Objectives of Maintenance Management

by Scott Thompson

Maintenance management is the process of overseeing maintenance resources so that the organization does not experience downtime from broken equipment or waste money on inefficient maintenance procedures. Maintenance management software programs can assist with the process. The primary objectives of maintenance management are to schedule work efficiently, control costs and ensure regulatory compliance.


Maintenance management is essential to the success of any organization because a poorly-organized maintenance program can bring the entire company to a halt. For instance, if maintenance employees are fixing a broken photocopier instead of an essential piece of production equipment, a factory can stop producing anything. If the maintenance manager doesn't understand company processes well enough to know what is most important, this type of scheduling problem becomes more likely. If the maintenance manager schedules four employees when only one is needed, the company will lose money. If materials such as chemicals are not stored and disposed of properly, the company could have compliance issues.


To achieve the goal of efficient scheduling, the maintenance manager must understand how the company works and know the relative priority of different pieces of equipment. For instance, in a paper supply warehouse the forklift and delivery truck could be in need of maintenance at the same time. Without the forklift, employees cannot move boxes of paper around the warehouse. Without the delivery truck, they can't deliver paper orders to customers. The maintenance manager needs to know which task has the higher priority and which once can afford to wait a little while.

Cost Control

Controlling costs is an important objective, but is not entirely under the control of the maintenance manager. The budget of the maintenance department is usually set by the company, and the maintenance manager has to work with whatever is provided. For instance, a part needed to maintain a certain piece of equipment might be available from more than one supplier. The maintenance manager might have to decide between a less-expensive part that may wear out more quickly, or a more reliable but less affordable part.


Maintenance managers must ensure that all maintenance tasks are conducted in compliance with local, state and federal laws and regulations. For instance, it might be easier and more affordable to schedule just one employee to work on a piece of equipment, but if there is a safety regulation requiring two employees to perform the task then the maintenance manager could incur a fine for the company by failing to heed the regulation. Part of the job of the maintenance manager is to stay familiar with all relevant regulations and make sure they are followed.

Photo Credits

  • Hemera Technologies/Photos.com/Getty Images
Suggest an Article Correction