Predictive vs Corrective Maintenance: Which is Right for Me? 

Overseeing a building’s assets, resources and infrastructure can be overwhelming. There is a lot to consider, all while ensuring that compliance is upheld, safety standards are met and budgets are respected.   

Effective maintenance strategies can help to reduce this burden, making it easier to keep on top of your responsibilities.  

 SFG20 is the industry standard for building maintenance and has been raising maintenance standards for over 30 years. So, we understand how vital these strategies are for organisations.  

 Let’s take a look at predictive and corrective maintenance and how they differ, to help you gain a deeper understanding of when to apply them.   

What is Predictive Maintenance? 

Predictive maintenance is a proactive strategy used to prolong the lifespan of:   

• Assets  

• Resources  

• Equipment  

• Infrastructure 
    

It relies on real-time condition-based monitoring to identify potential issues before the failure of an asset occurs.  

This strategy reduces the risk of unplanned failures by predicting possible breakdowns, giving you the opportunity to act in advance.  

Here are some of the common techniques used in Predictive Maintenance:  

Acoustic Analysis  

By monitoring sound frequencies on operating machinery, acoustic sensors can detect changes in sound patterns.  

Rotating machinery particularly benefits from this technique as it helps to identify factors such as friction and stress, which can suggest deterioration.  

Acoustic analysis can also be used for processes involving fluid flow in pipes and pressure vessels.  

Vibration Analysis  

By collecting vibration signals through specialised sensors, a machine’s patterns can be compared to real-time data to detect when it’s out of sync. This can point to possible failures before they escalate.  

Vibration analysis is mainly used on equipment with rotating parts that use bearings.  

Infrared Monitoring  

Infrared monitoring is a widely used maintenance technique using sensors to look for abnormal heat signatures.  

If hotspots and fluctuations are found, this can highlight potential failures before they happen.   

Monitoring the temperature of a machine can help to detect issues in machinery, electrical systems and even building structures.   

Oil Analysis  

Analysing a machine’s oil can help to improve performance, avoid malfunctions and increase its lifespan.  

An oil analysis process measures properties such as temperature or viscosity as well as looks for foreign bodies such as metal shavings which can indicate a failing asset.  

While some elements of this can be carried out remotely with electronic sensors or specialist equipment, you may need to collect and send samples to be analysed by a qualified laboratory professional.  

What is Corrective Maintenance? 

Typically, most maintenance strategies take a proactive approach using prognosis and historical data to predict future issues and act on them accordingly.  

Corrective maintenance (also known as corrective action), however, is a reactive strategy which is only initiated once a fault has been identified and the asset needs to be put back into a state where it can perform its required function. These issues are usually detected by another type of maintenance.    

The aim is for work to be carried out promptly, creating as little disruption to operations as possible.  

Corrective maintenance is either planned or unplanned, however, it is preferable to plan maintenance ahead of time, especially when it comes to equipment that requires specific tools or parts to resolve breakdowns and other issues.  

This is because unplanned maintenance can lead to unexpected downtime and high costs.  

There are two types of planned corrective maintenance:  

 Run-To-Failure Maintenance  

This is when you plan for an asset to run until it breaks. Once the asset breaks, it is then either replaced or repaired.   

 However, this is only applied to assets or systems that are:  

• Non-essential  

• Easy and cheap to replace or repair  

• Don’t pose a safety risk if left to run until failure  

A printer cartridge is a good example of this type of asset. It’s inexpensive, easily replaced, safe if left to run out, and there’s nothing you can do to prolong its lifespan.   

Preventive Maintenance  

While corrective maintenance cannot be predicted and scheduled months in advance, data gathered from preventive strategies can help to identify issues before a breakdown occurs.  

 Assets that require corrective maintenance are also often discovered during unrelated routine inspections.  

The Pros and Cons of Predictive Maintenance   

The Pros of Predictive Maintenance  

• Saves you time and money by reducing unnecessary repairs and replacements.    

• Helps to avoid unexpected breakdowns or carrying out unnecessary maintenance work.  

• Ensures assets are running properly to create a safer working environment for people using your building.    

• Helps to increase asset lifespan.   

The Cons of Predictive Maintenance  

• Investing in these types of sensor systems can be costly to start with.   

• Organisations that don’t have experience with these systems may find it complicated.   

• It can take some time to gather enough data to get predictions from the system.   

• As with all technology, things can go wrong, which can affect accuracy.  

The Pros and Cons of Corrective Maintenance    

The Pros of Corrective Maintenance  

• Lower costs in the short term (carrying out repairs and replacements as and when makes corrective maintenance more cost-effective compared to other strategies).  

• Corrective maintenance doesn’t require too much planning, which means that focus can be directed to other types of maintenance.   

• If planned, corrective maintenance can lead to reduced downtime and fewer disruptions to the working day.  

• Helps to increase asset lifespan by repairing and replacing parts and systems before issues worsen.  

The Cons of Corrective Maintenance  

• Higher costs in the long term. There are certain types of assets that, when left to run to failure, can end up costing more if deterioration affects other parts.   

• It can be more unpredictable than other strategies. Unexpected breakdowns can lead to increased downtime and disruption.  

• There is additional resource capacity required to cover unscheduled activities. This can potentially lower your resource utilisation.   

Predictive vs Corrective Maintenance  

Now you’ve learnt how predictive maintenance and corrective maintenance work, let’s break down exactly how the two methods differ.   

 It can be helpful to understand that reactive and proactive maintenance approaches are the complete opposite of one another, in the sense that:  

• Corrective maintenance mainly focuses on fixing assets that are already failing or in need of replacement i.e. addresses issues after they arise. 
• Predictive maintenance aims to prevent failure and make replacements before they happen. 
  
  

Both or these strategies have an important role to play in maintenance, each with benefits suited to specific assets and equipment.   

You don’t want to rely solely on corrective maintenance, however, as it works well when combined with other strategies. Combining corrective maintenance with preventive and/or predictive maintenance can lead to more efficient and cost-effective operations.   

At SFG20, we advocate for a blended approach of maintenance strategies including Preventive Maintenance.   

To create a balanced maintenance strategy, it’s important to blend different maintenance approaches based upon the risks associated with each asset type and its availability. 

Finding the Right Maintenance Strategy for You  

Predictive and corrective maintenance strategies can help to keep buildings safe, prevent costly repairs and unplanned downtime, as well as improve productivity and optimise resource allocation.  

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when considering the many different types of maintenance strategies there are to choose from.   

At SFG20, we want to share our over 35 years’ worth of building maintenance industry expertise and help you make the best choice.   

To compare other strategies and find out which is suitable for your organisation, take a look at these related articles below. 

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