What distinguishes each approach
The main difference is what triggers a task and why it is performed. Classifying work correctly helps show whether the team spends its time on planned activities or responding to incidents.
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| Approach | What triggers the work | Building example |
|---|---|---|
| Preventive | A task scheduled according to use, time or technical guidance. | Periodic inspection of components in an HVAC unit. |
| Corrective | A failure or condition that requires function to be restored. | Repairing a pump that has stopped operating. |
| Condition-based / predictive | Assessment of data or signs of equipment condition. | Investigating an abnormal trend detected in repeated measurements. |
How to decide what each piece of equipment needs
Criticality is a starting point: which activity depends on the equipment, what alternative is available if it fails and how much impact its downtime would have. Manufacturer guidance, use, environment and history are then considered.
Applying the same schedule to every asset can create low-value tasks or leave the most important systems without sufficient attention. The plan needs a rationale that can be reviewed as operating experience develops.
Corrective work can be planned
Finding a deteriorated component during an inspection does not always mean it must be repaired immediately. Where the technical assessment allows, the repair can be scheduled with spare parts, resources and an agreed work window.
This differs from a failure that requires an urgent response. Recording the two separately helps show how much work is handled in an organized way and how much arises as an unexpected disruption.
What to review to improve the balance
The aim is not to eliminate every corrective task, but to enable operations to prioritize and learn from each incident. A repeated failure may call for reviewing the preventive task, operating conditions or the value of a different intervention.
- Percentage of scheduled tasks completed on time.
- Equipment and causes with the highest recurrence of incidents.
- Downtime and affected areas.
- Outstanding recommendations and reasons for delays.
How to record this in work orders
Each record should identify the equipment, reason, category, date, work performed and completion status. Without consistent classification, indicators can mix preventive visits with repairs and create a misleading picture.
URBANARC uses facility surveys and maintenance histories to organize technical plans. Classification criteria are agreed so that reports support decisions about the building.
Frequently asked questions
Does more preventive maintenance always mean lower costs?
Not necessarily. Tasks must be relevant to the equipment and how it is used. Assess completion, failures and operational impact rather than simply increasing the number of visits.
Does a preventive plan prevent every failure?
No. It reduces exposure to certain failures and improves monitoring, but a plan also needs a corrective maintenance process and agreed contingency arrangements.
Can predictive maintenance be applied to any equipment?
Its value depends on the information available, which condition can be measured and what decision that measurement enables. Not every asset warrants the same monitoring.