Preventive vs Predictive Maintenance

What this topic covers

Time-based tasks and condition-based tasks solve different maintenance problems.

Core ideas

Preventive maintenance schedules work by time, usage or cycles.

Predictive maintenance responds to measured evidence of changing condition.

Neither approach is universally better; the failure mode and consequence determine which is appropriate.

Program tradeoffs

Condition-based maintenance only works when degradation can be detected with enough lead time to act.

What good evidence looks like

Backlog and work priority should reflect risk, readiness and consequence—not age alone.

Lifecycle perspective

Repeat failures are opportunities to remove causes through design, installation, operating or maintenance improvements.