Facility managers should understand the effectiveness of these types of maintenance, know their pros and cons, and be able to choose the best maintenance program(s) for their assets with the right maintenance strategy.

The two general categories of maintenance program are planned maintenance and unplanned maintenance.

Planned Maintenance

In planned maintenance, the tasks have been predetermined and scheduled while materials and labour will be provided for the tasks upon commencement. Preventive maintenance and predictive maintenance are under planned maintenance.

Planned maintenance types are

• Preventive maintenance
• Predictive maintenance

Preventive maintenance is carried out at scheduled intervals. A preventive maintenance program will save money in the long run, though it look like extra cost in the beginning. Examples include: Re-tightening loose connections, lubricate moving parts, regular cleaning, etc.

Predictive maintenance is carried out after failures have been forecasted. Data is used to predict and prevent future occurrence. Examples include: infrared thermography, vibration analysis, etc.

Unplanned Maintenance

In unplanned maintenance, the tasks are done on facilities and equipment that have broken down. Corrective maintenance, run to failure and emergency are under unplanned maintenance. Examples include: fixing broken fixtures, unclog a blocked drain, clean up spillage, responding to emergency cases like fire outbreak, gas leak etc.

Unplanned maintenance types are

• Reactive maintenance (run-to-failure)
• Emergency

Emergency management plan should also be developed for emergency cases.

Selecting The Right Maintenance Program

The following are to be considered to selecting an appropriate maintenance program

• Requirement for the maintenance program.
• Organizational maintenance process.
• Maintenance schedule.
• Health and safety requirement.
• Cost implications.
• Procedure of the work involved.
• Ease of repair/replace asset parts.
• Equipment manufacturers’ recommendations.
• Likely frequency of failure of assets.
• How essential is asset to business operations.
• Available technology.
• Impact of equipment failure.
• The types of facilities and equipment available.
• Level of knowledge and skills of personnel.