Maintenance glossary
Common maintenance management and CMMS-related terms and definitions. Follow the links under each term’s description to learn about each concept in depth.
A
Asset lifecycle management
Asset lifecycle management aims to maximize the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of assets throughout their lifespan to maximize the return on investment (ROI).
Asset management policy
An asset management policy is an essential component of having a solid and comprehensive asset management strategy.
Asset tracking
Asset tracking is the process of documenting all information about a piece of equipment or other assets for easy access should the need arise.
B
Bill of Materials
A bill of materials is a centralized source of information that includes a list of raw materials, asset parts, tools, instructions, documents, drawings, and any other materials needed to build, manufacture, or repair a product or service.
Breakdown maintenance
Breakdown maintenance is maintenance performed on equipment that has broken down and is unusable. It is based on a breakdown maintenance trigger.
C
Continuous Improvement
Continuous improvement is a lean improvement technique that helps to streamline workflows, resulting in saved time and money for organizations.
Corrective maintenance
Corrective maintenance is any task that corrects a problem with an asset and returns it to proper working order. Corrective maintenance tasks can be both planned and unplanned.
D
Deferred maintenance
Also referred to as backlog maintenance or demand maintenance, deferred maintenance is planned or unplanned maintenance that has been postponed.
E
Emergency maintenance
Emergency maintenance (also known as breakdown maintenance) is maintenance required when an asset or piece of equipment suffers an unexpected breakdown.
Equipment maintenance log
An equipment maintenance log is a document where maintenance activities performed on an asset are recorded for easy reference. The process is simple: Work gets done, and a log gets updated.
F
Failure code
A failure code is a short and simple way of cross-referencing against a list of reasons for failure. This allows maintenance workers to figure out why an asset or system failed during production.
Failure mode
FMEA stands for failure mode and effects analysis and is a step-by-step risk management, process analysis tool for identifying where and how failures might occur in a design, manufacturing, or assembly process for a product or service.
First time fix
First time fix (FTF), sometimes referred to as a ‘rework’ or ‘resolution’ level, is a metric that’s commonly used to measure the amount of times a technician is able to fix an issue the first time, without the need for additional expertise, information, or parts.
FRACAS
FRACAS stands for failure reporting, analysis, and corrective action system. It’s a closed-loop system designed to help maintenance teams find, respond to, and fix the root cause of asset failure.
M
Maintenance budget
A maintenance budget helps you plan, manage, and prioritize your maintenance activities and objectives, so you can be as effective as possible with the limited amount of money you have.
Maintenance inventory system
A maintenance inventory system is a software platform or tool that helps organizations manage their maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) inventory.
Machine maintenance
Machine maintenance is the work that keeps mechanical assets running with minimal downtime. Machine maintenance can include regularly scheduled service, routine checks, and both scheduled and emergency repairs.
Maintenance schedule
Preventive maintenance scheduling can be classified into two distinct methods: Fixed PMs and floating PMs. Both methods can be used to track assets and determine when they should be inspected, repaired, recalibrated, or replaced.
Maintenance SOP
A maintenance SOP (standard operating procedure) is a detailed document that describes all the steps maintenance workers need to follow while performing a task.
N
Nested PM
In the past, if you had multiple PM cycles for a given piece of equipment that landed on the same date, you would have had to create multiple scheduled maintenance triggers in the CMMS to handle the cumulative tasks.
O
Operations and maintenance
An operations and maintenance program (also known as an O&M) is a combination of general maintenance, management, training, budgeting, and business processes that are used collectively for the proper functioning of a facility.
OSHA certification
OSHA stands for Occupational Safety and Health Administration. It was created out of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.
P
PDCA cycle
PDCA, which stands for Plan-Do-Check-Act, is a four-step project management tool for implementing continuous improvement. It involves systematically testing possible solutions, assessing the results, and implementing the ones that have shown to work.
A programmable logic controller (PLC)
PLC is the nervous system of an organization’s computer system that allows management and technicians to work better. It continuously makes decisions based on system inputs that increase equipment efficiency, production lines, and manufacturing processes.
R
Repair and maintenance
Repair and maintenance are used hand-in-hand, but they refer to different things in the asset management space. Repairs are restoration work for when an asset breaks, gets damaged, or stops working.
Routine maintenance
Routine maintenance refers to any maintenance task that is done on a planned and ongoing basis to identify and prevent problems before they result in equipment failure.
S
SCADA
A Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system is used to monitor and control an industrial facility’s operational processes from a central location.
Scheduled maintenance
Scheduled maintenance is any task that is given a deadline and assigned to a technician. It can either be a recurring task done at regular intervals or a one-time task.
System availability
System availability is a metric that measures the probability that a system is not failed or undergoing a repair action when it needs to be used.
T
Time-based maintenance
Time-based maintenance (TBM) is maintenance performed on equipment based on a calendar schedule. This means that time is the maintenance trigger for this type of maintenance.