The purpose of the post Is it to educate readers on the IoT in the maintenance industry. But what is Maintenance?

Maintenance refers to the process of keeping equipment, machinery, and infrastructure in good working condition to prevent breakdowns, malfunctions, and accidents. Maintenance activities can include inspections, repairs, cleaning, lubrication, and replacement of parts and components.

The goal of maintenance is to ensure that equipment and facilities are reliable, safe, and efficient, and that they operate at their full capacity with minimal downtime. Effective maintenance can help organizations to reduce maintenance costs, improve equipment performance and longevity, increase safety, and optimize production and operations.

There are several different types of maintenance, including corrective maintenance (fixing equipment after a failure), preventive maintenance (performing regular maintenance tasks to prevent failures), predictive maintenance (using data and analytics to predict equipment failures), and condition-based maintenance (performing maintenance tasks based on the condition of equipment). The type of maintenance used depends on the specific equipment and its usage, as well as the organization’s goals and resources.

What Tool Maintenance professional use ?

A CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) is a software tool used by maintenance professionals to manage maintenance operations. A CMMS tool helps maintenance teams to schedule and track maintenance tasks, manage work orders, inventory and assets, and generate reports on maintenance activities.

Some key features of a CMMS tool can include:

1. Work order management: This feature allows maintenance teams to create, track, and manage work orders for maintenance tasks, including scheduling and prioritizing work orders.
2. Asset management: This feature helps maintenance teams to track and manage assets, including equipment, machinery, and infrastructure. It can include tracking asset location, maintenance history, and asset performance data.
3. Preventive maintenance scheduling: This feature allows maintenance teams to schedule and manage preventive maintenance tasks to ensure that equipment and facilities are properly maintained and prevent failures.
4. Inventory management: This feature allows maintenance teams to manage inventory levels of spare parts and supplies needed for maintenance tasks.
5. Reporting and analytics: This feature provides maintenance teams with data and analytics on maintenance activities, asset performance, and maintenance costs.

A CMMS tool can help organizations to streamline maintenance operations, reduce maintenance costs, improve equipment reliability, and increase asset uptime. It is commonly used in industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality, and facilities management, among others.

IBM Maximo-SAP Plant Maintenance-Oracle Enterprise Asset Management-Infor EAM and Fiix are just a few examples of the many CMMS software solutions available on the market. Also there are several CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) solutions that are designed for smaller, less complicated environments such as Hippo CMMS-UpKeep-Maintenance Connection- eMaint CMMS- ManagerPlus etc.

Some common terms

1. Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF): This formula calculates the average time between failures of a piece of equipment or system. It is calculated by dividing the total operating time by the number of failures.

MTBF = Total operating time / Number of failures

2. Mean Time To Repair (MTTR): This formula calculates the average time it takes to repair a piece of equipment or system after a failure. It is calculated by dividing the total downtime by the number of repairs.

MTTR = Total downtime / Number of repairs

3. Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE): This formula is used to calculate the efficiency and productivity of a piece of equipment or system. It is calculated by multiplying the availability, performance, and quality rates.

OEE = Availability x Performance x Quality

4. Return on Investment (ROI): This formula is used to calculate the return on investment for a maintenance project or initiative. It is calculated by dividing the net profit by the total investment.

ROI = (Net profit / Total investment) x 100%

Data-Driven Models

-Predictive analytics: The model that best suits maintenance industries for cost reduction is predictive analytics. Predictive analytics uses historical data and statistical models to anticipate future trends and patterns, allowing companies to proactively identify and respond to potential maintenance issues before they become a costly problems.
there are several algorithms used in predictive analytics, including linear and logistic regression, decision trees, cluster analysis, time series analysis and neural networks. Each of these algorithms can be used to identify patterns and predict future behavior in order to reduce maintenance costs.

-Machine learning
-Data mining
-Statistical modeling
-Prescriptive analytics
-Natural language processing

Asset Management

Asset management refers to the systematic and strategic management of an organization’s assets throughout their lifecycle. Assets can include physical assets (such as buildings, machinery, vehicles), financial assets (such as stocks, bonds, and investments), intellectual property (such as patents and trademarks), and intangible assets (such as brand reputation and customer relationships).

The goal of asset management is to optimize the value, performance, and utilization of these assets while minimizing costs, risks, and inefficiencies. It involves a range of activities, including acquisition, operation, maintenance, and disposal of assets.

Asset management typically involves the following key elements:

1. Asset Planning and Acquisition: Identifying the organization’s asset requirements, evaluating options, and planning for the acquisition or development of assets that align with the organization’s objectives.
2. Asset Tracking and Inventory Management: Maintaining accurate records of all assets, tracking their location, condition, and other relevant details. This helps in efficient utilization, maintenance, and decision-making regarding asset replacement or disposal.
3. Maintenance and Repairs: Implementing scheduled maintenance programs and undertaking necessary repairs to ensure the assets are operating at optimal levels and have a prolonged lifespan. This helps in minimizing downtime, reducing operational risks, and maximizing asset value.
4. Risk Management: Assessing and mitigating risks associated with asset ownership, such as potential failures, regulatory compliance, safety hazards, and environmental impact. This involves implementing risk management strategies and maintaining appropriate insurance coverage.
5. Performance Monitoring and Optimization: Monitoring asset performance metrics, analyzing data, and making informed decisions to optimize asset utilization, efficiency, and productivity. This can involve implementing technologies like Internet of Things (IoT) sensors or predictive analytics to improve asset performance and reduce costs.
6. Disposal and Replacement: Strategically managing the retirement or disposal of assets at the end of their useful life. This can include selling, decommissioning, or upgrading assets to ensure that they are replaced in a timely manner and in accordance with the organization’s objectives.

Effective asset management helps organizations achieve several benefits, including improved operational efficiency, reduced costs, increased asset lifespan, better risk management, and enhanced decision-making regarding asset investments and utilization.

Web-based asset management platforms

1. Snipe-IT: Snipe-IT is an open-source asset management software that offers a web-based interface for tracking and managing assets. It allows you to keep records of assets, assign them to users, track their location and status, and generate reports. Snipe-IT can be self-hosted or used via their cloud-hosted service.
2. EZOfficeInventory: EZOfficeInventory offers a free plan for up to 50 assets, making it suitable for small businesses. It allows you to track assets, schedule maintenance, generate reports, and manage asset reservations. It also supports barcode scanning and integrates with mobile devices.
3. AssetTiger: AssetTiger provides a free cloud-based asset management solution. It enables you to track assets, schedule maintenance, generate reports, and store asset documents. AssetTiger offers mobile access and barcode scanning functionality.
4. inFlow Inventory: inFlow Inventory is primarily a software for inventory management, but it also includes asset tracking features. The free edition of inFlow Inventory allows you to manage up to 100 products and track assets. It offers barcode scanning, stock management, and basic reporting capabilities.

It’s important to note that while these platforms offer free plans, they may have limitations compared to their paid counterparts. If you have specific requirements or need advanced features, you may need to explore paid options or evaluate other software solutions that align with your needs.