Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional (CMRP) Practice Exam

What is a recommended best practice regarding maintenance work planning?

1. At least 50% of maintenance work should be planned

2. All maintenance work should be reactive

3. 90% or more of all maintenance work should be planned

4. Maintenance work should never be planned

The correct answer is: 90% or more of all maintenance work should be planned

Planning maintenance work effectively is essential for optimizing efficiency, minimizing downtime, and ensuring the reliability of operations. When a high percentage of maintenance work, such as 90% or more, is planned, it allows organizations to allocate resources, schedule tasks, and prepare materials in advance. This proactive approach helps in prioritizing critical maintenance activities, conducting necessary training, and ensuring that the right tools and parts are available when needed, thus reducing unplanned work and improving overall productivity. In contrast, reactive maintenance typically leads to increased costs and equipment failure due to the lack of foresight and preparation. When maintenance work is not planned, or only a small portion is planned, organizations can face challenges such as delays, ineffective resource utilization, and unexpected equipment breakdowns that could have been avoided with appropriate planning. Therefore, emphasizing a structured maintenance work planning approach that encompasses a significant majority of maintenance activities aligns with best practices in reliability and maintenance management.