Reactive Maintenance

Maintenance & work orders

Scheduling & planning

Reporting & dashboards

Corrective Maintenance

Corrective maintenance refers to repair or restoration work carried out after a fault, defect, or failure has been identified in an asset. It may be triggered by an operator report, a failed inspection, or an unexpected breakdown. Corrective tasks range from minor adjustments to major overhauls, depending on the severity of the issue.

Preventive Maintenance

Preventive maintenance (PM) is a proactive maintenance strategy in which assets are serviced at predetermined time or usage intervals to reduce the likelihood of failure. Tasks may include inspections, lubrication, filter changes, calibrations, and component replacements. PM schedules are typically based on manufacturer recommendations, regulatory requirements, or historical failure data.

Downtime

Downtime is any period during which an asset is unavailable for its intended function. It can be planned (scheduled maintenance, shutdowns, inspections) or unplanned (breakdowns, failures, waiting for parts). Downtime is typically measured in hours and expressed as a percentage of total available time, providing a key indicator of asset availability.

Emergency Maintenance

Emergency maintenance is unplanned, urgent maintenance performed immediately in response to an equipment failure or condition that poses an imminent risk to safety, the environment, or critical operations. Unlike standard corrective maintenance, which can be scheduled within a reasonable timeframe, emergency maintenance demands immediate resource mobilisation regardless of the time of day or competing priorities. Common triggers include structural failures, hazardous material leaks, fire protection system failures, complete loss of a critical production asset, and safety system malfunctions. Emergency maintenance is the most expensive category of maintenance on a per-event basis because it typically involves overtime labour, expedited parts procurement, unplanned production losses, and higher error rates due to time pressure. Organisations typically aim to keep emergency maintenance below 5 to 10 per cent of total maintenance work orders, with the remainder handled through planned preventive and corrective programmes that are scheduled during normal working hours and supported by pre-staged parts and documented procedures.

Run-to-Failure Maintenance

Run-to-failure (RTF) is a deliberate maintenance strategy in which an asset is operated until it fails, at which point corrective maintenance is performed or the asset is replaced. It is a legitimate approach for non-critical, low-cost, or easily replaceable items where the cost of preventive maintenance exceeds the cost of failure. RTF should not be confused with neglect; it is an intentional decision based on risk and cost analysis.