Glossary
What is Unplanned Maintenance?
Unplanned maintenance is maintenance that was not scheduled in advance—typically reactive repairs after a failure or unexpected defect. It often causes unplanned downtime and can be more costly due to rush repairs and lost production.
What it means
Reducing unplanned maintenance is a goal of preventive and predictive programmes. Unplanned work is still recorded in work orders for history and analysis.
Why it matters
- Unplanned work is triggered by failure or surprise defect.
- It contributes to unplanned downtime and variable cost.
- Tracking unplanned work by asset helps target PM or redesign.
- High unplanned maintenance may indicate under-investment in PM.
Example in maintenance operations
A conveyor belt fails at 2 a.m.; repair is unplanned. A pump seal leaks unexpectedly; the repair is unplanned until it is discovered.
Related concepts
Run maintenance with VectraManage — work orders, PM and reporting in one platform
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