Ever feel like your maintenance team is always busy but never quite ahead of the game? You’re not alone. A preventive maintenance (PM) schedule is designed to keep equipment running smoothly, but if it’s outdated or inefficient, it can lead to wasted resources and unnecessary downtime.

Conducting a PM audit helps identify inefficiencies, eliminate redundant tasks, and ensure that your team’s time is used effectively. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to assess and optimize your PM schedule so you can maximize uptime, minimize costs, and improve overall productivity.

What is a Preventive Maintenance Audit?

A preventive maintenance audit is a systematic review of your maintenance schedule to determine its effectiveness. The goal is to identify outdated, redundant, or unnecessary tasks and adjust maintenance frequencies based on real data rather than guesswork.

Benefits of a PM Audit

A preventive maintenance (PM) audit helps streamline maintenance operations, cut unnecessary costs, and enhance asset reliability. Here’s how:

• Reduces Downtime – Focuses maintenance efforts on critical equipment, preventing unexpected failures.
• Cuts Unnecessary Costs – Eliminates redundant PM tasks and optimizes labor and material use.
• Improves Compliance – Ensures adherence to OSHA, ISO 55000, and NFPA standards with accurate maintenance records.
• Enhances Asset Longevity – Aligns maintenance schedules with actual equipment needs, preventing over- or under-servicing.
• Boosts Workforce Efficiency – Frees up technicians’ time by eliminating low-value tasks and optimizing workflows.
• Improves Decision-Making with Data – Uses real maintenance data to adjust PM schedules for maximum efficiency.

Signs Your PM Schedule Needs an Audit

If any of the following apply to your current maintenance strategy, it’s time for a review:

• Frequent breakdowns despite regular maintenance.
• High maintenance costs with minimal performance improvements.
• Technicians spending time on low-priority or redundant tasks.
• Inconsistent maintenance records, making tracking difficult.
• Safety or compliance issues due to incomplete maintenance logs.

Step-by-Step Guide to Auditing Your Preventive Maintenance Schedule

Step 1: Gather and Review Maintenance Data

Start by collecting maintenance logs, work orders, and asset performance reports for the past 6 to 12 months. Look for patterns in equipment failures, recurring issues, and technician work time.

Step 2: Assess the Effectiveness of Current PM Tasks

• Identify tasks that aren’t preventing failures or adding value.
• Look for over-maintained equipment (e.g., lubricating weekly when bi-weekly suffices).
• Compare actual maintenance needs with manufacturer recommendations.

Step 3: Prioritize Equipment Based on Criticality

Not all assets are equally important. Use the Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule): typically, 20% of assets cause 80% of failures. Rank assets based on:

• Operational impact
• Repair and replacement costs
• Compliance and safety risks

Step 4: Identify and Eliminate Wasteful PM Tasks

Some maintenance activities may be excessive or outdated.

• Reduce frequency where data shows no added benefit.
• Remove PM tasks that don’t contribute to reliability.
• Shift some assets from fixed-schedule PM to condition-based monitoring.

Step 5: Ensure Compliance and Standardization

• Ensure maintenance logs align with OSHA, ISO 55000, and NFPA standards.
• Use a CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) to track maintenance history and compliance.
• Standardize checklists to ensure consistency across teams.

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How to Make the Most of Your Team’s Time

Automate with CMMS

A CMMS system can schedule maintenance, send alerts, and generate reports, eliminating time-consuming paperwork.

Focus on High-Impact Maintenance

Reduce unnecessary servicing and prioritize condition-based monitoring where possible.

Use Data-Driven Decision-Making

Leverage analytics to determine optimal service intervals and predict failures before they happen.

Improve Team Productivity

Train technicians on efficient workflows and ensure they have the right tools and spare parts readily available.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Ignoring technician feedback on PM tasks.
• Relying solely on manufacturer recommendations instead of real-world data.
• Overcomplicating the PM schedule instead of simplifying it.
• Failing to update findings in the CMMS, leading to outdated maintenance plans.

In Conclusion

Auditing your preventive maintenance schedule ensures efficiency, cost savings, and increased asset reliability. By identifying unnecessary tasks, prioritizing critical equipment, and leveraging automation, you can make the most of your team’s time and improve overall maintenance effectiveness.

Feel free to use our FREE Maintenance Scheduling template below to plan, track and adjust preventive maintenance tasks with ease!