The term “maintenance”, sometimes also referred to in English as “servicing”, covers all measures that serve to maintain or restore the target condition of a machine, plant or other technical system. On the one hand, this includes preventive measures such as inspection and maintenance, which make it possible to detect wear and tear as well as damage to components even before failures occur. On the other hand, maintenance includes corrective measures such as repair and overhaul, which rectify any damage detected and thus restore the system to its target state. Finally, maintenance also includes improvements that optimize the functional reliability of a system.

Today, maintenance is already increasingly characterized by digitalization. In many cases, sensors continuously provide measurement data on the condition of machines and systems, which are evaluated by software. A connection to document management systems, in which all important documents relating to the machines and systems, including the system documentation and technical documentation, are stored, enables this software to identify anomalies and send a message to the employees in the maintenance department or even independently initiate appropriate countermeasures. In this way, maintenance makes a valuable contribution to quality assurance in the company.

You can find out more about the definition of maintenance and the different types, such as corrective and preventive maintenance, in our encyclopedia article “Maintenance: What is it?”