As anyone working in production knows, unplanned downtime can be a real headache. It stops your operation dead in its tracks, negatively impacts customer relationships, and can lose you a fortune in associated costs.
Research suggests that the average manufacturer deals with around 800 hours of unplanned downtime annually. Incidentally, a single hour of unplanned downtime can cost you anywhere between $10,000 and $250,000. Combined across all companies in the industry, the cost of that can reach up to $50 billion in lost revenue.
The question is, what can you do to prevent it? And the answer is simple – create a preventive maintenance (PM) schedule. Not sure where to start? In this article, we’ll lift the veil on the fundamental information you need to know about PM schedules.
What is a preventive maintenance schedule?
A preventive maintenance schedule is a detailed timetable that tells you exactly when and what kind of maintenance each asset needs so that small issues never turn into expensive failures. By staying proactive, you cut unplanned downtime, keep equipment performing at its best and extend every machine’s useful life.
The schedule is the execution layer of your maintenance plan. For every task it records four essentials: which asset requires attention, what work must be done, when the work is due and who is responsible. That clarity ensures nothing slips through the cracks, whether the job is a quick inspection, lubrication, a system check or a full part replacement.
Preventive maintenance schedules come in two main forms: a fixed preventive maintenance schedule, where tasks are triggered at set calendar or usage intervals, and a floating preventive maintenance schedule, where the next task starts counting only after the previous one is completed. We will explore both types in the next section, followed by a step by step method for building your own schedule and practical examples that help you move from spreadsheets to a fully digital workflow.
What is fixed preventive maintenance scheduling?
As the name suggests, fixed preventive maintenance work orders are carried out regularly in set intervals, irrespective of whether or not the previous maintenance tasks were completed. How often they occur can be based on the timeframe, equipment usage, or specific operational triggers.
Example: Consider your personal vehicle. The generally accepted recommendation is to change your oil every 7,500 – 10,000 miles (11,000 – 15,000 kilometers) driven. If you were to set a fixed preventive maintenance schedule for your car, you’d have your oil changed every time the clock ticked over this distance, regardless of how long it took.
What is floating preventive maintenance scheduling?
Unlike fixed preventive maintenance, floating preventive maintenance scheduling is entirely predicated on the status of previous tasks. This means that the new work order countdown will only trigger following the previous one’s completion. Consequently, floating preventive maintenance schedules require far more diligence than fixed ones.
Example: You decide to run preventive maintenance on your main manufacturing line every 150 hours (i.e., lubricating, tightening components, etc.). Due to unforeseen circumstances, you push back the PM by 50 hours, meaning the work order is carried out at 200 hours of operation. Therefore, the next PM work order will happen at 350 hours of operation instead of 300.
Benefits of preventive maintenance
We’ve already peppered a few reasons to invest in a preventive maintenance schedule throughout the article. However, to make refreshing your memory (and convincing a stubborn colleague or manager) easier, we’ve created this simple-to-refer-to list.
Why creating a preventive maintenance schedule is worth your time:
- Minimizes external and maximizes internal resource use
- Improves production efficiency
- Boosts employee productivity
- Lowers operating costs
- Reduces breakdowns
- Prevents downtime
- Streamlines workflows
- Lengthens asset lifespan
- Promotes Health & Safety
- Boosts customer satisfaction
- Saves money
Technicians who complete mobile checklists in Resco Inspections & Audits spend less time on paperwork and more time keeping assets running.
How to make a preventive maintenance schedule
Before diving head first into creating a preventive maintenance schedule, we must warn you. Whether you choose fixed, floating, or both types of preventive maintenance, this is not a one and done process.
To succeed, you must spare time, assets, and careful consideration. However, the benefits will outweigh your initial investment several times over if you pull it off. As they say, anything worth doing is worth doing right.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way let’s take a look at the steps necessary to create a preventive maintenance schedule.
#1 Map your asset fleet
Create one authoritative list of every machine, line and tool. Record model number, location, serial number, age and current condition. This inventory is the bedrock for every later decision.
#2 Rate criticality
Rank each asset by its effect on safety, production output and customer commitments. Give top priority to items whose unexpected failure would stop the line or breach regulations. Less critical equipment can wait until the core schedule is stable.
#3 Collect failure data
Pull historical breakdown records from your CMMS, talk to senior technicians and review the original equipment manufacturer guidelines. Note common wear points, average time between failures and any seasonal patterns.
#4 Define tasks and timing
For every high priority asset list the exact work to be done, the tools or materials required and the ideal service interval. Include inspections, lubrication, calibration, part replacements and functional checks. Add a clear trigger for each task, such as a calendar date, run hour count or production cycle, so everyone knows precisely when the job is due.
#5 Log the plan and stock parts
Enter every task into your CMMS or a spreadsheet if you are just starting. Assign a named owner, attach standard instructions and confirm that critical spare parts and consumables are on the shelf before the first work order is released.
#6 Launch and train
Share the schedule with technicians and planners, explain why tasks appear when they do and run a short pilot on your most critical line. Early training builds trust and surfaces practical feedback before the schedule is rolled out company wide.
#7 Review the data
After the first month or quarter export the work order history and compare downtime, repair costs and first pass yield with your baseline. If an asset still fails too often shorten the interval or expand the checklist. If it never fails you may be over servicing and can safely extend the gap.
#8 Expand and refine
Once the pilot assets show measurable improvement add the next tier of equipment, publish new checklists and repeat the review loop. A preventive maintenance schedule is never frozen; it should evolve with production targets, new machinery and fresh performance data.
By walking through these eight steps you cover asset inventory, prioritisation, task definition, timing, documentation, spare parts readiness, accountable ownership and continuous improvement, everything required for a reliable preventive maintenance program.
What is preventive maintenance software?
Preventive maintenance software is a program that assists you on processes of preventative maintenance planning, scheduling, data collection or reporting.
Incorporating PM software can include digitizing the whole preventive maintenance or some of its processes.
Digital solutions can enable you to increase the positive impact of preventive maintenance on your organization. Namely, it helps further optimize resource use (ex., materials, employees, assets, etc.) by streamlining workflows, extending asset lifespan, and reducing long-term costs.
Managing your assets and resources from one place can also significantly reduce the administrative workload of managers and field technicians.
“Having one central hub to keep up with all service activities cuts down on paperwork and administrative tasks. Our managers can focus more on the big picture and client needs. And on top of that, it also speeds up the onboarding of new employees,”
adds IT Specialist at innogy Solutions Marek Sugar.
Despite the initial investment, using preventive maintenance software can cut your costs down significantly. Just remember to look out for several core features if you choose to onboard one.
Every good tool should include a PM scheduler, work orders, mobile forms, reporting and offline functionality. A platform such as Resco Field Service covers all of these and also syncs with CRM systems like Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Salesforce, so be sure to review the integration options before you decide.
The last but not least is the user experience of the mobile solution your technicians will use.
“Simply put, if it wasn’t easy to use, or didn’t make the job easier for the technicians, they won’t use it,” confirms CRM Consultant at Fusion5 Dan Lorimer.
Preventive maintenance schedule templates, checklists & sheets
To end with, let us leave you off with a few resources to help you on your journey towards better efficiency, less frequent breakdowns, and lower costs. Alongside its preventive maintenance solutions, Resco also offers a Preventive Maintenance Checklist which you can download and use for completely free.
Evaluate the condition of your manufacturing equipment, mitigate the risk of malfunction, save costs, and reduce downtimes.
Turn your preventive maintenance schedule into measurable results
A well built preventive maintenance schedule is more than a calendar reminder; it is the backbone of dependable production, safer workplaces, and lower costs. Once the plan is on paper, the next step is to activate it with the right digital toolkit:
- Resco Field Service keeps every work order and technician assignment in one place, even when the team is offline, so planned tasks happen on time.
- Resco Resco Forms lets you turn static task lists into guided mobile checklists inside Power Apps without writing code, which ensures every instruction is clear.
- Resco Inspections & Audits gives technicians an intuitive app to capture photos, readings, and signatures in the field, and the data flows back to planners for continuous improvement.
Combine these tools with the free Preventive Maintenance Checklist, start small, review the data, and iterate. Your assets, your team, and your bottom line will all feel the difference.