How to handle challenges in the maintenance department
A smarter approach to planned and unplanned maintenance
When maintenance goes off schedule, production slows — or worse, stops. But what if maintenance didn’t have to mean downtime? Whether you're preparing for a planned turnaround or reacting to a sudden failure, the ability to respond efficiently can make the difference between business as usual and costly disruption. The good news? You can stay ahead of it.
In 5 steps, you will be prepared for maintenance while keeping production on track and minimizing disruptions, using temporary solutions and strategic planning.
Let’s get started!
1. Unplanned maintenance: Why it keeps happening and how to get ahead of it
Every maintenance manager has faced it: a sudden breakdown, unplanned downtime, or utilities failing without warning. These moments force reactive decisions, pulling teams away from their core tasks and often repeating the same firefighting cycle. The truth is, many of these disruptions are avoidable — if preventive maintenance strategies are built into the production planning.
Strategic maintenance = reliable operations
Preventive maintenance, when aligned with your production planning, helps:
- Reduce emergency repairs
- Improve asset reliability
- Extend equipment lifetime
- Lower risk of safety incidents
Annual turnarounds, when planned properly, are an opportunity — not just a pause. They allow teams to perform inspections, upgrades, and long-overdue maintenance that improve long-term performance.
But even with the best planning, things can go wrong — especially during seasonal extremes or supply chain bottlenecks. That’s why building flexibility into your maintenance plan is key. Temporary rental solutions can fill critical gaps, helping you stay on track even when unplanned issues arise.
2. Contingency planning: Be ready for the unexpected
Even with the best preventive maintenance strategy, emergencies can still happen. That’s why a clear, well-documented contingency plan is essential. Whether it's a sudden breakdown or a shift in demand, the ability to respond quickly can make the difference.
Where to start?
- Define your main risks and define how to respond when they occur. Start by making a list of risks that can have an impact on your operations
- Next, rank the most important risks. Those are the ones that are most likely to happen or can cause extensive damage when they occur.
After prioritizing these risks, you can develop a contingency plan. This outlines the main trigger that sets the plan in motion together with the preferred immediate response. Furthermore, it states who needs to be involved and informed when this happens. The plan should be approved, shared and regularly reviewed for effectiveness. Done right, it becomes a powerful tool to protect operations and reduce downtime.