Picture this: Your team is on a critical job, and suddenly – bam! – your equipment grinds to a halt. Deadlines get pushed, frustration mounts and costs start piling up. Sound familiar?
Equipment failure isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a productivity killer that can cost businesses thousands in repairs, downtime, and lost revenue. The good news? Most failures are 100% preventable – if you know what to look for.
In this blog, we’ll uncover the most common (and often overlooked) reasons why equipment fails and how you can stop breakdowns before they happen. Let’s get right to it!
If you think the only cost of equipment failure is fixing the broken part, think again. Here’s a quick breakdown of what businesses actually lose when equipment goes down:
A 2016 study by Aberdeen Group found that unplanned downtime costs industrial manufacturers an average of $260,000 per hour. That’s a huge hit, and it’s exactly why prevention is always the better (and cheaper) strategy.
Think of preventive maintenance like going to the dentist. Skip enough checkups, and suddenly you’ve got a much bigger (and more expensive) problem on your hands.
The Fix
Too little lubrication? Your machine parts grind against each other. Too much? You attract dirt and contaminants. Either way, your equipment suffers.
The Fix
Sudden voltage spikes can fry circuits, damage motors, and cause premature failures. Even minor fluctuations can weaken electrical components over time.
The Fix
Untrained operators can accidentally overload machines, misuse equipment, or skip essential startup/shutdown procedures. The result? Premature wear and costly breakdowns.
The Fix
Dust, moisture, and rust slowly but surely destroy machinery – especially in harsh environments like construction sites or manufacturing plants.
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Pushing machines beyond their limits doesn’t just shorten their lifespan – it dramatically increases the risk of catastrophic failure.
The Fix
Many breakdowns don’t happen suddenly – they give warning signs. If you’re not tracking performance metrics, you’re missing critical red flags.
The Fix
Let’s compare the three main maintenance strategies:
The verdict? Preventive and predictive maintenance save the most time and money – and that’s exactly where a CMMS comes in handy.
A rock-solid maintenance strategy isn’t just about preventing breakdowns – it’s about maximizing efficiency. Here’s a step-by-step guide to setting up a foolproof system:
Equipment failure isn’t inevitable. With the right maintenance strategy, real-time monitoring, and automation tools, you can drastically reduce breakdowns, increase uptime, and save thousands in repairs.
Ready to take control? Download our free Preventive Maintenance Checklist or, better yet, get in touch for a free demo today!
The most common causes include poor preventive maintenance, lack of lubrication, operator error, electrical issues, contamination, overloading and missed warning signs due to lack of real-time monitoring.
A CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) schedules preventive tasks, tracks asset history, and uses data to identify issues early. It helps teams catch small problems before they lead to costly breakdowns.
Preventive maintenance is scheduled regularly to avoid problems.
Reactive maintenance only happens after equipment fails.
Prevention is typically cheaper, safer and better for uptime.
Proper lubrication reduces friction, wear, and overheating. Too little or too much can damage machinery.
A CMMS can schedule lubrication tasks and ensure the correct type and amount is used.
Untrained or careless operators may overload machines, skip startup/shutdown procedures, or misuse equipment. This accelerates wear and increases the risk of failure.
Look for warning signs like unusual noises, overheating, reduced performance, frequent resets or error codes.
Real-time sensors and condition monitoring can catch these signs early.
Absolutely! FieldEx CMMS is scalable and user-friendly, and it’s perfect for small maintenance teams that want to reduce downtime, stay organized and move away from spreadsheets.
It depends on the equipment type and usage. Following manufacturer guidelines is key, but a CMMS can also adjust intervals based on real-time data and past failure trends.
A CMMS tracks work orders, asset history, inspection reports, part usage, downtime events and performance metrics. This enables teams full visibility into equipment health.
Yes. FieldEx is built to support the full maintenance spectrum, from emergency repairs to long-term preventive schedules.
Whether you're responding to an urgent breakdown or analyzing patterns to prevent future issues, FieldEx has you covered.
FieldEx is scalable. Whether you’re a two-person maintenance crew or managing dozens of sites, you can customize workflows, roles and asset visibility to match your needs … without overcomplicating your day-to-day.
Yup, FieldEx connects easily with tools you’re already using like CRMs, calendars and inventory systems. You won’t have to start from scratch or juggle multiple platforms.
FieldEx offers flexible, transparent pricing with plans to suit businesses of all sizes. You only pay for what you need, and there's no expensive hardware or setup cost.
Check our pricing page to know more.
Simply schedule a free demo, and see how FieldEx can help your business reduce downtime, streamline repairs, and take the chaos out of troubleshooting.
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