Maintenance Philosophies

Maintenance Philosophies
When is maintenance best administered? There are 4 main philosophies, each carrying their own pros and cons. Let’s take a closer look together:
1: Reactive: Maintenance when problem arises
This approach comes from the belief that the cost of repair after a problem occurs is lower than the cost of implementing a maintenance program that would help avoid the problem in the first place. This particularly makes sense with small, cheaper parts with difficult-to-predict failure points, such as headlights.
COST: Low
PROS: Saves time and energy where repair is unnecessary
CONS: Can leave room for greater damage and repair costs
2: Preventative: Maintenance on a set schedule
This approach addresses predictable lifespans: We know that xyz will begin to fail after this many cycles, or after the passage of this much time, so maintenance is planned around that interval. This is especially practical with things that could case costly secondary damage, in the event of a failure.
COST: Average
PROS: Expertise not necessary for implementation
CONS: Generalized maintenance may miss certain things
3: Predictive: Maintenance in response to monitoring
This approach responds to the current condition of a machine, as determined by analysis and consideration of the full operating context. This applies to things with more complexity, and therefore less simple predictability, than those that have a set time of dependable functionality.
COST: High
PROS: Greater insight into needs
CONS: Requires proper resources, can be expensive
4: Proactive: Maintenance strategy set by investigation of failures
This approach utilizes knowledge gained from previous failures to avoid future failures. This typically utilizes on-line monitoring systems which are able to assess when failure probability is rising to the point of needing to be addressed.
COST: HIGHEST
PROS: Can provide most efficient maintenance schedule
CONS: Requires time, skill, and more finances to be effective
Factoring in the needs of different machines, processes, and companies, there is no single “best” approach. Each organization needs to evaluate what will serve their systems best.
At Midtex Oil, we help our customers elevate their lube programs by coming alongside them in identifying and implementing practices that line up with the philosophy that is right for them!