The activity of defining and reviewing a maintenance program is one that is generally very poorly done. Not surprisingly, done properly, this process alone can be the most effective means of generating company profits through greater output from the same assets. It is a fact that no amount of clever planning and scheduling can account for a low value-adding maintenance program. In reality completing 100% of a poor program can drive a company backwards particularly if it contains the wrong type of maintenance.

The problems usually start in the design or acquisition phase where the definition or consideration of maintenance programs is poorly funded. Equipment is often delivered and commissioned without a formal maintenance program at all. In some cases one is provided, but it has been done in an inappropriate fashion and is worthless. During the following years of operation, the maintenance program develops. This often happens in an "ad hoc" manner and results in a program that lacks focus and is inefficient. Without some means of reviewing this situation, organisations can find themselves uncompetitive either because maintenance costs are too high, or the plant is unreliable.

The review of maintenance programs and failure history is an activity that most organisations undertake and no doubt have undertaken since formal maintenance was first performed. Some organisations do this continuously whilst others do so in large chunks as needs arise. Unfortunately, some organisations do not perform any reviews whatsoever. The problems of most attempts at review are that the review is done in an informal manner with little or no set procedure and an absence of useful decision logic.

Until now, the only accepted means of defining a maintenance program was to use RCM. However, there is now a realisation that RCM is a tool designed for use in the design phase of the equipment life cycle (Ref RCM II Moubray 1997 2nd edition page 19) and not for use where equipment is already in use. OMCS AP's pmOPTIMISATION methodology (PMO2000™) is specifically designed for reviewing maintenance programs and failure history for equipment that is in use and has a formal or informal system of maintenance albeit misdirected. For this reason PMO2000™ is also very effective at defining the initial maintenance program for new equipment where similar equipment is in use somewhere.