When is preventive maintenance typically scheduled?

• A. Based on real-time condition data.
• B. At calendar-based intervals.
• C. Only after a failure occurs.
• D. Whenever a supervisor requests it.

Answer: (B)

Preventive maintenance is scheduled to occur before issues appear, so the planning happens in advance rather than waiting for something to break. The typical approach is calendar-based intervals, meaning you set a regular cadence (for example, every quarter or every six months) for inspections and servicing. This makes planning, parts availability, and staffing straightforward and aligns with manufacturer guidelines to keep equipment reliable.

Using real-time condition data points to condition-based or predictive maintenance, where work is triggered by monitored indicators rather than a fixed calendar. That can be valuable, but it’s not the standard default for preventive maintenance. Waiting for a failure is reactive maintenance, and scheduling only at a supervisor’s request is ad hoc and lacks the regular, proactive cadence that characterizes a preventive program.