In my previous article, I introduced a simple model for delivering effective maintenance by growing capability across six critical enablers:
As capability in these areas grows, maintenance teams become more confident in their ability to keep operational assets fit for purpose, in the hands of users, at the best cost.
But what does that look like in practice? How do you design a maintenance organization that tackles challenges head-on and evolves from reactive firefighting to proactive excellence? Let’s dive into the details.
The Common Challenges
Many maintenance teams face similar struggles, even high-performing ones. Here are a few that may resonate with you:
Execution Discipline
Focus & Skills
Priorities & Collaboration
These issues often stem from gaps in capability, resources, or structure. Addressing them requires clarity around the roles and responsibilities within the maintenance team.
The Key Maintenance Roles
To build a high-performing maintenance organization, certain roles must be clearly defined and supported:
The Asset Owner is central to the maintenance strategy, but will, by necessity, sit outside of the maintenance function for the majority of assets. They define:
Without active engagement from Asset Owners, maintenance strategies often lack alignment with organizational goals.
Operators play a crucial role in basic maintenance activities like cleaning, lubrication, inspection, and tightening (CILT). Benefits include:
Even if operators are not involved in maintenance, these tasks still need to be undertaken, absorbing resource from the maintenance teams themselves.
Corrective Maintenance Technicians are the "first responders," addressing asset failures to restore operations. While heroics are celebrated, the focus must shift from just fixing symptoms to identifying root causes and mitigating the risk of future failure.
This role demands broad skills, including a solid understanding of automation and control systems, and shift patterns alignment with production schedules.
Preventive Maintenance Technicians are the specialists who:
Organizations often fail to establish this role properly, leaving planned tasks incomplete or poorly executed. These roles need to be available when assets are not required for production and are likely to be more effective when on a shift pattern different to those in operations.
A well-structured plan can make or break a maintenance team. The Planner ensures:
Planners don’t just manage CMMS systems—they orchestrate efficiency.
This role defines the maintenance strategy based on:
By reducing the likelihood and impact of failures, this role moves the organization toward operational excellence. Increasingly, the Maintenance Development resource needs to be skilled not just in reliability but also in data: identifying the data needs to both monitor current performance and predict future events through a robust data strategy and associated analytical tools.
This team handles essential behind-the-scenes activities, such as:
Building a Balanced Structure
There’s no "one-size-fits-all" maintenance structure—it depends on your organization’s assets, complexity, and people. However, some universal truths apply:
Conclusion
An effective maintenance organization doesn’t just happen—it’s built. By aligning roles with clear deliverables, addressing capability gaps, and prioritizing collaboration, your team can move from firefighting to delivering reliable, cost-effective performance, underpinned with robust metrics and a data strategy.
How does your maintenance organization stack up? Share your thoughts or let’s discuss how to level up your approach!