Cost Savings of Predictive Maintenance vs. Reactive & Preventative

Did you know reactive maintenance and repair costs are around 25%-30% higher than those of predictive maintenance? So many companies lose money on high maintenance costs where they could be saving. When maintenance issues are only addressed in emergencies, or when they become unavoidable obstacles, they end up costing more in terms of repair and equipment downtime.

Preventive maintenance strategies can make a big difference, but new technologies provide an even better solution and cost savings with predictive maintenance.

Reactive Maintenance

Reactive maintenance is often billed as the cheapest strategy, and it works just like it sounds. Reactive maintenance waits for a problem to occur, and maintenance is a reaction to that problem. When a piece of equipment breaks down, or slows down, a technician will react to the malfunction to restore the equipment to its functional state.

The main benefit of reactive maintenance is that it requires fewer full-time personnel. It can be less time intensive, since you only call someone out to fix something if it’s broken, rather than paying someone to perform checks on a regular basis. Reactive maintenance doesn’t require elaborate planning or a fixed strategy, and maintenance is only focused on the existing issue.

But reactive maintenance is a dangerous approach for manufacturing plants, essential machinery, or complex management systems, including water. In these cases, breakdowns are often difficult to track, and the damage is done before you have time to react. Expensive and/or delicate equipment needs to be regularly checked to maintain critical operations.

Pros of reactive maintenance

• Less time

• Lower personnel costs

• No intensive planning or strategy required

Cons of Reactive Maintenance

• May not catch issues before they cause extensive damage

• Does not protect asset/equipment life expectancy

• Potential risk to life safety

• Higher emergency costs

Preventive Maintenance

Preventive maintenance involves regular checks to prevent problems before they occur. The goal is to reduce the odds of equipment failure and extend the operational life of your assets. Preventive maintenance requires more strategy and planning than reactive maintenance, as well as a more robust employee roster, but an in-house maintenance team will have in-depth knowledge of your equipment and the history of each part, so they know when to switch out components or update software.

An effective preventive maintenance program requires established performance data, regular reports, and detailed documentation to keep systems running efficiently. All this comes at a cost, but it’s worth it for complex systems in manufacturing plants, healthcare systems, and other facilities responsible for life safety.

Pros of Preventive Maintenance

• Longer equipment lifecycle

• Reduced downtime for major repairs

• Fewer large-scale breakdowns

• Fewer equipment emergencies

• Lower overtime costs

• Easier personnel planning

• Improved life safety and quality

Cons of Preventive Maintenance

• More labor intensive

• Higher personnel costs

• More time spent on maintenance than is strictly necessary

• Risk of wasting resources with unnecessary maintenance

Predictive Maintenance

Predictive maintenance resolves the higher cost and potential waste problems of the preventive method and increases the efficacy and efficiency of maintenance work compared to a reactive approach.

With tools and sensors using AI to drive maintenance recommendations and improve understanding of critical equipment in real time, predictive maintenance strategies are the product of recent technology innovations. Smart sensors, connected dashboards, and real-time alerts, allow for less time — and cost — spent on maintenance without the risk of an equipment failure emergency.

In fact, predictive maintenance programs can significantly increase return on investment (ROI). Studies show predictive maintenance can:

• Reduce costs by 25%-30%

• Decrease equipment breakdowns by 70%-75%

• Reduce equipment downtime by 35%-45%

With predictive maintenance, your company can reduce costs while boosting productivity and functionality.

The main drawback of predictive maintenance is the upfront investment in smart technology — but one that pays for itself in the long term. Predictive maintenance can also take time to ramp up without established performance data on relevant equipment and management systems.

Pros of Predictive Maintenance

• Early detection of asset issues or failures

• Reduced maintenance costs over time

• Less time and fewer labor requirements

• Extended equipment and asset life cycles

• Less downtime for major repairs

• Improved system functionality

Cons of Predictive Maintenance

• Significant upfront investment

• More skilled technicians sometimes needed

• More training for employees on your system

Aquanomix Can Help

Aquanomix has built a better system for predictive water system maintenance. It’s easy to use, easy to implement, and significantly reduces costs while extending the life of your water system. Symphony software tracks data down to the most minute detail and provides real-time reports on the status, quality, efficiency, and safety of your water. For property owners and facility management teams, Aquanomix is the simple, cost-effective solution to smart water management.

Read up on Aquanomix’s success stories and our top tips for saving money with smart water management.