Preventive Maintenance Compliance: What it is and Why it Matters

Imagine this—you’re driving your car, and suddenly, the engine starts making a strange noise. You ignore it, thinking it’s nothing serious. A few weeks later, your car breaks down in the middle of the road, and now you’re stuck with an expensive repair bill that could have been avoided with a simple maintenance check.

The same logic applies to businesses and equipment. Small issues, if left unchecked, can turn into major problems, leading to unexpected breakdowns, costly repairs, and even safety risks. That’s why preventative maintenance is so important. In this blog, we’re diving into everything you need to know about Preventive Maintenance (PM) Compliance—what it is, why it matters, and how it can save you from unnecessary trouble. So, without waiting further, let’s get started.

What is PM Compliance (PMC)?

Preventive Maintenance (PM) Compliance helps track how well-scheduled maintenance tasks are being completed on time. It measures the percentage of preventive maintenance activities that have been finished within a given period. Keeping up with these tasks is important because it ensures that equipment stays in good condition and reduces the chances of unexpected breakdowns.

Monitoring PM compliance allows maintenance teams to see how well their preventive maintenance plan is working. It also helps in identifying areas where processes can be improved. Along with other maintenance metrics like Scheduled Maintenance Critical Percent (SMCP) and Planned Maintenance Percentage (PMP), PMC plays a role in making sure maintenance schedules are well-planned, resources are used wisely, and equipment remains dependable.

Why Following a Preventive Maintenance Compliance Matters

Keeping up with pm compliance is important for any company that wants to avoid costly breakdowns and ensure everything runs smoothly. It’s a way to track how well maintenance schedules are being followed and whether adjustments need to be made. If the compliance rate is low, it may be a sign that changes are needed, whether that means hiring more staff, outsourcing certain tasks, or improving the overall maintenance approach.

A low compliance rate also means a company isn’t getting the full benefits of its maintenance plan. When maintenance schedules are followed properly, businesses can expect better performance from their equipment and fewer disruptions. Here’s why staying on track with preventive maintenance is so important:

1. Fewer Unexpected Breakdowns

   Regular maintenance helps spot potential problems before they turn into major failures. When machines are inspected and serviced on time, companies can prevent sudden malfunctions that could bring work to a halt. This not only keeps operations running but also ensures that equipment stays in good shape for longer.

2. Longer Equipment Life

   Machines and tools last longer when they are properly maintained. Instead of waiting for something to break and then fixing it, companies that follow a preventive approach can slow down wear and tear. This means fewer replacements and lower costs in the long run.

3. Lower Maintenance Costs

   Emergency repairs and unexpected breakdowns often cost more than routine maintenance. Fixing a machine after it fails can involve expensive parts, higher labor costs, and lost productivity. Regular maintenance helps avoid these sudden expenses by keeping equipment in good working condition.

4. Safer and Compliant Workspaces

   When machines and tools are well-maintained, they are safer to use. Equipment failures can lead to workplace injuries, which puts employees at risk and can create legal and financial issues for a company. Keeping up with preventive maintenance ensures that all equipment meets safety standards and regulatory requirements.

5. Better Productivity and Workflow

   A single equipment failure can slow down an entire production line, causing delays and missed deadlines. By following a maintenance schedule, companies can keep everything running as planned, reducing interruptions and improving overall productivity.

Making preventive maintenance a priority helps businesses run efficiently, save money, and create a safer work environment. When maintenance is done on time, equipment stays reliable, employees can focus on their tasks, and operations stay on track without unexpected setbacks.

What Does PM Compliance Mean for Maintenance?

Preventive maintenance helps reduce downtime and keep equipment in good condition. But for it to work well, tasks need to be completed regularly and on time. PM compliance helps track whether preventive maintenance tasks are being carried out as planned. By analyzing compliance, maintenance teams can find gaps in their process and make improvements. This ensures that resources like spare parts, labor, and budget are being used wisely while keeping equipment running smoothly.

Checking PM compliance also helps determine if current maintenance tasks are still needed. Preventive maintenance makes up about 60% of all maintenance in most organizations, which means a lot of time and money go into these tasks. If certain tasks are rarely completed, it might be worth questioning if they are necessary at all. Removing outdated or unnecessary tasks can free up resources for more important maintenance work that has a bigger impact.

PM compliance can also highlight when important maintenance tasks are being missed. If some tasks are not completed on time, looking into the reasons behind it can help fix the issue. Delays can happen due to missing spare parts, a shortage of workers, or problems in the work order process. Identifying these issues makes it easier to find solutions and get preventive maintenance back on track so that critical equipment receives proper care.

Keeping up with PM compliance is also useful during audits. Auditors often check how well an organization follows its maintenance schedule. If important tasks are skipped, it could lead to penalties or fines. Regularly tracking compliance not only helps avoid these risks but also shows auditors that maintenance is being handled properly.

How Do Manufacturers Follow Preventive Maintenance Compliance?

As mentioned above, preventive maintenance only works when teams stick to the schedule and complete tasks on time. If maintenance work is delayed or skipped too often, equipment is more likely to break down, leading to costly repairs and production delays.

To keep track of this, manufacturers use preventive maintenance (PM) compliance scores. These scores show whether maintenance tasks are being completed as planned. If the numbers are low, it’s a sign that the maintenance process needs improvement. By monitoring PMC, companies can spot gaps in their maintenance routine and take steps to fix them before problems arise.

How to Calculate PM Compliance?

To calculate PM Compliance, the formula is straightforward—divide the number of completed preventive maintenance tasks by the total number of scheduled tasks, then multiply by 100 to get the compliance percentage.

Formula for PM Compliance:

(Number of completed PM tasks ÷ Number of scheduled PM tasks) × 100 = PM Compliance Percentage

For example, if a manufacturing plant scheduled 200 maintenance tasks over three months but only completed 150, the PM compliance score would be:

(150 ÷ 200) × 100 = 75%

This means 75% of scheduled maintenance was completed on time, while 25% was missed or delayed.

A low PM compliance score can lead to unexpected equipment failures, higher repair costs, and downtime that disrupts operations. To keep everything running smoothly, it’s generally recommended to aim for at least 90% compliance. This helps ensure maintenance is done on time, preventing bigger issues down the line.

Regularly tracking and improving PM compliance can make a big difference in efficiency, equipment lifespan, and overall operational success.

The Limits of Preventive Maintenance Compliance

Preventive Maintenance Compliance (PMC) has its shortcomings, and one of the biggest issues is that it does not show how many preventive maintenance tasks were completed on time. It only tells you how many were finished within a given timeframe.

Why does this matter? The whole purpose of preventive maintenance is to reduce the risk of equipment failure by taking care of issues before they turn into bigger problems. If maintenance tasks are completed late, the risk of unexpected breakdowns increases. When overdue tasks pile up, the entire maintenance strategy can become difficult to manage, leading to disorganization and inefficiency.

This is where PMC can be misleading. It might give the impression that everything is under control when, in reality, many tasks could be running behind schedule. Completing a task is not enough; it needs to be done on time to keep operations running smoothly. When maintenance teams get into the habit of delaying PM tasks, the chances of equipment failure go up.

One way to address this issue is by following the 10% rule. This means that a PM task is only counted as completed on time if it is finished within 10% of its scheduled interval. If a task is set to occur every 100 days, it should be completed within 10 days of the due date to be considered successful.

Using this approach makes PMC a much more reliable measure of how well preventive maintenance is being carried out. Encouraging early completion of tasks also helps maintenance teams stay ahead of schedule and avoid falling behind when unexpected challenges arise.

How to Use the PM Compliance Metric

Preventive maintenance compliance isn’t just about tracking performance—it’s a tool that can help improve your entire maintenance strategy. Here’s how to put it to good use:

1. Spot Areas That Need Improvement

   PM compliance helps highlight weak spots in maintenance tasks. If certain jobs are always delayed or left incomplete, it’s important to ask why. Are there scheduling issues? Are the right resources available? Looking at patterns in compliance can help identify the root cause of delays so adjustments can be made to keep everything on track.

2. Remove Unnecessary Tasks (talked about this earlier as well)

   Not every preventive maintenance task remains relevant over time. Some checks or repairs may no longer be needed but still take up time and resources. PM compliance can help identify tasks that aren’t adding value, allowing teams to focus on what’s truly necessary and avoid wasting effort on outdated procedures.

3. Ensure Consistency

   Regularly tracking PM compliance makes it easier to spot inconsistencies. If certain tasks are completed on time while others keep getting pushed back, there could be an underlying issue that needs to be fixed. Understanding these patterns helps maintenance teams create a smoother workflow and avoid unexpected breakdowns.

4. Stay Ready for Audits

   PM compliance isn’t just useful for internal improvements—it’s also something auditors pay close attention to. Falling behind on preventive maintenance can lead to fines and penalties, so keeping track of compliance ensures that everything is documented and up to standard when inspections take place.

By using PM compliance as more than just a performance tracker, maintenance teams can make better decisions, cut down on unnecessary work, and keep operations running without disruptions.