Why Preventive Maintenance Is a Critical Part or Operations Planning

The purpose of preventive maintenance is to reduce the amount of unexpected repairs on an organization’s assets. The idea is that by having a pre-determined schedule of care, equipment will last longer, be more energy efficient and minimize unplanned downtime or emergency work.
More importantly, assets that have regularly scheduled preventive maintenance help maintenance operations remain proactive by identifying potential problems early. For example, while maintenance staff is changing the air filters on an HVAC unit, they notice that the HVAC unit is making unusual sounds.  Maintenance management is notified via a mobile handheld device and a work order is issued for a closer inspection.
The inspection reveals that the bearings inside the motor have worn out and that they need to be replaced. Preventive maintenance in this case, allows maintenance management to make small repairs before the HVAC unit fails and needs to be replaced.
Using the same example, when a HVAC unit is not operating correctly, it draws more power to accomplish the same amount of output. Performing preventive maintenance can optimized the energy efficiency of assets.