Reactive vs. Preventive Maintenance

Preventative Maintenance programs conserve assets, maintain equipment in ideal condition, and reassures that maximum equipment and building systems life expectancy is achieved. Preventative Maintenance benefits the anticipated failure of equipment and building systems therefore providing time to plan and budget for essential repairs and or replacements. Preventive Maintenance provides a more predictable and cost-effective way to operate.

Reactive Maintenance:

Is reacting to failed equipment by restoring its proposed function. Many organizations exclusively rely on this type of maintenance and evade any form of Preventative Maintenance. Although adequate to work in this manner in some conditions, it’s largely a costly way to operate. Failures and outages are unpredictable, labor and material resources may not be readily available or may involve paying premium rates, and equipment life is not maximized. Indirect costs are also related with non-functioning and defective equipment that can impact reputations, budgets, and compliance to regulations, safety, and the ability to generate revenues.

Preventive Maintenance:

Involves prescribed procedures and tasks that help prevent unplanned breakdowns and ensure equipment is operating properly. Tasks are pre-determined by operations manuals, industry standards, instructions, environmental conditions, equipment use, location, impacts on safety, previous experience, work order histories, and predictive maintenance tasks.

Research supports that Preventive Maintenance can save as much as 12% to 18% over Reactive Maintenance methods.

Predictive Maintenance:

Involves prescribed procedures and tasks that can indicate deteriorating conditions, and evidence to tasks and occurrences required in the preventive maintenance program to reduce or eliminate it and maximize enduring beneficial life.

Research supports that Predictive Maintenance can save as much as 8% to 12% more than Preventive Maintenance strategies alone and 30% to 40% over Reactive Maintenance.

Summary:

Advanced planning and budgeting drives costs down because of a reduced need for overtime, thereby reducing the need for more expensive emergency procurements and expedited shipping charges, a reduction in downtime, reduced interruptions to normal missions and business functions, and reduced chances for negative effects on equipment, systems and components.