
UpKeep
Predictive maintenance employs true asset conditions—in real time—to give managers the most accurate data possible for making decisions. Specialized software is used to deliver this data in an easily digestible format.
Infor EAM solutions provide an enterprise asset management solution for companies in a variety of industries including manufacturing, healthcare, distribution, government entities, energy and service organizations. The solution he...Read more
Utilizing their 25+ years in the facilities management industry, eMaint Enterprises created eMaint X3, an affordable, flexible web-based CMMS solution that can be configured for a variety of industries of all sizes....Read more
Corrigo is a cloud-based facilities management platform that allows users to control the repair and maintenance (R&M) process through the creation of work orders that are then dispatched to service providers. Service providers can...Read more
Web Work Azzier is a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) designed for industries with large capital assets that offers corrective, preventive and emergency maintenance management within a suite. The solution is avail...Read more
Sprocket CMMS offers inventory and asset management along with preventive and predictive maintenance. It's best-suited for medium to large organizations across several different industries. Sprocket also offers mobile apps....Read more
ManagerPlus is a powerful enterprise asset management software designed to help managers and maintenance professionals get the most out of their assets and equipment. The ManagerPlus software is customizable, making it the ideal p...Read more
Easy to use and affordably priced, FaciliWorks will help you reduce costs, maximize productivity and ensure greater asset uptime. FaciliWorks CMMS software makes maintenance smooth and efficient. FaciliWorks tracks all of the var...Read more
EnvVisual is a cloud-based facility management system with an emphasis on issue management, offering technology to help locate problems and then dispatch the right technician to solve them. The system's visual platform lets c...Read more
Maintenance Coordinator by Simplicity Software is a CMMS solution that helps users address the maintenance needs of businesses. It is fit for industry verticals including government, manufacturing, food industries, warehousing, ch...Read more
Mission Critical Information Management by Fulcrum Collaborations is a cloud-based solution that combines CMMS, Facilities Management and Business Intelligence applications. MCIM manages and tracks the operational activities neces...Read more
Maintenance Pro is an on-premise preventive maintenance solution with integrated predictive maintenance, inventory, asset, and work order management functionalities provided in the suite. The solution comes with a pre-defined set ...Read more
Predictive maintenance (PdM) is the process of using asset operating conditions to predict when and how a failure will occur. This typically requires the use of software, which uses asset condition data (gathered through hardware) to create graphs and reports that managers can use to make informed decisions.
This guide will help prospective buyers of predictive maintenance software determine the right solution for their business. We’ll go over:
What Is Predictive Maintenance Software?
Common Functionality of Predictive Maintenance Software
Benefits of Predictive Maintenance Software
Important Considerations
“Predictive maintenance” is a term easiest to describe in relation to preventive maintenance methods. With preventive maintenance, work is performed based on a schedule, which is usually created using historical knowledge of how—and how often—a particular asset breaks down. According to a 2015 study by Plant Engineering Magazine, preventive maintenance methods are used by 85 percent of maintenance professionals surveyed.
But predictive maintenance goes a step beyond prevention: Using meters or sensors to track asset performance, managers can perform spot checks or stream real-time data into a computerized maintenance management software system. Service and repairs are only performed when the machinery shows signs of potential failure.
Essentially, where preventive maintenance uses educated guesses to plan maintenance schedules, predictive maintenance employs true asset conditions—in real time—to give managers the most accurate data possible for making decisions. Specialized software is used to deliver this data in an easily digestible format.
Most predictive maintenance software systems will come with some or all of the following functionality:
Ability to stream sensor data. The core promise of predictive maintenance—using live data to make informed decisions—can be achieved through occasional spot readings. However, streaming data directly into the system saves time for technicians and increases the quality of data.
Notifications and work order triggers. Predictive maintenance systems offer the ability to set parameters around asset conditions: For example, when vibration readings on a rotating piece of equipment increase beyond a user-defined range, the software can notify workers and even generate a work order to check out that asset before it fails. Some systems also allow users to define parameters based on runtime hours, temperature readings and number of units produced.
User-defined parameters that trigger notifications in Bigfoot CMMS
Reporting and data graphing. PdM systems can present streaming data in a graphical format, as well as generate reports based on the data to help identify trends or potential problems with assets.
A condition-monitoring data analysis screen from eMaint X3
Using predictive maintenance software, companies can experience several operational efficiency benefits, including:
Reducing costly machine downtime | Using real-time data, maintenance workers can address potential problems before they occur. Thus, the most obvious benefit of PdM is keeping assets running longer and decreasing machine downtime. |
Reducing equipment and labor costs | Since machines are running longer, costs for both repair parts and the labor required to install them are reduced. The cost of replacing a machine can also be significantly postponed. |
Increasing production and profits. | As a result of the previous benefits, money is saved and production can increase, contributing to increased profits. |
If a company decides to implement predictive maintenance technologies, there are some hardware costs associated. A wide range of companies offer this hardware, which ranges from hand-held tools to asset-mountable sensors. Some companies offer both PdM software and the associated hardware, but more often, they are sold separately.
Costs vary, but companies don’t typically need the full array of available tools to monitor the machines they maintain. And most PdM systems are able to receive all types of condition monitoring data.
Maintenance managers can determine the types of hardware tools they need based on the equipment they maintain. Here are some common methods of monitoring assets: