PM vs Reactive Maintenance Decision Matrix Toolkit

How to Use This Tool

Instructions

Most PM programs fail not because the tasks are wrong, but because the wrong assets got PMs in the first place. This matrix helps you make an explicit, defensible decision about maintenance mode for each asset — rather than defaulting to "put a PM on everything" or "we'll cross that bridge when it breaks."

Step-by-Step Process

List your assets. Start with your highest-criticality equipment. You do not need to complete this for every asset in the facility in one session — do your top 10–20 first.
Score each column independently. Don't work left to right and let early answers anchor later ones. Rate criticality first, then answer the failure questions separately.
Use the Maintenance Mode Reference card (Part 3) to look up which mode fits the combination of factors you've identified.
Compare Recommended Mode to Current Mode. A gap means the asset is either over-maintained (costing you labor without benefit) or under-maintained (higher failure risk than your operation accepts).
Use gaps to prioritize PM schedule changes — starting with Criticality 4–5 assets where the current mode is Run-to-Failure.

Column Definitions

Column	What to Record
Criticality (1–5)	How bad is it if this asset fails unexpectedly? Use the 5-point scale in Part 4. When in doubt, ask: "Would this stop the line, affect safety, or trigger a regulatory issue?"
Failure Predictable?	Y if the asset typically shows a detectable warning before failure (noise, heat, vibration, wear). N if failure is sudden with no lead time.
Detection Lead Time	If predictable, how much advance notice does a warning typically give? Hours, days, weeks. If not predictable, write "None."
PM Cost	Estimated labor + parts cost for one PM cycle. Use ballpark figures — the goal is to compare relative magnitude to failure cost, not accounting precision.
Failure Cost	Estimated cost of one unplanned failure: parts, labor, downtime, scrap/rework, expediting. Include production loss if it's significant.
Recommended Mode	RTF (Run-to-Failure), TBP (Time-Based PM), or CBM (Condition-Based Monitoring). Use the Reference card to decide. Write your reasoning in the Notes column if the decision isn't obvious.
Current Mode	What are you actually doing today? If there's no PM and it runs until it breaks, that's RTF whether intentional or not.
Gap?	Y if Recommended Mode differs from Current Mode. These are your action items.

Tip

Print this in landscape orientation for the best fit. The matrix is designed to work as a working document — bring it to a planning meeting and fill it in collaboratively with your lead technicians. They know which assets behave unpredictably better than any CMMS report will show.

Working Document

Decision Matrix

Rows shaded in green are pre-filled examples showing how the matrix works. Complete the blank rows for your facility's assets. Add additional sheets as needed.

Asset Name	Criticality (1–5)	Failure Predictable? (Y/N)	Detection Lead Time	PM Cost (est.)	Failure Cost (est.)	Recommended Mode	Current Mode	Gap?	Notes
Example Main air compressor	5	Y	1–2 weeks (vibration / temp rise)	$180/qtr	$8,000+	CBM	TBP (quarterly)	Y	Vibration trending would catch bearing wear earlier; quarterly PM may be over-frequent
Example Forklift battery charger #3	2	N	None	$40/yr	$200 unit cost + 1 hr labor	RTF	RTF	N	Low criticality, cheap to replace, no warning — intentional RTF is correct
Example Chiller #1 (production cooling)	4	Y	Days to weeks (refrigerant pressure, approach temp)	$350/semi-annual	$15,000 + 2–3 days downtime	TBP + CBM	TBP (annual)	Y	Annual interval too long given criticality; add refrigerant pressure trending monthly

Reference Card

Maintenance Mode Reference

Use this card when filling in the "Recommended Mode" column. The three modes are not a hierarchy — each is correct in the right context. The goal is intentional selection, not defaulting to the same mode for every asset.

Mode 1 — RTF

Run-to-Failure

When to Use Asset is non-critical, cheap to replace, has a redundant backup, or failure cost is less than the cumulative cost of preventive maintenance.

Example Assets Light fixtures, small fans, standard light-duty pumps with spare on-hand, non-production HVAC units.

Key Requirement RTF must be an intentional decision — not a default because no one got around to writing a PM.

Wrong Mode If... You're in RTF because "it's always been done that way" on a Criticality 4–5 asset.

Mode 2 — TBP

Time-Based PM

When to Use Asset has a known wear-out pattern (e.g., bearings, belts, filters), failure is not easily detectable before it happens, or regulatory/OEM interval exists.

Example Assets Conveyor drives, HVAC filters, gear reducers with oil change intervals, pumps with seal life history.

Key Requirement The interval must be based on actual failure history or OEM data — not a round number someone picked years ago.

Wrong Mode If... The PM interval is so conservative that you're replacing parts with significant life remaining — cost without benefit.

Mode 3 — CBM

Condition-Based

When to Use Failure gives a detectable warning with sufficient lead time to act. Asset is high-criticality. PM interval is difficult to set precisely because operating conditions vary.

Example Assets Compressors, critical motors, large pumps, chiller systems — any asset with reliable vibration, temperature, or performance indicators.

Key Requirement A reliable detection method exists and the team has the training and tools to use it consistently.

Wrong Mode If... No one checks the condition data regularly — CBM only works if someone acts on the readings.

Combining Modes

Many high-criticality assets benefit from both TBP and CBM. A quarterly PM plus monthly vibration checks is a legitimate hybrid — the PM handles known wear items, the CBM catches unexpected degradation between intervals. Record this as "TBP + CBM" in the Recommended Mode column.

Reference Card

Criticality Scoring Guide

Criticality measures the consequence of unexpected failure — not how complex the asset is or how often it's worked on. Score every asset on this single question: "What happens if this asset fails right now, with no warning?"

1

Non-Critical

Failure has no effect on production, safety, or quality. Asset is redundant or easily bypassed. No regulatory consequence.

2

Low

Minor inconvenience. Production continues. Repair is straightforward and parts are available. No safety or quality impact.

3

Moderate

Partial production impact or reduced throughput. Repair takes hours. May affect a single line or area. No safety risk.

4

High

Significant production loss. Repair takes a day or more. Could affect product quality, customer commitments, or compliance. Safety concern possible.

5

Facility-Stopping

Failure stops the facility or creates an immediate safety hazard. Extended downtime, regulatory exposure, or irreversible quality impact.

Scoring Tip

Score criticality based on consequences, not likelihood of failure. A boiler may be inherently reliable — but its criticality is still 5 because failure would stop the facility. Score based on the worst credible outcome, not the expected one. Use criticality to allocate your PM attention budget: Criticality 4–5 assets should receive the most rigorous maintenance mode selection, the most thorough PM tasks, and the most frequent condition monitoring.

Build the Full PM System

Preventive Maintenance Playbook

The Decision Matrix helps you choose the right maintenance mode for each asset. The Preventive Maintenance Playbook gives you everything else: PM task templates for 40+ equipment types calibrated by criticality level, scheduling frameworks, interval-setting methodology based on failure history, CMMS work order structure, and a full KPI dashboard. $99.

See the Playbook →