Industrial maintenance is undergoing a major transformation, and teams are leveraging AI and shifting strategies to tackle the ongoing talent shortage and surging repair costs, according to MaintainX’s State of Industrial Maintenance report.
"Industrial maintenance is shifting from reactive troubleshooting to strategic future-proofing," says Chris Turlica, CEO and co-founder of MaintainX. "While facilities are making impressive progress reducing downtime incidents, they're simultaneously battling increased costs and expertise gaps. MaintainX's AI-powered platform not only streamlines operations but also preserves critical knowledge and accelerates the transition to predictive maintenance strategies."
Key takeaways:
· AI is rapidly gaining traction as a core component of industrial maintenance programs. The report reveals that 65% of organizations expect to implement AI-powered maintenance solutions by 2026. Currently, 44% have either adopted or are piloting AI technologies, with another 21% evaluating options or planning implementation in the next 12 months.
· Notably, companies experiencing more downtime than expected are more than twice as likely to fully implement AI across multiple maintenance processes (40%) than those with less downtime (18%).
· While 71% of leaders say preventive maintenance is a core strategy, less than 35% allocate the majority of their maintenance time to it. Most teams (58%) still spend more than half their time reacting to breakdowns.
● Although 74% of facilities reported stabilized or decreased downtime, 31% saw their downtime costs increase. Key cost drivers include deteriorating equipment (fixed assets now average 24 years old, the highest since 1947); rising parts and shipping expenses; and labor shortages and wage increases.
● Despite these headwinds, organizations are doubling down on maintenance as a strategic priority. 32% expect team size increases, and only 4% anticipate reductions, a signal that maintenance is no longer viewed as a cost center, but as a competitive advantage.
