Maintenance Glossary

A

Acoustic analysis

Acoustic analysis, sometimes known as noise and vibration analysis, is the process of studying sound waves. Sound waves exist in all environments, from homes to offices to factory floors.

Advanced inventory management

Advanced inventory management is a process that uses data to make better decisions about inventory. It helps you manage levels and costs, often in conjunction with demand planning.

An asset hierarchy

An asset hierarchy is an important part of asset management. It helps you organize your assets and keep them working properly.

Asset

Any physical item such as machinery or equipment used in operations provides value through functionality, efficiency, or productivity.

Asset Availability

The probability an asset is operational and ready for use when needed an uptime metric within RAM analysis.

Asset management policy

An asset management policy is an essential component of having a solid and comprehensive asset management strategy.

Asset naming convention

An asset naming convention also referred to as an asset numbering system, defines how your assets will be referenced in a system. Asset performance management (APM) Asset performance management (APM).

Asset tracking

Asset tracking is the process of documenting all information about a piece of equipment or other assets for easy access should the need arise.

Asset turnover

Asset turnover is a measure of the use of assets in a business. It s used to determine how efficiently a company uses its assets, and to measure the financial.

Asset Utilization

A ratio showing how effectively assets are used to generate output or revenue helps optimize usage and ROI.

Autonomous Maintenance

Operator-led maintenance tasks (e.g., cleaning, inspections) to reduce technician workload and foster ownership.

B

Barcode

Scannable labels used in CMMS for quick identification and access to asset history, work orders, and manuals.

Breakdown Maintenance

Unplanned repair work initiated after an asset has failed, typically leading to downtime.

C

Calendar-Based Maintenance

A preventive maintenance strategy where tasks are scheduled at fixed time intervals (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly), regardless of equipment usage.

Calibration

The process of adjusting and testing equipment to ensure it operates within specified parameters.

Computer-Aided Facility Management (CAFM)

Software used to manage and optimize facility operations, including space planning, asset tracking, maintenance scheduling, and resource allocation.

Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS)

A software solution that helps plan, track, and manage maintenance tasks, work orders, assets, and inventory all in one centralized platform.

Condition Monitoring

The continuous or periodic monitoring of asset conditions to detect signs of wear, degradation, or potential failure. Computer Aided Facility Management (CAFM) What is computer-aided facility management (CAFM) Computer-aided facility.

Consignment Inventory

Is a business arrangement where a supplier or manufacturer provides goods to a retailer, but retains ownership until the products are sold.

Continuous Improvement

Continuous improvement is a lean improvement technique that helps to streamline workflows, resulting in saved time and money for organizations.

Corrective Maintenance

Maintenance tasks performed to restore equipment to its proper working condition after detecting faults.

Criticality Analysis

Assessment to rank assets based on failure impact, guiding resource allocation and maintenance prioritization.

Cross-Docking

What is Cross-Docking Cross-docking is a logistics strategy in which incoming goods are directly transferred from inbound trucks or rail cars to outbound vehicles, with little to no storage in

Cycle Count

Physical inventory check of parts spares to ensure accurate stock records and availability.

D

Deferred Maintenance

Postponed maintenance tasks due to resource constraints. If unaddressed, it can increase risk and downtime.

Depreciation

Accounting of asset value reduction over time through use and wear, important for repair vs. replace decisions.

Design Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (DFMEA)

A structured design-phase process to anticipate all potential failure modes in a product or system design, and implement changes before production.

Destructive Testing

Testing method that stresses a component until failure to validate design assumptions.

Downtime

The period when equipment or systems are not operational, either due to maintenance, failure, or other disruptions resulting in lost productivity.

E

Enterprise Asset Management (EAM)

A comprehensive approach to managing an organization s physical assets across departments, locations, and lifecycles combining maintenance, planning, and analytics in one system.

F

Failure Analysis

Detailed investigation of a failure to pinpoint root causes and prevent recurrence.

Failure Mode

A specific way a component or system can fail used in FMEA and reliability studies.

Fault Detection

Techniques used to detect faults early before they cause breakdowns.

Fault Tree Analysis

Diagram that maps faults and their root causes to assess failure risk.

Fixed Asset Management

Managing long-lived assets including acquisition, maintenance, and disposal.

Fixed Asset Turnover Ratio (FATR)

A financial metric that shows how efficiently a company uses its fixed assets to generate revenue. It s calculated by dividing net sales by net fixed assets.

FMEA (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis)

A structured approach to identify potential failure modes in a system, assess their effects, and prioritize actions to reduce risk.

FMECA

FMEA plus ranking by severity to prioritize mitigation based on criticality.

FMECA (Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis)

An extension of FMEA that adds a criticality rating to each failure mode, helping prioritize the most impactful issues.

G

Ground Maintenance

Maintenance of outdoor assets like landscaping, walkways, fencing, etc.

H

Hotel Maintenance

Maintenance of lodging facilities including plumbing, HVAC, and aesthetics.

I

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)

The use of connected sensors, devices, and systems in industrial settings to collect real-time data for monitoring, analytics, and predictive maintenance.

Inspection

Routine checks to detect wear, defects, or performance issues.

L

Lean Maintenance

Applying lean principles to maintenance to eliminate waste and improve workflow.

Lockout‑Tagout (LOTO)

Safety procedure ensuring equipment is de-energized and tagged before servicing.

M

Maintenance Scheduling

The process of planning and assigning maintenance tasks to ensure timely upkeep using available labor, tools, and parts.

Maintenance SOP

A standardized step-by-step guide that ensures maintenance tasks are performed safely, consistently, and correctly.

Maintenance Strategy

An organization s long-term plan for maintaining assets, combining goals, methods, and resources to maximize performance and reliability.

Maintenance Triggers

Conditions or events (like usage hours or sensor alerts) that indicate when maintenance should be performed.

Motor Current Analysis (MCA)

A diagnostic method used to assess the condition of electric motors by analyzing electrical signals without dismantling the equipment.

MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures)

The average time a system or asset operates before experiencing a failure. Used to measure reliability.

MTTF (Mean Time To Failure)

The expected operational lifespan of a non-repairable asset before it fails. Commonly used for disposable components.

MTTR (Mean Time To Repair)

The average time required to diagnose, repair, and restore a failed asset to normal operation. Indicates maintainability.

N

Non-Destructive Testing

Testing methods that do not compromise the structural integrity of the parts being tested. Non destructive testing (NDT) employs various inspection techniques to evaluate components, individually or collectively.

Non‑Destructive Testing (NDT)

Techniques to inspect components without damaging them.

O

OEE

Overall Equipment Effectiveness a metric combining availability, performance, and quality.

Operating Hours

The total time a machine or system is actively running. Often used to schedule maintenance and assess performance or reliability.

Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)

A company that produces parts used in another company's final product. OEMs influence long-term asset quality and support.

Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)

A metric that measures how well equipment performs compared to its full potential, factoring in availability, performance, and quality.

P

P-F Curve (P-F Interval)

A graph showing how an asset's condition degrades over time. It helps identify when maintenance should occur to avoid failure.

Planned Downtime

Scheduled periods when equipment is intentionally taken offline for maintenance, upgrades, or inspections to avoid unplanned failures.

Planned Maintenance

Maintenance activities scheduled in advance to prevent failures and keep equipment operating efficiently.

Predictive Maintenance

Maintenance based on real-time data and condition monitoring to detect issues and address them before failure occurs.

Prescriptive Maintenance

An advanced approach that analyzes data to recommend not just when, but what type of maintenance should be done.

Preventive Maintenance

Routine maintenance performed at set intervals to reduce the risk of equipment failure and extend asset life.

Proactive Maintenance

Maintenance focused on identifying and fixing root causes of issues before they lead to equipment failure.

Process Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (PFMEA)

A method for identifying and prioritizing process failures and their impacts, used to design more reliable operations and systems.

Productive Efficiency

A state where resources are used to their fullest potential to maximize output with minimal waste, often supported by reliable maintenance.

Purchase Order

A commercial document used to control and document the purchasing of products and services from external suppliers.

R

Reactive Maintenance

The simplest form of physical asset management where operators run assets until they malfunction or completely break down. It is only at the point of breakdown that technicians are called.

Redundancy

A backup system or component that ensures continued operation if the primary system fails, used to increase reliability.

Reliability

The ability of a system or component to consistently meet performance standards over time under normal conditions; part of RAM analysis for improving asset performance.

Reliability Centered Maintenance

A strategy that identifies the most effective maintenance methods for each asset based on reliability, safety, and cost.

Reliability Engineering

The application of engineering principles to ensure systems perform reliably and cost-effectively throughout their lifecycle.

Repair

An action we take to restore an asset to proper working conditions. are closely linked, but in contrast to maintenance, repair is performed in response to a failure.

Return on Fixed Assets (RoFA)

A financial ratio that measures how efficiently a company generates profit from its fixed assets. Calculated by dividing operating income by the value of fixed assets.

Return on Investment (ROI)

A performance metric that evaluates the profitability of an investment by comparing the return to its cost. In maintenance, it helps justify spending on tools, systems, or upgrades.

Risk-Based Maintenance

A methodology that helps you determine the most economical use of your maintenance resources. The goal of corrective is to find the critical problem assets and dedicate your maintenance resources.

Root Cause Analysis

A method used to identify the underlying cause of a problem or failure to prevent it from recurring.

Routine Maintenance

Regularly scheduled tasks performed to keep equipment in good working condition and prevent unexpected failures.

Run-To-Failure

A maintenance strategy where maintenance is only performed when equipment has failed.

S

Schedule Compliance

A maintenance KPI that measures how many scheduled tasks are completed on time compared to the total planned.

Sensors

Devices that detect physical properties (like temperature, vibration, or pressure) and provide data to support condition monitoring and predictive maintenance.

Service Request

Formal request to perform maintenance, typically initiated by a user.

Spare Parts Management

Ensuring critical parts are stocked to minimize downtime.

T

Total Preventive Maintenance (TPM)

A maintenance approach that involves all employees in routine maintenance tasks to improve equipment reliability, reduce downtime, and build a culture of shared responsibility.

Troubleshooting

The process of identifying, diagnosing, and resolving issues or faults in equipment or systems to restore normal operation.

U

Unplanned Downtime

Unexpected periods when equipment is not operational due to failures or breakdowns, often causing production delays and increased costs.

Unplanned Maintenance

Maintenance performed in response to unexpected equipment failure, typically urgent and not scheduled in advance.

Uptime

Time when equipment or systems are operational, expressed as a percentage.

W

Warranty Management

Tracking and managing asset warranties to ensure timely repairs or replacements.

Work Order

A formal document or digital record that outlines maintenance tasks to be performed on an asset, including details like priority, parts needed, assigned personnel, and deadlines.