The Basics of Planned and Deferred Maintenance

The Basics of Planned and Deferred Maintenance

We can plan to do more than we are capable of accomplishing. The remaining items, if they warranty accomplishing become deferred. They roll over to the next’s day’s list of actions to take.

Of course, in practice, the process to plan, execute, and defer maintenance activities is a bit more complex than described above. The ability to maintain equipment in working order along with minimizing downtime and costs is in large part the balance between resources available to conduct maintenance and the increased risk of system failure due to deferred maintenance.

The Role of Planning Maintenance

When I purchased my car it came with an owners manual. It included a maintenance schedule. Change oil every 5,000 miles, rotate tires, etc. The equipment manufacturer created a suggested maintenance plan based on their experience with customers of their vehicles.

Your equipment likely included a plan for maintenance as well, yet depending on how you use the equipment the suggested maintenance activities may or may not serve to minimize downtime or costs. The combination of the manufactures suggestions and your experience forms the basis for the type and frequency of maintenance…