Photo by LYCS Architecture on Unsplash

No matter what industry you work in, you probably rely on certain pieces of equipment to complete your tasks. Despite all of our technological advances, machines will inevitably break down over time. However, not every problem is inevitable. There are many issues that can be prevented if you know how to detect them before it’s too late. 

The best prevention method is predictive maintenance. When you employ this powerful tool, you’ll get advanced notice when things start to go awry, long before your equipment breaks down and leaves you stranded. Downtime is lost money, and if you want to preserve your profits, you need to implement predictive maintenance.

What is predictive maintenance?

If anyone knows the importance of predictive maintenance, it’s companies that rely on vehicles to run their business. Fleet management experts define predictive maintenance as a strategy that collects data from sensors, calculates future performance, and schedules the maintenance work for a time when it will provide the biggest benefit and create the least amount of downtime.

For long haul truckers, delivery and repair companies, and taxi services, predictive maintenance is the key to keeping vehicle fleets in good shape and making those vehicles last longer. When it comes to repairs, one breakdown can cause other problems that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. In this case, predictive maintenance saves fleet managers time, money, and energy, and the same principle applies to companies in any industry.

Maintaining assets in good shape is essential

You never want to let your equipment get too shabby, or it will break down at the worst possible times. Even seemingly minor issues can cause serious damage. For example, one loose bolt in a factory can cause serious damage over time that can shorten the life of the equipment and lead to unexpected downtime right in the middle of the holiday season. 

When you use predictive maintenance, a sensor will detect loose bolts before they start to damage the machine so they can be replaced immediately.

Uptime preserves your long-term success

Uptime is essential for your business to continue operating smoothly. If something happens and your services aren’t available, you’ll lose sales and potentially customers, depending on how long you’re out of commission. 

Customers pay attention to how often companies are unavailable. If they notice a pattern where your business periodically can’t serve them, they will do business with your competitors. Predictive maintenance is the best way to ensure you maintain as much uptime as possible to keep customers happy and ensure you stay in business. 

Preventive maintenance v. predictive maintenance

Nearly all businesses rely on technology to some degree, even if it’s just in the form of laptop computers, apps, or standard copy machines. Whatever tech you use, you’ll want to keep it in top shape, but how can you know when something is about to break down if it’s not a major component in a big machine? You can’t put a sensor on a motherboard.

While predictive maintenance operates based on performance data collected by sensors, preventive maintenance follows a schedule based on manufacturer recommendations and other factors to determine when parts need to be replaced. 

For example, if you’re using networking equipment and laptops, a preventive maintenance plan will account for when hard drives and network switches generally fail, allowing you to prepare ahead of time by making sure you’ve got the right replacement parts.

Both preventive and predictive maintenance play a crucial role in extending the lifespan of your assets, and it’s always good to use both. The benefit to your business is higher operational efficiency, less downtime, and happier customers.

Every business needs a predictive maintenance plan

Predictive maintenance allows you to be proactive in the way you approach repairs and maintenance. It gives you advanced warning when something is about to break so you can fix it before it causes serious damage.

Another important consideration is safety. With sensors to detect impending malfunctions, you’ll mitigate risks that can compromise the safety of your workers in the case of a sudden equipment failure.

Your organization can only be efficient up to a point if you can’t manage repairs proactively. All it takes is one inconvenient breakdown to damage your business. Preventive maintenance is essential, but it’s not good enough by itself. 

When your goal is to maintain as much uptime as possible, keep your workers safe, and keep your customers happy, you need a predictive maintenance plan for your business.