Guide
Preventative vs. reactive maintenance:a cost comparison.
Preventative maintenance is planned work carried out on a schedule to stop failures before they happen, while reactive maintenance is repair carried out only after equipment breaks down. Preventative maintenance generally costs less over time for critical equipment because it avoids unplanned downtime, emergency call-outs and secondary damage.
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Key takeaways
- Reactive maintenance means unplanned downtime, emergency rates and possible secondary damage.
- Preventative maintenance spreads cost predictably and protects critical assets.
- The right mix depends on how critical the equipment is and the cost of a failure.
- A simple maintenance register with due dates makes a preventative plan actually happen.
What each approach really is
Reactive maintenance (also called run-to-failure or breakdown maintenance) waits until something stops working, then repairs it. Preventative maintenance performs inspections, servicing and part replacement on a time- or usage-based schedule, before failure.
Neither is universally right. The correct choice depends on the cost of a failure versus the cost of preventing it.
- Reactive: no planned cost, but unpredictable downtime and emergency pricing.
- Preventative: predictable scheduled cost, less unplanned downtime.
- Condition-based: service triggered by measured condition, sits between the two.
The true cost of a breakdown
The invoice for the repair is only part of the cost of a failure. Add lost production, idle labour, expedited freight for parts, emergency call-out premiums, and any damage the failure causes to surrounding equipment or product.
For a critical line, a single unplanned stoppage can cost more than a year of scheduled servicing. For non-critical, easily replaced equipment, run-to-failure can be the cheaper strategy.
Choosing the right mix
Rank equipment by criticality: what stops production, what creates a safety or compliance risk, and what is cheap and quick to replace. Apply preventative maintenance to the first two groups and consider reactive for the last.
Whatever the mix, the plan only works if it is tracked. Vox Service Manager holds your maintenance records, service history and contractor contacts, and reminds you before each due date — free during the pilot, for companies anywhere in the world.
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