How Can Predictive Maintenance Can Enhance Sustainability?

The Link Between Predictive Maintenance and Sustainability

In this day and age, we know that the need for environmental sustainability has reached a critical point and that expertise, effort, and money are required to improve how we care for our planet. 

The “3 R’s” – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle – have been a common mantra for many years. But did you know the extent to which predictive maintenance can make an impact on reducing energy consumption as well as reducing waste? 

Investing in predictive maintenance has a positive impact on the environment AND on the bottom line of your organization. 

Let’s look more at how advances in technology have made it easier than ever before for companies to realize the benefits of predictive maintenance and sustainability.

Understanding the Circular Economy 

When we effectively put the 3 R’s into practice, we get closer to what is referred to as the "circular economy". A circular economy maximizes the extent to which raw materials and products are used and reused, in order to reduce/eliminate any waste. 

This is in stark contrast to a “linear economy”, in which products are used until they are no longer desired, and are then thrown away. 

In a circular economy, a product may have its raw materials recycled into something new, or it may find new life and be reused in a new way (commonly known as “upcycling”). These processes are not necessarily free from financial/environmental cost, however, and as such a key aspect of a circular economy is maximizing the initial lifespan of products and equipment.

What Is Predictive Maintenance?

There are 3 primary approaches to maximizing the lifespan of today’s advanced machinery: predictive maintenance, preventive maintenance, and reactive maintenance. 

Predictive maintenance is becoming more understood and is being revealed to be a superior approach for reducing maintenance-related costs and losses.

Predictive maintenance is an approach that uses data from the continuous monitoring of assets, and processing it against specially-tuned parameters, to proactively alert technicians based on real-time conditions. This tracking of real-time conditions and the automatic generation of maintenance work orders is done through specialized software referred to as a “CMMS” (Computerized Maintenance Management System).

Fortunately, with advancements in technology – and today’s hyper-connected world – it has never been easier to remotely monitor all aspects of our equipment to ensure that it is operating efficiently and without failure. The expansion of AI usage in manufacturing means that enormous amounts of data can be used to make advanced predictions of future failure that would be impractical (or impossible!) for a technician to do.

What Is the Difference Between Predictive and Preventive Maintenance? 

Predictive maintenance and preventive maintenance may sound similar, but there is a clear difference between these two approaches and the tools involved.

Preventive maintenance is a system of scheduled inspections and maintenance steps (e.g. lubricating a specific part), based on the typical needs of the equipment, in order to prevent costly failures. These maintenance work orders take place whether or not the condition of the equipment actually indicates that work is needed.

Where predictive maintenance is distinctly different, is that rather than relying on scheduled maintenance intervals, sensors monitor the equipment for deviations from baseline conditions. The CMMS creates work orders for maintenance only when the data shows that there is a budding issue with the equipment.

A computerized maintenance management system such as UpKeep can vastly improve the reliability of your operations, and keep your equipment running efficiently. 

When you request a demo, you will see how UpKeep’s comprehensive set of features brings together the various aspects of asset operations management into a unified platform.

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The Relationship Between Predictive Maintenance and Sustainability

Predictive maintenance, especially when implemented with a high-quality CMMS, has the benefit of reducing the amount of time and money spent on maintaining equipment. Reducing maintenance also means reducing the use of raw materials and energy resources to perform that maintenance.

The result? 

Using predictive maintenance to reduce operational costs has the added benefit of automatically contributing positively to environmental sustainability.

Why Is Sustainability Essential to a Maintenance Management Plan?

Sustainability is a key aspect of a maintenance management plan, as excessive maintenance and malfunctioning equipment result in an increased impact on the environment.

Whether the motivation is to reduce costs or meet corporate goals regarding environmental impact, both can be attained with an effective maintenance management plan.

3 Areas Where Sustainability May Be Improved by Predictive Maintenance

#1: Benefits to People

People are a company’s most important resource. Fortunately, there are various ways that predictive maintenance positively impacts the people who work with and near equipment, such as:

• Malfunctioning equipment could put employees at risk of bodily harm such as electrical shock, or exposure to dangerous exhausts or leaks. Predictive maintenance minimizes these types of risks to maintenance personnel as well as to other employees who may end up in harm’s way.

• Predictive maintenance reduces the number of work orders, which means that personnel spend less time working on complex equipment where injuries can occur.

• Using predictive maintenance management maximizes the quality of the workplace by reducing disruptions and distractions from failed and failing equipment.

#2: Benefits to the Planet

Global warming is a clear risk to our planet and is impacted by our intensive use of raw materials, energy, and the waste we produce. Through predictive maintenance, we can minimize the resources used and waste generated:

• Equipment experiencing/approaching malfunction may suffer from increased friction, vibration, or poor electrical/physical connections. These conditions result in increased energy usage, whether it be electrical energy or the increased usage of fossil fuels.

• Malfunctioning equipment may also result in increased levels of chemical or water waste, which pollutes the environment and can contribute to excessive resource usage.

• Predictive maintenance is designed to prevent equipment failure and avoid the need for replacement parts. The production of replacement parts consumes raw materials and energy and also results in increased pollution and waste. 

• Additionally, there are aspects to performing maintenance that by their very nature have an environmental impact. Lubricants are often based on fossil fuel products, and the act of a technician driving to the site of the maintenance also has a carbon footprint. Predictive maintenance minimizes work orders and hence minimizes their environmental impact.

#3: Benefits to Profits

Predictive maintenance is an efficient and effective method of prolonging the lifespan of assets, and the savings are significant. These savings in terms of reducing costs and losses come from multiple areas:

• Prolonging the lifespan of assets reduces the need to perform expensive repairs and replacements. These kinds of expenditures can represent a major burden to the business.

• The downtime caused by equipment failures and excessive maintenance results in lost productivity for the business. While downtime may not be completely unavoidable, a predictive maintenance strategy can help your business achieve “world-class” downtime levels of <10%.

• Ensuring regulatory compliance is another area that can present a significant cost, and predictive maintenance can also help here. The automated remote monitoring of the power usage, emissions, or safety of equipment can drastically reduce the labor costs of manual inspections, and the legal costs of breaching regulations.

3 Ways To Optimize Sustainability Through Predictive Maintenance

#1: Prioritize Maintenance

Maintenance is a vital part of an efficient business, yet the reality is that for many businesses it is not a priority. In fact, some businesses still operate in a reactive mode when it comes to maintenance; waiting for malfunctions and only then performing repairs.

Predictive maintenance should be a priority for every applicable business, as it brings the most streamlined effect on maintenance operations, productivity, and environmental impact.

#2: Rethink the Importance of Maintenance

Maintenance can sometimes be seen as a nuisance cost or a business interruption, however the benefits far outweigh the costs. When it comes to extending equipment life, reducing downtime, and minimizing maintenance costs, predictive maintenance in particular is highly effective and improves profitability.

We all need to rethink our approach to maintenance, realizing that it is not simply a business cost that can’t be recovered. Maintenance is an investment that pays dividends in the long run; guarding against larger problems further down the road.

#3: Utilize Technology

We can now collect information on every aspect of our machinery and work environment, and use advanced AI capabilities to quickly deliver automated maintenance decisions based on that data. In the past, these predictive maintenance techniques were not possible or cost-efficient.

A comprehensive implementation of the right hardware and software will allow the business to learn as much as possible about the condition of its assets. The more monitoring data is collected and processed, the more your business can benefit from predictive maintenance and effectively quantify its return on investment.

With an optimized strategy, your business can likewise maximize the sustainability of its operations. The right CMMS software is a critical part of that equation.

UpKeep’s Data-Driven Predictive Maintenance Solution Helps Your Business Advance Sustainability 

We know the key to environmental sustainability is reducing resource usage and waste production, moving closer to a circular economy. In your business, predictive maintenance is critical to reducing your environmental footprint.

Contributing to sustainability while keeping the workplace as safe and healthy as possible for your employees is a noble goal for any business. To achieve this, prioritizing asset maintenance is crucial, and choosing the most effective maintenance strategy will bring the greatest results.

Effective CMMS software is the key to maximizing the lifespan of your assets and minimizing your maintenance costs in the process. UpKeep’s mobile-first CMMS software puts data-driven insights and automation into the palm of your hands, and predictive maintenance at your fingertips. 

With UpKeep at the center of your maintenance strategy, your business will be set up for success. Request a demo to learn more about making predictive maintenance a reality in your business.

The link between predictive maintenance and sustainability is clear. It is truly special when business impact intersects positively with human and environmental impact. The effect that business has on our lives and our planet is extraordinary, and predictive maintenance has never before been more important.

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