Work Order Discipline
An undocumented PM is a PM that didn't happen, regardless of what was actually done.
Every PM, breakdown repair, and inspection should be tracked in a CMMS (computerized maintenance management system) — including closed work orders with the actual work performed and parts used.
Time-tracking per work order is the only way to identify PMs that consistently overrun their estimated time, signaling a need to revisit scope, parts availability, or training.
Parts inventory min-max levels should be set based on actual usage history from work order records — not on a guess from the OEM commissioning list.
A maintenance planner role, where the plant size justifies one, separates 'what will be done' from 'who will do it' — frontline mechanics benefit enormously from having parts and tools staged when they walk up.
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