In any establishment, optimizing equipment performance, reducing downtime, and lowering operational costs are paramount for organizations striving to maintain a competitive edge. However, unplanned downtime, rising repair costs, and inefficient resource allocation — often due to the absence of a defined maintenance strategy — can make that difficult to achieve.
That is why choosing the right maintenance approach—whether preventive, predictive, condition-based, or reliability-centered—has a direct impact on operational efficiency and long-term value. The goal is to align the maintenance activities with business goals to minimize risk and cost.
This article outlines the types of maintenance strategies that support effective asset management and help organizations sustain performance over time.
What is a Maintenance Strategy?
A maintenance strategy is a planned method for conducting maintenance tasks to ensure equipment and systems operate efficiently and reliably. It outlines when and how maintenance should be performed to minimize unexpected breakdowns, optimize performance, control costs, and extend asset life, based on specific operational goals and risk factors.
What are the Different Types of Maintenance Strategies?
In this section, we will outline the various maintenance strategies organizations can employ to minimize downtime.
Reactive Maintenance Strategy (Corrective Maintenance)
Reactive maintenance, also known as corrective maintenance, is a strategy where equipment is only serviced after it breaks down. This approach assumes that the costs associated with emergency repairs or downtime are lower than those needed to maintain a structured maintenance program.
There are three main types of reactive maintenance, each with different implications for maintenance teams and asset reliability.
Emergency maintenance occurs when vital equipment fails unexpectedly. Because the asset is critical, maintenance teams must prioritize emergency repairs, which often result in workflow interruptions and delays.
Breakdown maintenance is also unplanned and happens when equipment stops working without warning. Since there is no preparation, maintenance teams may need to spend more time and money sourcing parts and arranging repairs.
Run-to-failure maintenance is a deliberate strategy where certain non-critical assets are allowed to operate until they fail. This is only viable when equipment can be quickly repaired or swapped out without major production delays, ensuring minimal impact on asset reliability.
Advantages of Reactive Maintenance
- Fewer costs to implement.
- No regular maintenance means no scheduled labor or parts costs until a failure occurs.
- Strategy is easy to implement.
Disadvantages of Reactive Maintenance
- Unexpected breakdowns.
- Reduced asset life span.
- Shortage of spare parts.
Preventive Maintenance (Planned Maintenance) (Preventative Maintenance)
Preventive maintenance is a proactive maintenance strategy used to reduce the risk of potential equipment failures. It’s a form of planned maintenance designed to keep assets in working condition through regularly scheduled maintenance tasks.
Preventive maintenance tasks can range from simple actions, such as cleaning, inspections, and lubrication, to more complex repairs or part replacements on critical equipment. These activities are typically carried out based on predetermined maintenance schedules to minimize downtime and control repair costs.
Some preventive maintenance programs also extend to infrastructure systems, including HVAC units, lighting, and electrical systems. Regular inspections of these systems help maintain safe and efficient operations across the facility.
There are five types of preventative maintenance strategies. They include usage-based maintenance (UBM), time-based maintenance, condition-based maintenance (CBM), predictive maintenance, and prescriptive maintenance.
Today, many organizations enhance their preventive maintenance strategies by utilizing automation, IoT, data analytics, and AI. These technologies streamline maintenance workflows and provide deeper insight into equipment conditions, enabling teams to act before issues escalate into costly failures.
Advantages of Preventive Maintenance
- Control expenses by better managing parts inventory.
- Extend asset life span due to proper maintenance.
- Equipment is running at peak performance due to proper maintenance.
Disadvantages of Preventative Maintenance
- Upfront costs for keeping equipment regularly maintained.
- Dedicating labor to maintain equipment.
- Potential of providing too much or too little maintenance.
Predictive Maintenance (PdM)
Predictive maintenance builds upon condition-based monitoring to enhance equipment performance and extend its lifespan. It works by continuously assessing asset health in real time using connected sensors. These sensors collect data from machinery and other equipment, which is then processed either at the edge or in the cloud through AI-enabled enterprise asset management (EAM) or Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS).
Using machine learning, they analyze the data to detect early signs of wear or failure. When potential defects are identified, alerts are triggered and sent directly to the maintenance teams, allowing them to conduct maintenance before a breakdown occurs.
Predictive maintenance strategies are already in use across multiple sectors. In the energy sector, avoiding power outages can save millions in penalties and reduce customer churn. In manufacturing, early fault detection lowers unit costs and prevents supply chain disruption. Telecommunications providers rely on real-time data to identify and address small network issues before they escalate.
Advantages of Predictive Maintenance
- Cost savings on parts and labor.
- Reduces catastrophic failures.
- Improves equipment performance.
Disadvantages of Predictive Maintenance
- Increased investment in technology-based equipment.
- Increased investment in skilled labor.
- Time-consuming planning is necessary to ensure that this strategy is consistently implemented across all facilities.
Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM)
Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) is a comprehensive approach to asset management that focuses on maximizing equipment availability while minimizing maintenance expenses. It involves developing the right maintenance strategy for each physical asset, such as machines and tools, based on its usage, key components, and failure risks.
The process begins with asset discovery, where maintenance managers identify the essential tools required for production. Each asset is then assessed using evaluation criteria drawn from industry standards or internal benchmarks.
A key component of RCM is asset condition monitoring, which utilizes real-time data to identify performance issues before they fail. This data-driven, proactive approach enables continuous improvement by informing adjustments to maintenance schedules and techniques, thereby enhancing overall performance.
Maintenance resources are tracked through a CMMS, which logs asset history, spare parts, and work orders. Each asset is assigned a probability of failure using tools such as FMEA, enabling the development of an appropriate maintenance strategy.
Advantages of Reliability-Centered Maintenance
- Efficient maintenance program.
- Lowers costs of maintaining equipment and resources by eliminating unnecessary maintenance.
- Focuses on critical activities and components.
Disadvantages of Reliability-Centered Maintenance
- Very complex and costly.
- Significantly higher costs for equipment.
- Significant higher labor costs.
Maintenance Management Strategies Comparison Chart
The table below gives a quick comparison of the different maintenance strategies we have discussed.
| Maintenance Strategy | Summary | Cost To Implement | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reactive | Fix it when it breaks | Low | Ideal for low-priority equipment. Provides an economical solution for those who need a reliable solution for lower-priority equipment. | Increased repair costs. |
| Preventive | Maintenance on a predetermined schedule | Average | Best strategy to implement without expert knowledge. | Inefficient schedules compared to PdM or RCM |
| Predictive | Condition-based morning triggering of work orders | High | Timely monitoring with increased insight into the causes of breakdowns. | Expensive to set up – only cost-effective for critical assets. |
| RCM | Maintenance planning approach that investigates failure modes to determine the best maintenance strategy | Highest | If executed properly, it provides the most efficient maintenance schedule. | Requires time, skill, and financial resources to be effective. |
Maintenance Strategy Considerations
Choosing the right maintenance strategy depends on several key factors, including available resources, the type of equipment, personnel, and industry-specific requirements. Let’s consider each in detail.
Budget Constraints and Investment Trade-offs
An organization’s budget often determines the extent to which it can invest in its maintenance efforts. Larger budgets enable investments in technologies such as IoT sensors, machine learning analytics, and other tools necessary for predictive maintenance or comprehensive RCM. These technologies improve maintenance records and support more accurate performance metrics.
But for companies operating with leaner budgets, sticking with preventive or even reactive approaches using internal teams may be more realistic. These methods can still reduce downtime if routine inspections and maintenance records are well-organized and managed. However, upgrading to more advanced systems often means replacing older assets and retraining staff, both of which come at a cost.
Type and Cost of Equipment
The type of equipment in use significantly influences the main maintenance strategies. When machines are inexpensive and easy to replace, a run-to-failure approach may be the most cost-effective path. Trying to monitor or predict failures in low-cost tools could actually increase overhead unnecessarily. On the other hand, high-value, complex machinery demands more proactive care.
In such cases, predictive or RCM methods help protect assets, extend the lifecycle, and streamline processes. These systems depend on constant tracking and reliable performance metrics, which makes them especially effective for expensive, sensitive, or custom equipment.
Staffing Levels and Capability
The most advanced system is useless without people to interpret data, respond to alerts, and perform repairs. Even with automated alerts and smart diagnostics, routine tasks still require skilled staff to intervene. Organizations with limited maintenance personnel may struggle to effectively implement RCM or predictive models.
This becomes even more critical when managing medium-priority assets that still require oversight but can’t demand the same resources as mission-critical equipment. Staffing levels shape how much of the strategy can be automated versus handled manually, affecting the balance between scheduled tasks and reactive decisions.
Condition and Viability of Existing Equipment
If current equipment is already outdated, heavily worn, or frequently breaking down, maintaining it at all costs may not be practical. In such scenarios, allowing equipment to fail while phasing in replacements might be the smarter move.
As new assets are introduced, organizations can begin integrating routine inspections and more advanced monitoring systems, laying the groundwork for a more data-driven maintenance framework. Over time, this shift helps reduce downtime and establishes a foundation for consistently tracking maintenance records and performance metrics.
Compliance and Industry Regulations
In highly regulated sectors, maintenance strategy isn’t just about cost or efficiency—it’s about staying within the bounds of regulatory compliance. Depending on the industry and type of equipment, strict rules might require more frequent checks, specific documentation, or even designated preventive actions.
This makes certain strategies, such as RCM or structured preventive maintenance, not only ideal but also mandatory. Adherence to these rules often drives the need for detailed records, scheduled tasks, and clear documentation of all routine tasks to meet audit requirements.
Use CMMS to Align Your Maintenance Strategies to Your Business
At eWorkOrders, we help businesses take control of their maintenance operations with powerful, easy-to-use CMMS software. We know that staying on top of equipment and facility maintenance isn’t just about fixing things when they break—it’s about planning ahead and choosing the right maintenance strategy for your team, your assets, and your goals.
That’s why we built a system that makes maintenance planning strategies simple to implement and easy to manage. Whether you’re running preventive maintenance, predictive maintenance, or a combination of both, our platform provides you with the tools to schedule, track, and optimize everything in one place. We’ve seen firsthand how the right system can reduce downtime, cut maintenance costs, and guarantee operational efficiency.
Our CMMS software is trusted across industries because it adapts to your needs, not the other way around. From work order automation to asset tracking and reporting, we help teams stay ahead of breakdowns and stay focused on what matters most.
If you’re ready to bring more control and clarity to your maintenance process, we’re here to help. Book a demo today.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, there is no single approach to maintenance that will work for every organization. Each strategy has its own unique advantages and disadvantages that must be evaluated and weighed according to the type of assets being maintained, the current status of the organization’s reliability journey, and the consequences of any potential downtime.
The best way to develop a maintenance strategy is to start with what is appropriate for the current situation and expand from there, eventually reaching a point where a combination of different methods can be used to maximize results.
Ready to take maintenance to the next level? Contact us today.
FAQs
What are the four types of maintenance strategies?
The four types of maintenance strategies are: corrective, preventive, predictive, and reliability-centered maintenance (RCM). Corrective maintenance is performed after a failure; preventive measures are scheduled at regular intervals; predictive maintenance relies on data trends to anticipate potential failures; RCM focuses on preserving system functions by analyzing potential failure modes and their impact on the system.
