How To Setup A Preventative Maintenance Schedule

Purpose

Help new users build a preventive maintenance (PM) schedule inside Caddis that reduces unplanned downtime, increases machine reliability,and keeps everyone aligned on service expectations.

Outcomes

• A defined PM schedule by equipment
• Clear PM ownership and accoutability
• Improved uptime and reduced suprises
• A repeatable process for ongoing improvement

Step-by-Step: How to Build a PM Schedule

Step 1: Start With Critical Equipment

Not every machine needs a PM program on Day 1. Focus on the equipment that:

• Has caused the most downtime recently
• Is critical to production flow
• Is expensive or dangerous to repair when it fails

Create a list of these top 5-10 assets and start there.

Step 2: List Recurring Maintenance Activities

For each critical asset, list the known maintenance tasks,such as:

• Grease or oil change
• Filter replacement
• Inspection of belts or bearings
• Replacing wear parts

Ask operators, maintenance staff, or check equipmentmanuals. Group tasks into categories (e.g., weekly, monthly, runtime-based).

Step 3: Use Caddis to Build PM Tasks

In Caddis:

1. Navigate to the Preventive Maintenance module on the right-hand sidebar.
2. Click Add PM Task to create a new task.
3. You can then select the equipment that this task applies to.

Alternatively, you can startfrom the specific equipment's page, then click the Preventive Maintenancemodule from the sidebar—this will automatically associate the task with thatequipment.

Define:

• Task Title – Clear and specific
• Trigger Type:
   
  • Stopwatch (Calendar intervals)
   
  • Runtime Hours
   
  • Cycle Count
 
• Instructions – What exactly should the tech do?
• Owner – Who is accountable for doing this?

If applicable, attach CriticalParts to this task. This enables tracking of what was replaced, repaired,or inspected when the PM is completed.

Step 4: Review PMs Weekly and Adjust

Build a 15-minute maintenance review into your weekly orbiweekly routine. Check:

• Which PMs were completed on time?
• Are any tasks overdue?
• Are  breakdowns still occurring despite PMs?

Use this time to:

• Adjust intervals (e.g., switch from inspect to replace)
• Assign new ownership if someone is overloaded
• Add new PMs based on recent failure modes

Step 5: Use Tags and Notes for Insight

Tags can help identify if breakdowns are related to certainparts, jobs, or operators. These can be applied to active runs andgrouped by category (e.g., Operator, Job Number).

Use Notes during downtime or PMs to capture:

• What was observed
• What was done
• Any deviation from the normal

This qualitative insight enhances your PM strategy.

Refinement Loop: FromFailure to PM

1. Downtime occurs
2. Use 5 Why’s to find root cause (see Playbook 5)
3. Create a new PM task based on the cause
4. Add it to your schedule
5. Monitor if failures continue

Metrics to Track

Common Challenges

What Success Looks Like:

• PMs are on-time and owned
• Machines run longer between failures
• Technicians know exactly what to do
• Caddis becomes the trusted system of record for maintenance

Bonus: Monthly PM Audit Template

Print-Friendly Checklist Page

Use this simple checklist to ensure your PM system is working. This page is designed to be printed and used as part of your monthly PM review process.

Preventive Maintenance Audit – Monthly Review

• Are all PMs completed this month?
• Were any breakdowns caused by missed PMs?
• Did we adjust any PM intervals based on failure history?
• Did we add any PMs based on recent 5 Why’s?
• Are critical part actions logged for each PM?
• Did any owners fail to complete tasks?
• Have we communicated upcoming PMs to operations?

Tip: Print and postnear your maintenance board or save as a monthly form inside your team documentation or Caddis dashboard.