A machine breaks down, it gets fixed. And while reactive maintenance is direct—and for many purposes, it works—it's not the best solution. Proactive maintenance makes it possible to address problems with machinery before they cause failures. Anticipating these equipment issues increases efficiency, reduces costs, and even improves safety.
Here's what you need to know about the benefits of predictive maintenance (PdM) in a proactive maintenance strategy.
Reactive maintenance is direct. And for small companies, it's the most straightforward option. But new technology, such as predictive AI solutions and IoT devices, make it easier for any organization to engage in proactive maintenance instead. At Allied Reliability, we believe that all companies, no matter how large or small, benefit from a proactive maintenance strategy.
As you can see, there are a number of problems with reactive maintenance. However, many companies continue with reactive maintenance because it's all they know, or because they don't know how to build predictive strategies. Yet, the single biggest reason is that companies don’t know how to gain the time to get out of the firefighting cycle.
Predictive maintenance uses data-driven processes to identify insights and required actions that need to be taken before machinery breaks down. In addition to scheduling corrective maintenance, with the use of such connected sensors, we are able to identify variation in operation and early identification of defects. This allows us more time to follow the work execution process, yielding lower operational costs to the overall business. The advantages are clear.
Organizations are able to maintain their systems more consistently and reduce the chances of business disruption. They are able to take better care of their machines, and ultimately improve their ROI.
But the barrier that many companies face is that they aren't sure how they can start implementing a predictive strategy. Foremost, the company needs the right processes, tools, and technology. A company can't engage in predictive maintenance without knowing what it needs to monitor, how, and at what frequency. Second, the company needs a partner that can help it shift from its existing reactive processes to a proactive, predictive approach.
Companies often falter when trying to transition to a new culture because everyone – employees and C-suite executives – need to be on board. However, with the right processes and technology, companies can both save money and be more productive.
Are you interested in developing a proactive maintenance strategy? Do you want to be able to react more swiftly to potential issues, rather than reacting only after they occur? Learn more about our predictive maintenance solutions.
Allied Reliability provides asset management consulting and predictive maintenance solutions across the lifecycle of your production assets to deliver required throughput at lowest operating cost while managing asset risk. We do this by partnering with our clients, applying our proven asset management methodology, and leveraging decades of practitioner experience across more verticals than any other provider. Our asset management solutions include Consulting & Training, Condition-based Maintenance, Industrial Staffing, Electrical Services, and Machine Reliability.
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