its preset threshold, the system can automatically generate a work order and add it to the schedule.  This proactive approach saves significant resources by eliminating the need for constant manual checking.  Most importantly, it provides consistency and ensures critical maintenance is done before a failure occurs, directly preventing the emergency breakdowns that build up your backlog. Aging Equipment The causes of maintenance backlogs extend beyond just poor planning or reactive practices.The physical equipment itself often plays a major role, especially when you are dealing with aging machinery that naturally depreciates over time.  Different types of equipment have different operational lifespans. Source: WorkTrek While many machines can last for years or even decades, ensuring they remain at peak performance will require increasing maintenance as they age.  This is simply because components wear out, efficiency drops, and older designs may be less reliable or tolerant to stress. And, as senior engineer Kevin Severin explains, simply finding replacement parts for older equipment can become a significant challenge. Illustration: WorkTrek / Quote: Control Engineering He explains that this may be because the original manufacturer no longer exists, has stopped producing the specific parts, or the old components no longer meet new regulatory standards.  All of this contributes directly to backlog growth by slowing down repairs and extending downtime. Ultimately, older equipment creates more work, more delays, and more complexity, making backlog growth almost inevitable without a plan in place.  While some of this increase in maintenance is inevitable, it can be mitigated through more proactive, strategic maintenance management. Only by staying ahead of wear-and-tear can teams keep aging assets from overwhelming maintenance schedules and fueling the backlog. Consequences of Unmanaged Backlogs Now that we've seen why a backlog can grow, it's critical to understand the consequences.  Think of an unmanaged backlog as a list of active operational risks.  When this list gets too long, it can lead to serious problems, starting with the most visible one: downtime. Increased Downtime With a large maintenance backlog, teams usually focus on the most urgent, high-priority tasks first.  This means less-critical repairs and preventive maintenance tasks get delayed.  While this prioritization makes sense in the short term, the problem is that as the backlog persists, non-critical tasks start to accumulate.  Each delayed task increases the risk of an unexpected equipment breakdown. If we look at data from Plant Engineering, 15% of all unplanned downtime is caused by a lack of time to perform maintenance. Illustration: WorkTrek / Data: Plant Engineering Plus, the single biggest cause of unplanned downtime, aging equipment, is also directly linked to this.  As we discussed earlier, older machines require more maintenance, and when that work is neglected, they fail more often. These downtime occurrences are extremely costly.  They disrupt your operations, stalling production, wasting raw materials, and leaving labor idle.  To make matters worse, even planned maintenance can cause downtime.  Watco’s research shows that facilities can lose an average of 27 days per year to downtime due to maintenance activities alone. Illustration: WorkTrek / Data: Watco When backlogs are unmanaged, maintenance becomes more reactive and chaotic, further increasing total downtime.  Ultimately, emergency downtime forces teams to focus all their resources on the immediate breakage, pushing all other planned tasks and preventive maintenance right back onto the backlog.  It becomes an infinite loop: the backlog causes downtime, and the downtime makes the backlog grow. More Safety Risks When maintenance backlogs are poorly managed, equipment can quickly become unsafe. If essential preventive maintenance is constantly pushed back due to an overwhelming backlog, you are compromising the safety of your maintenance crews and equipment operators.  Why? Because minor faults, leaks, or structural weaknesses that would have been found and fixed during a routine inspection go unnoticed and worsen until they turn into a serious safety hazard. Plus, certain situations can arise that pose serious risks to the environment and surrounding communities. For example, neglected equipment that fails can cause serious environmental damage. In one such case, unmaintained equipment failed, which resulted in significant water pollution near a Ballarat wastewater plant in Australia. Source: Facebook Along with the environmental danger, the resulting fines can be costly.  In this specific case, a utility company in Ballarat faced fines of over $280,000.  Because of scenarios like this, managing your backlog should be a primary safety and compliance concern, and not just an operational one.  Higher Costs An unmanaged maintenance backlog is a guarantee of significantly higher operational costs.  Simply put, increased and unplanned downtime caused by neglected tasks translates directly into massive financial losses. In fact, according to a 2024 Siemens study, the cost of a single hour of unplanned downtime has doubled over the last five years, with the average cost surpassing $800,000. Source: Siemens Despite these crippling costs, another survey by ABB reports that 21% of organizations still primarily rely on run-to-failure maintenance.  This means they only fix equipment when serious failures occur, resulting in the greatest damage and the most expensive, disruptive repairs. So, what can you do to avoid all this? Erik Hupjé, founder and director of Reliability Academy, explains that certain practices can be implemented to mitigate costs and organize your backlog efficiently.  Interestingly, he argues that you actually want a managed backlog to exist to reduce costs: "In most industrial plants, you can’t afford to have maintenance crews sitting around waiting for work to come through."  The point here is clear: maintenance labor is a significant, high-value expense, and having a controlled backlog of planned work is the most efficient way to utilize your crews.  It ensures that, as soon as one job is finished, the next one is ready to go, thus maximizing work time and productivity.  Without this buffer of planned work, technicians would be idle, waiting for the next emergency or for new work orders to be created and scheduled. So, the choice isn't between having a maintenance backlog or not. It’s between having a chaotic, expensive one and a controlled, cost-saving one. Conclusion We've now explored the core concept of a maintenance backlog, digging into what drives its accumulation and the operational and safety risks of letting it spiral out of control.  We hope that you now grasp the seriousness of unaddressed maintenance and recognize its signs.  Use this knowledge to get your team to start prioritizing and tackling those tasks today, and move from reactive emergency work to proactive, planned asset maintenance.

Key Takeaways: Scheduling is considered the single biggest barrier to workplace training.  Heavy equipment and industrial manufacturing lose £60B annually due to downtime. Employees want to quit their work when they lack the skills to do the job effectively. When most people think of a CMMS, they picture maintenance scheduling, inventory and asset management, and reporting on maintenance performance.  And they’re right, that’s what it’s best known for.  But here’s something you might not realize: your CMMS can also be a powerful tool for training your technicians. It’s not a benefit that gets talked about often, but it should be.  A CMMS can make the entire process faster, more effective, and a whole lot less error-prone.  So how exactly does it work?  Keep reading to find out. We’ll break down five ways a CMMS can level up your maintenance training and show you how to put it to work in this often-overlooked role. Enables Efficient Training Scheduling  A CMMS gives you real-time visibility into work schedules, technician assignments, and equipment availability, making it easier to slot training sessions at optimal times:  Source: WorkTrek With built-in calendar features, you can quickly identify planned downtime windows for training, while also reviewing priority levels to ensure sessions don’t interfere with urgent tasks. That’s extremely valuable, as nowadays, finding the right time for training seems harder than the training itself.  The 2021 Intertek Alchemy survey backs this up, revealing that scheduling is considered the single biggest barrier to workplace training.  Illustration: WorkTrek / Data: Intertek Alchemy This is especially true in industrial environments, where productivity targets and training hours feel like they’re constantly at war.  In these sectors, many companies still operate under the belief that every minute on the clock should be spent on the line.  After all, downtime is expensive. For instance, IDS-INDATA projects that in 2025, downtime losses could reach £60 billion in heavy equipment and industrial manufacturing and £12 billion in the automotive sector.  Illustration: WorkTrek / Data: IDS-INDATA It’s no surprise, then, that companies hesitate to pause operations for training. However, here’s the paradox: skipping training only makes downtime more likely.  Without well-trained teams, you risk more frequent breakdowns, slower responses, and mounting costs from unplanned outages. That’s why CMMS tools make such a difference.  By providing full visibility into your operations, they allow you to balance training with the assets’ maintenance needs, ultimately preventing delays, skipped sessions, and conflicts with critical work.  As a result, you can finally have both: a workforce that’s properly trained and a facility that keeps running at peak performance. Serves as a Centralized Knowledge Base A CMMS serves as a centralized digital hub for all maintenance-related information.  This can include equipment manuals, SOPs, safety guidelines, troubleshooting guides, and even multimedia resources such as videos or annotated photos.  So, instead of technicians having to search through binders or emails, everything becomes organized, searchable, and instantly accessible on desktop or mobile devices. This matters because technicians learn faster, gain confidence, and perform better when they can quickly find the information they need.  Yes, this boosts overall efficiency, but it also keeps your team engaged and supported.  In fact, according to the 2025 Axonify survey, when employees lack the skills or resources to do their jobs effectively, they often feel overwhelmed, embarrassed, or even consider quitting. Illustration: WorkTrek / Data: Axonify In other words, failure to provide essential data can directly affect your employee retention rates.  Luckily, with a CMMS, employees get the knowledge they need in seconds, whether they are in the office or in the field.  Take our own solution, WorkTrek, as an example. With our tool, you can access complete asset data, including location, warranty details, maintenance history, and more, all within one platform available across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.  Source: WorkTrek You can also integrate hazard and risk information, required PPE, and lockout/tagout procedures for each asset to ensure safety and compliance. Additionally, customizable forms and checklists can be attached to preventive maintenance, work orders, or logs.  That way, trainees can access consistent, up-to-date instructions anytime, which reinforces learning and builds independence. Why waste time with scattered, disorganized training materials when you can make everything centralized and accessible, whenever and wherever it’s needed?  With a CMMS like WorkTrek, your people can finally spend less time searching for information and more time putting that information to work.  Enables Learning from Past Successes and Failures A CMMS doesn’t just display current data. It also preserves valuable historical information.  Source: WorkTrek It maintains detailed records for each asset, including when issues occurred, what caused them, how they were resolved, and which solutions proved most effective. Such historical data forms a rich library of real-world case studies that trainers can use to highlight both best practices and mistakes to avoid.  A KPMG study has shown that trainees prefer a blend of learning approaches, from virtual workshops and hands-on learning to digital resources.  Illustration: WorkTrek / Data: KPMG Historical maintenance data fits into this by allowing trainees to see the real-world impact of good and poor maintenance practices.  It teaches them not only the “how,” but also the “why” behind procedures, but without any of the risks of real-world errors. Ultimately, by reviewing past decisions and their outcomes, trainees can better understand the consequences of their own actions.  Without this insight, they might repeat mistakes, miss warning signs, or underestimate the importance of preventive measures.  As Sarah Ischer, Senior Director, Expertise at What Works Institute, a research-to-practice think tank and learning community for environmental, health, safety & sustainability, points out:  Illustration: WorkTrek / Quote: ISM Although she’s speaking about safety training here, the same principle applies to maintenance. Workers need to understand the real consequences of poor practices for the lessons to resonate truly. Since it isn’t always feasible to let mistakes play out in real life, historical data becomes a powerful training tool, helping teams learn from the past and become more engaged. Streamlines Communication Between Trainers and Trainees A CMMS provides built-in communication tools that enable trainers and trainees to interact directly within the system.  Trainers can leave comments on work orders (shown below), provide step-by-step guidance, attach instructional materials, and send reminders about upcoming tasks or deadlines.  Source: WorkTrek Many CMMS platforms also support mobile notifications and messaging, ensuring feedback and updates reach trainees in real time, no matter where they are.  This significantly improves communication between trainers and trainees, and some recent studies even back this up. Illustration: WorkTrek / Data: UpKeep This is extremely important because clear communication is the foundation of effective skill development.  Without it, trainees may misunderstand instructions, make errors, or hesitate to ask questions.  Traditional methods, such as paper notes or verbal instructions, can be inconsistent and easily lost, but a CMMS centralizes guidance, documents it, and makes it accessible when it’s needed.  This fosters an environment that accelerates skill acquisition, improves retention, and builds confidence in new technicians. The 2024 Grammarly survey supports this, showing that the majority of business leaders observed increased employee productivity and confidence due to effective communication.  Illustration: WorkTrek / Data: Grammarly With a CMMS, communication becomes more effective than ever.  Trainees receive prompt feedback, are able to clarify any doubts right away, and their learning process becomes much smoother and more streamlined.  Helps Monitor Training Outcomes Simply providing training to your team isn’t enough.  To build a strong maintenance culture, you need to continuously monitor, analyze, and refine your training efforts.  A CMMS makes this possible with powerful reporting capabilities that track technician performance over time across multiple metrics, such as: Task Completion AccuracyThe percentage of maintenance tasks or work orders completed correctly without errorsTime to CompetencyHow long does it take a trainee to reach a predefined level of skill or independenceWork Order Rework or Repeat MaintenanceThe number or percentage of work orders that must be redone due to errorsEquipment Downtime Post-TrainingReduction in downtime caused by human error or improper maintenanceMaintenance Response TimeHow quickly a trained technician responds to and resolves a maintenance issue Armed with this objective and detailed data, you can compare performance against benchmarks or senior technicians’ standards and determine whether new skills are being applied effectively.  This reveals the areas where your training program needs improvement, allowing you to provide personalized feedback and adjust the training plan dynamically. Relying solely on observation or manual reporting makes this nearly impossible.  A CMMS and its analytics capabilities, however, ensure training is measurable, consistent, and directly aligned with actual performance needs.  The 2023 Databox survey supports this, showing that the majority of companies report improved performance through monitoring and reporting.  Specifically, they highlighted benefits such as increased effectiveness, easier trend identification, and even improved financial outcomes. Illustration: WorkTrek / Data: Databox The lesson is quite clear: to improve anything, you must track it over time.  Maintenance training is no different.  By monitoring trainees’ progress with accurate, up-to-date data, you can see what works, what doesn’t, and take action to enhance your program.  After all, what good is training if it doesn’t deliver the results you need? Conclusion Your CMMS is more than just a tool for maintaining assets.  When used to its fullest potential, it empowers your people, giving them everything they need to work efficiently, safely, and with confidence.  That’s a real game-changer.  With a well-trained maintenance team, your entire operation becomes stronger and more resilient, especially if downtime is typically a big issue for you. 

Key Takeaways: Despite acknowledging the risk of knowledge loss, only 22% of organizations have formal processes for documenting maintenance training. Using a CMMS helps turn maintenance documentation into a living knowledge base. Investing in staff training reduces reliance on costly outsourced repairs. More often than not, facility maintenance comes with a lot of unavoidable costs: from machinery repairs to staffing needs and equipment upgrades. The last thing that maintenance managers want to add to that list is training. But training is not just another line item that you can skip or postpone, especially in regulation-heavy industries. It’s essential for keeping your operations running smoothly, minimizing downtime, and ensuring the safety of your people and equipment. In this guide, we’re sharing what your maintenance training program should include, what benefits it brings, and what types of training you should consider. What Should a Maintenance Training Program Include? The exact definition of a good maintenance training program will vary across industries, organizations, and even specific technical roles. For instance, maintenance training in a chemical plant should extensively cover the handling and storage of hazardous waste. The same wouldn’t be considered highly relevant for commercial property maintenance. However, certain key topics should be covered in every training program: Source: WorkTrek Identifying these key topics and training your maintenance staff on them is the first (and the biggest) step. But even the most thorough, well-planned training won’t mean much if your maintenance processes aren’t systematically documented and easily repeatable. Let’s explore that in more detail. How to Document Maintenance Training Activities? The goal of training is not just to transfer knowledge, but also to ensure that it can be applied consistently by all maintenance staff, regardless of their experience level. Yet, many organizations are struggling with the concept of documenting training activities. In the UK, for instance, industrial organizations lose an average of £240,000 in productivity per retiring maintenance specialist solely due to undocumented knowledge. Although the majority of them think that knowledge loss is a business risk, only 22% follow organized knowledge documentation processes. Illustration: WorkTrek / Data: Mainstream To make matters worse, manually documenting proper maintenance procedures is still all too common. Yes, using spreadsheets and paper logs might seem easier and more affordable at first glance. But they’re not going to ensure the data's accuracy, consistency, and accessibility, which are essential for knowledge transfer. Joel Tesdall, President of MAPCON Technologies Inc., agrees: “If you don't have software to do that, you're doing everything on paper. That might work out to start with, but it's not going to make you very efficient.” That is why he suggests using software tools, such as CMMS, to support the documentation process. Take our own solution, WorkTrek, as an example. WorkTrek provides a central platform to organize, schedule, and track all maintenance-related activities. It allows maintenance managers to assign tasks, monitor completion rates, and ensure employees have the skills needed for specific equipment or procedures. Source: WorkTrek But CMMS doesn’t just improve operational efficiency. It also serves as a knowledge base. Every task, procedure, and workflow that you enter into WorkTrek can later be referenced for training purposes. In other words, new hires can get insight into your facility’s procedures through real-life examples. Source: WorkTrek In short, ensuring that all procedures are documented creates the foundation for efficient and safe maintenance operations at your facility. Benefits of Maintenance Training Now that we’ve covered what maintenance training should focus on, you might be wondering, “How do we convince the decision-makers that it’s worth the money?” That can be a challenge, as training is often viewed as a budget drain rather than a core strategic investment. With that in mind, let’s explore some of the biggest benefits of maintenance training. Increased Maintenance Staff Retention  Maintenance training is meant to equip your staff with the technical skills they need to perform their jobs well. But its impact extends beyond just technical competence. Knowing which tools to use, how different systems work, and which procedures to follow, because someone took the time to educate them, instills a sense of confidence in your staff. And when they feel capable, they also experience higher job satisfaction. According to the 2025 State of Industrial Maintenance Report, skilled labor shortage is one of the top challenges facing maintenance leaders. Illustration: WorkTrek / Data: MaintainX With labor shortage being such a serious problem, ensuring that your staff feel happy and supported is critical for retaining them. Training plays a huge role in achieving that, and it makes sense why that is the case. Mastering the skills maintenance technicians need for day-to-day operations is bound to reduce frustration, and continuous learning helps keep the job engaging. But most of all, knowing that the organization invests in their growth fosters loyalty among employees.  Pablo Paz, national service training manager with over a decade of experience, thinks so, too. Illustration: WorkTrek / Quote: Multi-Housing News However, forums like Reddit are teeming with threads in which maintenance technicians admit that formal training is more often an exception, rather than a rule. Source: Reddit The “no training needed” approach seems to be the norm, and it contributes to skills gaps and difficulties in retaining staff. However, if structured maintenance training becomes the new normal, facilities can strengthen not just the expertise of their staff but also their loyalty. Fewer Safety Incidents Another important benefit of maintenance training is its impact on fostering safety awareness in your facility. It emphasizes safe operating procedures and emergency protocols. Ultimately, this builds a culture of safety where employees are less likely to make mistakes that are not just costly but also dangerous. According to research conducted by Watco, 26% of facilities managers say that slips, trips, and falls have impacted them. Illustration: WorkTrek / Data: Watco The same study estimates that non-fatal workplace injuries cost companies over £500 million each year.  This includes not just injury and insurance payouts, but also hidden costs such as administration, production delays, equipment damage, and even reputational damage. Despite all this, safety awareness remains a low priority for many. Why?  Tim Roback, Engineering Manager at Rockwell Automation, offers an explanation. “Number one, in many cases, people aren't comfortable interpreting and applying the safety standards. Number two, they don't see the opportunity for increased productivity with safety improvements, so it's always an educational process to explain that safety can add value. It's not just a cost.” Simply put, too much emphasis is placed on productivity and cost savings, while not enough is given to the benefits that safety improvements can offer. To make matters worse, ignoring safety will only end up costing you more. Illustration: WorkTrek / Quote: Automate  The solution?  Make safety awareness a core part of your maintenance training. The sooner you start seeing education on safety procedures as an investment, the sooner you’ll reap the benefits: fewer injuries and incidents, and fewer costs that come with them. Reduced Downtime Well-trained staff can detect and address maintenance issues before they escalate into costly breakdowns.  As a result, unplanned downtime is minimized and production schedules remain on track. Things don’t always run that smoothly, though. In reality, unexpected equipment breakdowns continue to be the most reported challenge in 2025, with 41% of maintenance teams mentioning them. This is yet another issue that maintenance training can help overcome. In fact, according to 27% of maintenance professionals, improving the quality and frequency of training is the most effective way to reduce unplanned downtime incidents. Illustration: WorkTrek / Data: MaintainX The other two approaches reported by the respondents—maintenance strategy improvements and replacing old equipment—play a significant role in reducing downtime, too. However, these might not be as easy to implement. Overhauling your entire maintenance strategy takes significant planning, time, and financial resources. Likewise, replacing outdated equipment requires substantial financial investment and carries the risk of production downtime. In comparison, improving your maintenance training program is much more manageable. You don’t have to transform everything overnight. Start with the basics, and build momentum from there. Doing this will help you create a culture of continuous improvement, reduce unnecessary downtime, and save you money in the process. Lower Repair Costs  You might think that putting money towards the newest machinery and automation solutions is the smartest investment. After all, they promise increased productivity and seamless performance, so spending on maintenance training may seem unnecessary. But the reality is that, even with the most advanced equipment, breakdowns and malfunctions are inevitable. No machine will work perfectly 100% of the time, so having employees who know how to identify early warning signs and perform proper upkeep is priceless. Otherwise, you’ll be forced to outsource repairs at a premium. Greg Wortman, Operations Manager at Redimix Companies, says that investing in your own people is undoubtedly the more affordable option. Illustration: WorkTrek / Quote: MaintainX As Wortman explains, relying on subcontractors to fix your equipment often doesn’t just result in additional expenses. It also puts you at risk of repairs being done incorrectly. This can lead to recurring issues with the equipment, reduced equipment lifespan, and more serious consequences. The case of the Air Midwest Flight 5481 from 2003 demonstrates just how dangerous maintenance outsourcing can be. Negligent repairs to the tail section of the plane caused the pilot to lose control, causing him to crash into a hangar at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport and killing 21 people.  Source: NBC News As it turns out, the airline had outsourced its maintenance checks to a company in West Virginia, which then subcontracted the work to another company. Tragic stories like this teach an important lesson: when maintenance is outsourced, especially without proper oversight, the risks far outweigh the benefits. That is why investing in training your in-house maintenance staff is both a smart financial decision and the best way to safeguard your people and equipment. Types of Maintenance Training Programs There are various types of maintenance programs, each serving a different purpose depending on your team’s needs and goals. We’ll explore three key types: skill-based, cross-functional, and industry-specific. Skill-Level Based Maintenance training programs are designed based on skill level, considering the worker’s career stage and level of responsibility. This type of training can further be divided into entry-level, advanced, and management-level training. Entry-level training focuses on educating your maintenance staff on basic technical skills and safety procedures. This type of training is supposed to get them comfortable with performing routine maintenance tasks, but it also sets the foundation for further training as they gain more experience. It may be tempting to dismiss entry-level skills as too simple, but in a labor market that is short on expertise, they provide the stepping stone to career growth. In other words, once a maintenance technician has these basic skills under their belt, they can be trained up further. As JD Solomon, Senior Consultant at J.D. Solomon, Inc., explains, that is exactly what many employers are relying on today. Illustration: WorkTrek / Quote: UpKeep That is where advanced training comes in. It teaches maintenance technicians about specialized techniques and diagnostics, and exposes them to more complex systems.  At this stage, they learn to handle troubleshooting, predictive technologies, and preventive maintenance strategies.  This ultimately prepares them to solve higher-level problems and support more efficient operations. Finally, there’s management training, such as IFMA’s Leadership and Strategy Course. Source: IFMA  This type of training is geared toward maintenance leaders, supervisors, and managers who are responsible for overseeing teams and budgets.  Its goal is to help managers learn how to balance resources, improve uptime, and align maintenance with business goals. Cross-Functional With the aforementioned shortages of skilled labor, cross-functional maintenance training is becoming increasingly popular. The goal of such training programs is to broaden employees’ skill sets beyond their primary role. So, if a technician is trained in mechanical repairs, providing them with basic electrical diagnostics training could be beneficial. That way, they can address a broader range of issues within the facility, meaning that you don’t have to outsource a specialist to solve them. This type of training is a win for both the technician and your facility: They get to expand their skillset, and your facility experiences less downtime due to a reduced dependency on outside specialists. Woody Rogers, Maintenance Supervisor at the facilities services company Cintas, understands this well. That is why they found a creative solution for cross-training their staff: training videos. Illustration: WorkTrek / Quote: MaintainX Training videos are a great way to share knowledge and cross-train. They show technicians exactly how to perform a task, instead of just telling them, which makes it easier to understand and retain the process. But there’s more to it: they’re also more accessible and easily revisited, which eliminates the need for repeat in-person training. Overall, they are a less costly way to cross-train your maintenance staff, which makes skill-building more consistent and scalable. Industry-Specific Different industries have different equipment, compliance requirements, and safety standards, so industry-specific training is often non-negotiable. For instance, maintenance in healthcare facilities can be especially demanding. It impacts patient safety and infection control, but also requires compliance with strict regulations. Key training areas for healthcare maintenance professionals include: Medical Equipment MaintenanceServicing, calibrating, and repairing specialized devices like MRI machines, infusion pumps, sterilizers, and ventilators.Infection Control ProceduresCleaning, disinfecting, and maintaining equipment to meet healthcare hygiene standards.Life Safety SystemsTraining on fire alarms, emergency lighting, HVAC, and backup power systems.Regulatory ComplianceUnderstanding OSHA standards and state or country-specific codes. So, how can aspiring maintenance professionals in the healthcare industry obtain this knowledge? There is a variety of formal training programs they can pursue, along with a mix of certifications and on-the-job training. Many healthcare facilities require certifications such as Certified Healthcare Facility Manager (CHFM) or training through organizations like the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE). One Reddit user also recommends additional helpful resources and accreditations to consider: Source: Reddit But healthcare isn’t the only industry that requires specialized maintenance training. For instance, in chemical manufacturing, maintenance technicians need to be trained in hazardous materials handling and leak detection, and they must also comply with OSHA and EPA regulations. Those who want to work in maintenance in nuclear plants, on the other hand, require specialized training in radiation safety and advanced diagnostic skills. The bottom line is, industry-specific training builds on the foundation of basic maintenance skills and takes them to a whole new level. So, technicians who have the ambition to grow will benefit from mastering these specialized areas. Conclusion If you used to think that maintenance training was a necessary evil that might as well be skipped, we hope that this article changed your mind. Because the truth is, maintenance training isn’t an unnecessary cost.  It’s a long-term, strategic investment in the safety and efficiency of your facility. Of course, if training hasn’t been a priority so far, don’t feel the pressure to overhaul everything at once. Start by focusing on the most critical skills and documenting key procedures, and build on them over time. That way, training will slowly become a sustainable, ongoing part of your maintenance culture.

Key Takeaways: Preventive maintenance delivers an average 545% ROI, with every dollar invested saving up to $5 in future costs Organizations implementing preventive maintenance programs reduce equipment failures by 70-75% and unplanned downtime by 30-50% Equipment lifespan extends by 20-40% with proper preventive maintenance, delaying costly repairs Manufacturing companies lose $1.4 trillion annually to unplanned downtime—preventive maintenance is the proven solution Are you still relying on reactive maintenance, waiting for equipment to break before fixing it? If so, you're not alone. Research shows that 21% of facilities still operate primarily in reactive mode, treating equipment failures as inevitable rather than preventable. But here's what that approach really costs: According to Siemens, unplanned downtime at the world's top 500 companies costs $1.4 trillion annually. In the automotive sector alone, downtime now costs over $2.3 million per hour. This is a twofold increase since 2019. The solution is clear: implement preventive maintenance. Yet many organizations hesitate, viewing it as an added expense rather than the investment it truly is. These eight compelling reasons to implement a preventive maintenance program will show you why proactive maintenance isn't just smart, but essential for your organization. 1. Reduce Equipment Failures and Unplanned Downtime The immediate and most impactful benefit of implementing a preventive maintenance program is the reduction in equipment failures and unexpected downtime. The Downtime Crisis Unplanned downtime can potentially devastate operations across all industries. It often leads to costly emergency repairs, which can hit the bottom line. Fortune Global 500 companies lose 11% of their yearly turnover to unexpected equipment failures. This is a staggering financial hemorrhage that's entirely preventable. The impact varies by industry but remains consistently devastating: Source: WorkTrek The Preventive Solution A successful preventive maintenance program attacks this problem head-on. Organizations implementing comprehensive preventive maintenance achieve a 70-75% reduction in breakdowns. This means that you can eliminate three out of every four potential failures. Illustration: WorkTrek / Data: Sockeye However, this approach is not only about preventing catastrophic failures. With regular maintenance, you can catch small issues before they become major problems: Loose belts get tightened or inspections show wear before they snap Worn bearings get replaced before they seize Filters get changed before the equipment overheats Leaks get fixed before they cause damage WorkTrek's preventive maintenance software automates these routine tasks, ensuring nothing is missed and equipment stays operational. 2. Achieve Remarkable ROI and Cost Savings Perhaps the most compelling reason to implement preventive maintenance service is the extraordinary financial return it can deliver. The 545% Return Reality Jones Lang LaSalle's comprehensive study revealed that preventive maintenance delivers an average 545% return on investment. This is an almost unheard-of return in the business world. Illustration: WorkTrek / Data: IoT Analytics How does this translate to real dollars? Research consistently demonstrates that every dollar invested in preventive maintenance saves up to five dollars in future costs. Another study shows that for every $1 spent on preventive maintenance, companies save $4-5 in future repair costs. The savings come from multiple sources: Reduced repair costs: Planned maintenance costs 3-5x less than emergency repairs Lower labor costs: Eptura's research shows preventive maintenance work orders take half the time of reactive ones Decreased parts expenses: Avoiding emergency procurement and expedited shipping Energy savings: Well-maintained equipment uses 10-20% less energy Beyond Direct Savings The financial benefits of preventive maintenance extend beyond obvious cost reductions: Production Protection: Preventing a single hour of downtime in automotive manufacturing can save $2.3 million. With one prevented failure per month, it can equal $27.6 million in annual savings. Overtime Reduction: Emergency repairs often require overtime labor at 1.5-2x normal rates. Preventive maintenance eliminates most of this premium labor cost. Source: WorkTrek Improve Customer Satisfaction Preventive maintenance procedures can boost customer satisfaction by ensuring the quality and reliability of services or products. Insurance Benefits: Many insurers offer premium reductions for facilities with documented preventive maintenance programs, recognizing the reduced risk profile. WorkTrek's maintenance management system automatically tracks all these savings, providing real-time ROI calculations that justify your preventive maintenance investment. 3. Extend Equipment Lifespan Dramatically Equipment replacement represents one of the largest capital expenditures for most organizations. Implementing a preventive maintenance strategy dramatically extends equipment lifespan, delaying these costly replacements. The Longevity Equation McKinsey research found that proper preventive maintenance extends equipment life by 20-40%. Illustration: WorkTrek / Data: LLCBuddy For perspective, that means a chiller expected to last 15 years with reactive maintenance could operate effectively for 20+ years with preventive care, which can reduce maintenance costs. Consider the financial impact: $350,000 chiller lasting 5 extra years = $70,000/year in deferred replacement costs $50,000 production equipment extended by 3 years = $16,667/year saved $25,000 HVAC system lasting 4 additional years = $6,250/year avoided Studies indicate that without preventive maintenance, equipment typically loses 20% of its expected life. The Compound Effect Extending equipment lifespan delivers compound benefits: Technology advancement: Delaying replacement allows you to purchase more advanced equipment later Budget flexibility: Spreading capital expenses over more extended periods improves cash flow Sustainability: Keeping equipment operational longer reduces environmental impact Knowledge retention: Maintenance teams develop deep expertise with long-lasting equipment 4. Create a Safer Work Environment Workplace safety is a business necessity. Preventive maintenance plays a crucial role in preventing accidents and ensuring regulatory compliance. Safety by the Numbers Organizations with structured preventive maintenance programs experience 25% fewer safety incidents. Source: WorkTrek This reduction stems from: Equipment operating within design parameters Early detection of safety hazards Proper lubrication prevents mechanical failures Regular testing of safety systems Preventing Catastrophic Failures Equipment failures don't just stop production; they can pose a massive safety risk to your team. Hydraulic system failures can cause crushing injuries Electrical failures risk fires and electrocution Mechanical breakdowns can eject parts at high velocity Pressure vessel failures can cause explosions Routine preventive maintenance identifies and addresses these risks before they materialize. Regular inspections catch: Frayed electrical cables before they arc Worn safety guards before they fail Degraded emergency stops before they're needed Compromised structural components before collapse Source: WorkTrek WorkTrek's maintenance checklists include safety inspection points, ensuring maintenance technicians never overlook critical safety components. 5. Boost Operational Efficiency and Productivity A well-executed preventive maintenance can be a productivity multiplier if implemented correctly. The Efficiency Gains This improved availability translates directly to increased productivity: More production hours available Consistent output quality Predictable scheduling capability Reduced work-in-process inventory Standardization Benefits Preventive maintenance programs drive operational efficiency through standardization: Standard Operating Procedures: Every maintenance task follows documented procedures, ensuring consistency regardless of who performs the work. Illustration: WorkTrek / Data: Touchpoint Predictable Scheduling: With a fixed schedule for preventive maintenance activities, production can plan around maintenance windows rather than scrambling during breakdowns. Performance Optimization: Regular maintenance keeps equipment operating at peak performance. Studies indicate that preventive maintenance improves overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) by up to 90%. The Ripple Effect Improved efficiency extends beyond the maintenance department: Production hits its goals and achieves consistent output targets Quality improves with properly calibrated equipment Customer satisfaction increases with reliable delivery Employee morale improves without crisis management 6. Optimize Resource Utilization Preventive maintenance can transform how organizations use their maintenance resources. This is for both humans and equipment. Labor Optimization Eptura's data reveals that preventive maintenance tasks take roughly half the time of reactive work. This dramatic efficiency improvement means: Maintenance teams accomplish twice as much with the same headcount Skilled technicians focus on value-adding activities rather than firefighting Training becomes more effective with predictable work patterns Work-life balance improves without constant emergency calls Parts and Inventory Management Preventive maintenance revolutionizes spare parts management: Predictable Consumption: Knowing when parts will be needed eliminates the need for emergency procurement. Boston Consulting Group research shows this improves spare parts efficiency by 15%. Reduced Inventory Costs: No need to stock parts "just in case" when you know exactly when they'll be needed. You can optimize spare parts management by using a CMMS system like WorkTrek. Bulk Purchasing Power: Planning enables bulk orders at better prices versus emergency single-item purchases. WorkTrek's inventory management features integrate with your preventive maintenance schedule, automatically generating purchase orders when parts are needed. Technology Utilization A computerized maintenance management system maximizes technology investments: 35% improvement in maintenance scheduling efficiency with CMMS integration 40% reduction in inspection time with automated routines 50% faster inspections using mobile devices 7. Ensure Compliance and Reduce Legal Risks In today's regulatory environment, compliance is critical to all maintenance organizations. Preventive maintenance programs provide the documentation and consistency required for regulatory compliance. Regulatory Requirements Source: WorkTrek Many industries face strict maintenance regulations: FDA requirements for pharmaceutical and food production OSHA safety standards for all industries EPA environmental regulations Industry-specific standards (ISO, API, ASME) Non-compliance results in: Regulatory fines and penalties Forced shutdowns Legal liability for accidents Loss of certifications and licenses Documentation Excellence Preventive maintenance provides the paper trail regulators demand: Scheduled maintenance records proving proper care Inspection reports documenting safety checks Repair histories showing proactive management Training records demonstrating competency Research indicates that 82% of maintenance managers see improved compliance with safety standards through preventive maintenance programs. Risk Mitigation Beyond compliance, preventive maintenance reduces legal exposure: Fewer accidents mean fewer lawsuits Documentation provides legal defense Insurance companies recognize reduced risk with lower premiums Due diligence demonstration in case of incidents 8. Gain Competitive Advantage Through Reliability In today's competitive marketplace, equipment reliability can drive increased profitability. The Customer Satisfaction Connection Equipment reliability directly impacts customer experience: On-time delivery: No production delays from equipment failures Consistent quality: Properly maintained equipment produces consistent output Service reliability: No service interruptions from facility equipment failures Price stability: Lower maintenance costs enable competitive pricing Organizations with effective preventive maintenance programs achieve 60-80% better equipment reliability than those using reactive maintenance. Market Positioning Benefits Reliable operations create competitive advantages: Capacity Confidence: Bid on all-sized contracts knowing you can deliver without equipment-related delays. Premium Pricing: Customers pay more for reliable suppliers who won't cause them problems. Partnership Opportunities: Other businesses prefer partners with stable, reliable operations that can deliver what they promise. Growth Capability: Scale operations confidently, knowing maintenance and your equipment won't become a bottleneck. The Innovation Dividend When maintenance teams aren't constantly fighting fires, they can focus on improvement: Implementing new technologies like predictive maintenance Optimizing processes for better efficiency Training on advanced techniques Contributing to continuous improvement initiatives Overcoming Implementation Barriers Despite these compelling benefits, some organizations remain reluctant to implement preventive maintenance due to perceived barriers. Addressing Upfront Costs Yes, implementing a preventive maintenance program requires initial investment. However, ROI typically appears within 8-16 months, with mature programs delivering 300-500% annual returns. Source: WorkTrek Start small: Focus on critical assets first Use early wins to fund expansion Leverage technology like WorkTrek's scalable platform that grows with your needs Managing the Transition Moving from reactive to preventive maintenance requires change management: Involve maintenance teams in planning Provide comprehensive training Celebrate early successes Share metrics showing improvement Only 20-30% of organizations follow comprehensive preventive maintenance schedules, indicating a massive opportunity for competitive advantage. Technology Adoption Illustration: WorkTrek / Data: Repairist Modern preventive maintenance software makes implementation easier than ever: Cloud-based systems require minimal IT infrastructure Mobile apps enable immediate adoption Automated scheduling reduces administrative burden Built-in analytics prove value quickly Conclusion Begin with these immediate steps: Calculate your current costs: Add up emergency repairs, downtime, and overtime from the last year Select pilot equipment: Choose 2-3 critical assets for initial implementation Deploy technology: Implement a CMMS like WorkTrek for visibility and control Create your first preventive maintenance schedule: Start with manufacturer recommendations Track your results: Monitor the reduction in failures and emergency repairs Remember, every day without preventive maintenance costs money. Equipment that could be maintained for $100 today might fail tomorrow, requiring $500 in emergency repairs plus thousands in downtime costs. But it's not too late. The tools, knowledge, and support exist to transform your maintenance operations from reactive chaos to proactive control. Take the first step today. Because in maintenance, as in medicine, prevention is always better and cheaper.

Key Takeaways: Organizations with effective preventive maintenance programs reduce equipment failures by 70-75% and cut maintenance costs by 25-40% 88% of manufacturing facilities deploy what they consider an effective preventive maintenance plan, but only 35% execute it correctly. Successful programs achieve 90%+ PM compliance rates and 10x ROI within 12-18 months The right combination of technology, training, and continuous improvement transforms maintenance from reactive to proactive Your preventative maintenance program exists, but is it actually working? This question keeps maintenance managers awake at night, and for good reason. While 88% of manufacturing companies claim to use preventive maintenance, research shows that only 35% spend most of their maintenance time on scheduled activities. The rest remain trapped in reactive maintenance cycles, fighting fires instead of preventing them. Illustration: WorkTrek / Data: ReliablePlant The disconnect is staggering. Despite having preventive maintenance procedures in place, most organizations still experience unexpected equipment failures, costly repairs, and unplanned downtime that drain budgets and disrupt operations. That's because having a preventative maintenance program isn't enough. You also need an effective one. The difference between mediocre and exceptional preventive maintenance programs lies in execution, optimization, and continuous improvement. These 10 tips will transform your existing maintenance operations from reactive chaos to proactive control. 1. Start with Asset Criticality Analysis Not every piece of equipment deserves equal attention in your preventative maintenance schedules and program. Spreading resources evenly across all assets is a recipe for inefficiency and equipment failures, which hurt most when they occur. Prioritize Your Critical Equipment Research shows that critical assets typically make up only 20% of total equipment, yet they drive 80% of your operation's value. The key to success is to focus your preventive maintenance activities here first. Categorize your assets based on: Production impact: Single points of failure that halt operations Safety risks: Equipment whose failure could cause injury Replacement costs: High-value assets requiring major capital investment Regulatory requirements: Equipment subject to compliance standards Customer impact: Assets affecting service delivery or product quality WorkTrek's asset management features enable you to systematically classify and prioritize equipment, ensuring maintenance resources flow to where they matter most. Tailor Maintenance Intensity by Criticality Once classified, adjust your maintenance approach: Source: WorkTrek This approach ensures critical equipment receives the attention needed to prevent costly failures while avoiding over-maintenance of less essential assets. 2. Leverage a Computerized Maintenance Management System Manual maintenance management is a losing battle and time-consuming. Paper-based systems and spreadsheets can't handle the complexity of modern preventive maintenance programs. The CMMS Advantage Industry data shows that 53% of facilities now use a CMMS to monitor their maintenance, and for good reason. Organizations that implement CMMS software see the following benefits: 20% increase in equipment availability 30% reduction in maintenance costs 25% decrease in emergency repairs 50% improvement in schedule compliance Source: WorkTrek A computerized maintenance management system like WorkTrek transforms maintenance operations by: Automating preventive maintenance schedule generation Providing mobile access for maintenance technicians Tracking maintenance history automatically Managing spare parts inventory Generating key performance indicators instantly Choose Technology That Works Not all maintenance software is built the same. Look for solutions that offer: User-friendly interfaces that technicians actually use Mobile capabilities for field updates Integration options with existing systems Scalability to grow with your needs Comprehensive reporting for data-driven decisions 3. Establish Clear, Measurable Goals A successful preventive maintenance program requires concrete objectives. Without specific targets, you can't measure progress or demonstrate value. Define Success Metrics Set specific goals for your preventive maintenance program. Some goal examples include: Reliability Goals: Reduce equipment failures by 50% within 12 months Achieve 95% equipment availability for critical assets Decrease the mean time between failures by 30% Cost Goals: Cut emergency repair costs by 40% Reduce overtime expenses by 25% Lower total maintenance costs by 20% Efficiency Goals: Achieve 90% PM compliance rate Complete 80% of maintenance tasks within the scheduled time Reduce maintenance backlog by 60% Research indicates that organizations with clear maintenance goals are 3x more likely to achieve successful preventive maintenance outcomes. Track Progress Relentlessly Establish key performance indicators and review them regularly: Weekly team reviews of PM compliance Monthly analysis of equipment effectiveness Quarterly cost-benefit assessments Annual program optimization reviews Source: WorkTrek WorkTrek's analytics dashboard automatically tracks these KPIs, providing real-time visibility into program performance. 4. Create Detailed Preventive Maintenance Procedures Vague and unclear maintenance instructions lead to inconsistent execution and equipment failures. Your maintenance technicians need clear, step-by-step guidance for every preventive maintenance task. Develop Comprehensive Documentation Every PM procedure should include: Specific steps in logical sequence Required tools and equipment Safety guidelines and PPE requirements Time estimates for planning Pass/fail criteria for inspections Escalation procedures for issues found Source: WorkTrek Leverage Manufacturer Resources Equipment manufacturers can provide deep insight into their own products. Incorporate their recommendations: Review service manuals for recommended intervals Follow specified lubrication requirements Use approved replacement parts Adhere to warranty maintenance requirements Studies show that 77% of manufacturers rely on OEM guidelines for maintenance management, yet many fail to document these requirements properly in their procedures. Standardize Across Similar Equipment Define and create template procedures for similar equipment types: All pumps follow consistent inspection steps HVAC systems use standardized checklists Electrical systems follow uniform testing protocols This standardization improves efficiency, reduces training requirements, and ensures consistent quality. 5. Implement Smart Scheduling Strategies Poor scheduling can undermine even the best preventive maintenance plans. Your preventive maintenance schedule should balance the equipment's needs with operational demands. Optimize Maintenance Intervals Move beyond simple calendar-based scheduling to more sophisticated approaches: Usage-Based Maintenance: Schedule tasks based on actual equipment usage rather than time. A machine running 24/7 needs different intervals than one used sporadically. Condition-Based Maintenance: Use equipment condition indicators to trigger maintenance. Implementing condition monitoring can reduce unnecessary maintenance by 30% while improving reliability. Source: WorkTrek Seasonal Scheduling: Align maintenance with natural downtimes: HVAC system maintenance during mild weather and when subcontractors are more available Production equipment during slow seasons Outdoor equipment before harsh weather Coordinate Across Departments Effective scheduling requires collaboration: Production provides equipment availability windows Maintenance technicians confirm resource availability Spare parts availability from the inventory External contractors for specialized tasks WorkTrek's scheduling features automatically coordinate these factors, ensuring maintenance happens when planned, not when convenient. 6. Invest in Training and Skills Development Your maintenance team is your greatest asset and, at times, can be your most significant limitation. Without adequate training, even the best preventive maintenance procedures fail. Develop Technical Competencies Studies show that only 29% of facility managers believe their technicians are "very prepared" for modern maintenance challenges. Address this gap through: Equipment-specific training from manufacturers Latest maintenance techniques workshops Predictive maintenance technology training Safety certifications and updates Software training for CMMS and other tools Build a Knowledge-Sharing Culture Create systems for capturing and sharing expertise: Document lessons learned from equipment failures Establish mentorship programs for younger employees Create video tutorials for complex procedures. This can be included in each work order. Hold regular knowledge-sharing sessions Build a centralized database of solutions This knowledge transfer is critical as 58% of manufacturing employees have worked in the industry for over 20 years and will soon retire. 7. Balance Preventive, Predictive, and Corrective Maintenance The most effective maintenance programs aren't purely preventive. They strategically blend different maintenance strategies for optimal results. The Right Mix Industry leaders achieve this maintenance balance: Preventive Maintenance: 45-55% of activities Predictive Maintenance: 25-35% of activities Corrective Maintenance: 10-15% of activities Emergency Repairs: <5% of activities Implement Predictive Technologies Add predictive maintenance capabilities to enhance your program: Vibration Analysis: Detect bearing wear and misalignment before failure. ROI typically exceeds 10:1. Source: WorkTrek Oil Analysis: Identify contamination and wear particles. Extends equipment life by 20-30%. Thermography: Find hot spots in electrical systems. Prevents 70% of electrical fires. These technologies provide 8-12% additional cost savings beyond preventive maintenance alone. Know When Corrective Maintenance Makes Sense Some equipment doesn't justify preventive maintenance: Non-critical assets with low failure impact Equipment near end-of-life Assets with unpredictable failure modes Low-cost, easily replaced items Strategic run-to-failure decisions free resources for critical equipment maintenance. 8. Ensure Adequate Resources and Spare Parts Even the most effective preventive maintenance procedures fail without adequate resources. When equipment breaks down, you don't want to spend a lot of time waiting for critical parts or finding the right maintenance technician to fix it. Optimize Inventory Management The studies are clear. Boston Consulting Group research shows robust inventory management improves spare parts efficiency by 15%. Source: WorkTrek Implement these practices: Critical spare analysis: Stock parts for critical equipment Min/max levels: Automate reordering Vendor partnerships: Ensure rapid delivery for non-stocked items Kitting: Pre-package parts for common PM tasks Cross-reference lists: Identify alternative parts WorkTrek's inventory management integrates with maintenance schedules, ensuring parts availability before work begins. Staff for Success Labor can be expensive. However, understaffing can lead to deferred maintenance and equipment failures. Consider: Peak maintenance periods require additional resources Specialized equipment needs certified technicians Cross-training provides flexibility Contractor relationships fill skill gaps 9. Focus on Continuous Improvement It is important to continuously review and improve your preventive maintenance program. What works today may not be optimal tomorrow as equipment ages, technology advances, and operations change. Analyze Failure Data Every equipment failure is a learning opportunity for the organization: Root Cause Analysis: Determine why failures occurred despite preventive maintenance: Was the PM interval too long? Were procedures inadequate? Did technicians miss warning signs and fail to document it? Were the wrong parts used? Studies indicate that facilities that conduct regular RCAs reduce repeat failures by 65%. Refine PM Tasks Based on Results Use data analysis to optimize your program: Eliminate PMs that don't prevent failures Increase frequency for high-failure equipment Decrease frequency for over-maintained assets Add new tasks for emerging failure modes Research shows 30% of PM activities add little value and can be eliminated or modified. Benchmark Against Industry Standards Compare your performance metrics: Source: WorkTrek 10. Create and Foster a Culture of Ownership The best preventive maintenance programs succeed because everyone, from machine operators to senior management, takes ownership of equipment reliability. Engage Machine Operators Operators are your first line of defense against equipment failures. Document and provide a communication channel if they notice: Unusual sounds or vibrations Performance degradation Leaks or loose components Operating parameter changes Train and implement operator-based maintenance: Daily equipment inspections Basic cleaning and lubrication Simple adjustments Immediate problem reporting This approach catches issues before they require maintenance technician intervention. Create Accountability Systems Clear ownership and accountability drive results: Assign equipment champions for critical assets Define maintenance responsibilities clearly Define equipment service personnel Track individual PM compliance rates Recognize exceptional performance Address accountability gaps quickly Identify any equipment that can pose safety risks Communicate Value Continuously Keep everyone informed about program success and not just the failures: Share cost savings from prevented failures Celebrate reliability improvements Highlight safety achievements from preventive measures Demonstrate productivity gains from reduced downtime When people understand the value of preventive maintenance, they support and participate actively. Conclusion Building a better preventative maintenance program is about systematic improvement across multiple areas of your organization. The data is compelling. Organizations that implement these 10 tips achieve remarkable results: 70-75% reduction in equipment breakdowns 545% ROI on maintenance investment 25-40% decrease in overall maintenance costs 95%+ equipment availability for critical assets Yet despite these proven benefits, most maintenance programs operate far below their potential. The gap between average and exceptional isn't about resources—it's about execution. Illustration: WorkTrek / Data: Sockeye Begin with these immediate actions: Assess your current state: Calculate your planned vs. reactive maintenance ratio Pick your priority: Choose one critical asset for intensive improvement Implement technology: Deploy a CMMS like WorkTrek for visibility and control Set clear goals: Define specific, measurable objectives for the next 90 days Track progress: Monitor KPIs weekly and adjust quickly Your equipment is waiting. Your team is capable. The tools and knowledge exist.