5 frequently asked questions about maintenance strategies

In today’s rapidly evolving landscape, it is crucial to implement effective and efficient maintenance practices to ensure the durability and dependability of assets through a time of tightening budgets and a drive for increased output. The intricacies of maintenance often give rise to numerous questions when it comes to creating a fully optimised strategy – like which approach to take and how to measure your strategy’s effectiveness.

In this blog post, we have answered some of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to maintenance strategies, to provide clarity on how you can optimise your strategy for maintenance success…

What is a maintenance strategy?

A maintenance strategy can be defined as a comprehensive plan or approach to effectively manage and maintain assets, equipment and facilities. Having a maintenance strategy is a step further than simply carrying out repairs when needed; instead, it focuses on ensuring the reliability, availability, and longevity of assets throughout their entire lifecycle. 

To do this effectively, it’s important that a maintenance strategy outlines the methods, schedules and resources required to achieve optimal asset performance, while minimising downtime and controlling maintenance costs.

Does my company need a maintenance strategy?

Maintenance strategy is crucial for an organisation because it directly impacts operational efficiency, productivity, and profitability. Choosing the right maintenance strategy can unlock the ability to minimise equipment failures, reduce unplanned downtime, extend the lifespan of assets, and optimise performance overall. 

By taking a preventative and proactive approach to maintenance practices, organisations can avoid costly repairs and replacements instead of waiting until equipment failure – thus reducing the costs associated with downtime and loss of production. This can also contribute to enhanced safety by ensuring assets are in good working condition, while also enabling organisations to control maintenance costs, allocate resources efficiently, and align maintenance activities with overall business priorities.

How can I measure the effectiveness of my maintenance strategy?

It’s important to continually review and optimise your maintenance strategy as business goals and resources change over time. In order to do so, it’s imperative that you identify and track key performance indicators (KPIs) when it comes to maintenance. 

For instance, equipment uptime is an important metric to track, as a higher percentage of time that assets are available and operational indicates better maintenance effectiveness. Another useful KPI is Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF), which calculates the average time between asset failures and indicates improved reliability and effectiveness of maintenance practices if there’s a longer MTBF.

Similarly, Mean Time To Repair (MTTR) helps to determine the average time required to repair assets after a failure occurs, which will suggest efficient maintenance response and reduced downtime, the lower this number is. Finally, measuring the total costs associated with maintenance activities – including labor, spare parts, and external services – helps to prioritise the most cost-effective maintenance practices without compromising asset performance.

How often should you review and update your maintenance strategy?

Maintenance strategies should be reviewed and updated regularly to ensure they are as effective as possible. As a general guide, it is recommended to conduct a comprehensive review at least once a year to guarantee an effective maintenance strategy, however significant changes in business operations, asset performance, or industry regulations may necessitate more frequent reviews. 

Instilling a habit of continuous improvement will help to evaluate the performance of your maintenance strategy, assess the effectiveness of implemented changes, and make adjustments as needed to optimise asset performance, minimise downtime, and adapt to the evolving needs of your organisation.

What are some common challenges in implementing maintenance strategies?

Striking the right balance between minimising maintenance costs and ensuring optimal asset performance is arguably one of the most significant challenges for maintenance managers to address when developing a maintenance strategy. Organisations must carefully allocate resources and make informed decisions based on asset criticality, risk assessments, available resources and financial constraints to ensure an optimised but realistic strategy can be implemented.

Another significant challenge when implementing a new maintenance strategy is that it may face resistance from maintenance personnel or other stakeholders who are accustomed to existing practices. Effective change management and clear communication about the benefits and objectives of the new strategy can help overcome this barrier.

Gathering accurate and reliable data for maintenance decision-making can also be a challenge, as creating efficient maintenance strategies often require specialised skills and knowledge. Organisations should invest in appropriate data collection systems, establish data quality control measures, and utilise analytics tools to derive meaningful insights.

By recognising these challenges and proactively addressing them, organisations can overcome barriers and implement maintenance strategies more effectively.