What is the Objective of a Maintenance Plan?

The objective of a maintenance plan is to identify what work needs to be done and how it should be performed in order to minimize loss of productivity. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many changes in the way maintenance departments operate, from initial closures to adjustments and reopening with new procedures in place. To ensure that equipment and buildings are kept in optimal condition, small business owners need to keep a close eye on their condition and determine if they need to be repaired or replaced. A maintenance plan is a document that defines the work done to proactively maintain assets in a facility, and it should include what needs to be done, why it needs to be done, and how it should be completed.

Planned maintenance is a scheduled activity that is performed to ensure that equipment or components are working properly and within the manufacturer's recommendations. It also helps alert the maintenance team of upcoming tasks and work orders. To facilitate continuous use of an asset with optimal performance, the content of the maintenance plan should include actual work, instructions, schedule, workers, spare parts, and contractors. Maintenance planning and scheduling are two different functions that form a maintenance program.

While some maintenance departments rely on an execution to failure strategy, most want to perform more preventive rather than corrective maintenance. An effective planning and scheduling system will allow your maintenance staff to do more work and reduce costs by providing timely maintenance to assets, machines, and equipment. If you have a clearly defined objective and the right people involved in your facility maintenance plan, you should decide on the priority of the maintenance work. For efficient maintenance of your assets, you must demonstrate the skill set needed for each maintenance task.