Mejorar el mantenimiento con Internet de las cosas

Today’s business environment demands operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness, and successful companies are constantly searching for ways to optimize their operations. Maintenance has always played a significant role in that effort.

Preventive maintenance—the practice of scheduling and performing maintenance activities before equipment failures occur—has long been touted as a crucial strategy for reducing downtime, improving asset longevity, and minimizing repair costs. Yet, despite its clear advantages, UpKeep’s 2025 State of Maintenance report revealed a perplexing disconnect: while 90 percent of teams consider preventive, or planned, maintenance to be very or extremely valuable, only about half of surveyed companies plan the majority of their maintenance activities.

The Value of Planned Maintenance

According to UpKeep’s annual survey, 59 percent of respondents recognize the value of preventive maintenance, considering it extremely valuable, while an additional 31 percent find it very valuable, seeing it as beneficial for their operations.

This data underscores the strong belief in the benefits of preventive maintenance, with the vast majority viewing it as essential for reducing downtime, improving asset longevity, increasing safety and compliance, and boosting cost effectiveness.

Reducing Unplanned Downtime

The most significant benefit of preventive maintenance is its ability to reduce unplanned downtime. Unscheduled breakdowns are costly, not just in terms of repair expenses but also because they disrupt production schedules, impact customer service, and lead to lost revenue. By identifying potential issues before they result in failure, teams can avoid these costly interruptions and maintain a smooth operation.

Improving Asset Longevity

Planned maintenance helps extend the life of equipment and machinery. By regularly checking, servicing, and replacing parts, assets are less likely to fail prematurely. This extends the operational life of critical equipment, reduces the need for costly replacements, and ensures optimal performance over time.

Increasing Safety and Compliance

Scheduled maintenance also plays a vital role in ensuring the safety and compliance of equipment. Routine inspections and maintenance reduce the likelihood of equipment malfunctions that could pose safety hazards to workers. Additionally, many industries have strict regulatory standards regarding maintenance, and planned maintenance helps companies stay in compliance with these requirements.

Boosting Cost Efficiency

Although planned maintenance requires upfront investment in terms of time and resources, it can ultimately lead to significant savings. Proactively addressing issues is usually less expensive than reacting to breakdowns, which often require expensive emergency repairs and parts replacement. Additionally, maintenance activities can be scheduled during off-peak times, ensuring that production isn’t halted unexpectedly.

Why Only Half of Companies Plan Their Maintenance Activities

Given the clear benefits of preventive maintenance, it’s surprising that only about half of companies plan the majority of their maintenance activities, according to UpKeep’s recent survey. Key factors, such as a lack of resources, outdated technology, competing priorities, and resistance to change, contribute to this disconnect.

Lack of Resources and Time

One of the most common reasons maintenance is not planned effectively is a lack of resources. Maintenance teams are often stretched thin, dealing with reactive repairs and emergency situations rather than focusing on preventive tasks. Planning and executing scheduled maintenance requires dedicated time, skilled personnel, and often specialized equipment. In organizations where resources are limited, these activities are sometimes deprioritized in favor of more immediate concerns.

Outdated Technology

Many organizations still rely on outdated, manual systems or spreadsheets to track maintenance schedules, which can lead to inefficiencies and mistakes. Without an automated system or a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), it becomes much harder to organize and schedule maintenance activities effectively. These outdated systems may make it difficult for teams to track asset conditions, predict when maintenance is needed, or optimize maintenance schedules based on real-time data.

Competing Priorities

In many organizations, especially those operating in industries with tight margins or fast-paced environments, maintenance often competes with other critical business priorities. For example, production teams may prioritize maximizing uptime, leading to pressure on maintenance teams to delay or cancel scheduled maintenance to avoid production delays. This misalignment between departments can result in planned maintenance being sidelined. 

Resistance to Change

Implementing a structured maintenance plan requires a shift in organizational culture, and this can be difficult for companies used to a more reactive approach. Change can be met with resistance, especially if employees are set in their ways or if leadership doesn’t fully buy into the value of preventive maintenance.

Strategies for Effective Maintenance Planning

Despite these and other challenges, there are several strategies that can help companies bridge the gap between recognizing the value of planned maintenance and actually implementing it effectively.

Invest in Modern Maintenance Management Tools

To overcome the difficulties associated with manual systems, companies should consider investing in a CMMS or similar software solutions. These tools can automate maintenance scheduling, track asset conditions in real-time, and ensure that maintenance is carried out according to plan. They also provide data analytics that can help prioritize maintenance tasks and predict when equipment is likely to fail, enabling teams to schedule proactive maintenance more efficiently.

Foster Cross-Departmental Collaboration

Ensuring that maintenance teams, production teams, and other departments are aligned is critical for effective maintenance planning. Regular communication and collaborative planning can help ensure that scheduled maintenance activities are coordinated with production schedules and that everyone understands the importance of proactive maintenance. This collaboration also ensures that maintenance is not seen as a disruption but as an essential part of optimizing operations.

Allocate Resources

Organizations should ensure that maintenance teams have the resources they need to perform preventive maintenance effectively. This includes providing adequate staffing, training, and time to complete scheduled activities without being constantly pulled into emergency repairs. Companies should also look for ways to allocate budget for the tools, software, and equipment necessary to streamline maintenance planning and execution.

Measure and Track Performance

Implementing clear metrics for maintenance performance can help organizations track the ROI of preventive maintenance activities. By measuring downtime reduction, cost savings, and asset performance, companies can better understand the value of planned maintenance and make data-driven decisions about their maintenance strategies.

Conclusion

It’s clear that businesses see the value of preventive maintenance; the challenge is overcoming the many barriers that exist today. By investing in technology, streamlining priorities and better collaboration, and measuring results, more companies can bridge the gap between recognizing the value of planned maintenance and effectively implementing it. Learn more about the 2025 State of Maintenance Report here: https://upkeep.com/events/unveiling-the-2025-maintenance-report-key-trends-and-insights/