Planned vs reactive maintenance: which costs less?
Planned maintenance usually costs less over a building's life than purely reactive maintenance, because it avoids emergency call-outs, unplanned downtime and early replacement of plant. Most buildings need a mix of both.
What is planned preventative maintenance?
Planned preventative maintenance, or PPM, is a schedule of servicing and inspections carried out before equipment fails. It is built from an asset register, with each asset serviced at the frequency its type and use require.
What is reactive maintenance?
Reactive maintenance is fixing faults as they happen. Some reactive work is unavoidable, such as accidental damage or a component that fails without warning, so every building needs a way to report and fix faults quickly.
Why does planned maintenance usually save money?
Emergency repairs cost more per hour, often need parts at short notice and can stop a building being used. Regular servicing catches wear early, keeps equipment running efficiently and extends its life, which delays expensive replacements.
How do you get the balance right?
Start with the statutory items that must be planned, then add servicing for the assets whose failure would hurt most, such as heating, hot water and air conditioning. Use reactive data to spot repeat faults and move those assets onto a planned schedule.
Questions
How often should PPM visits happen?
Most commercial sites have monthly or quarterly visits, with each asset serviced at its own frequency, from monthly checks to annual inspections.
What is an asset register?
A list of every serviceable item in the building, with its location, type, condition and service frequency. It is the starting point for any PPM programme.