What Is Prescriptive Maintenance?

Suppose you could predict how and when a piece of equipment might fail. Unless you have the right “prescription” to prevent or address the issue, that insight will be useless. The consequences? Breakdowns, downtime, and expensive repairs, paired with the frustration of thinking “I saw this coming” but being unable to stop it. Prescriptive maintenance combines today’s technology with root cause analysis and historical data so businesses can remedy the risk of unforeseen maintenance problems. Prescriptive maintenance can help companies completely rethink their approach to maintenance so they can stay ahead of potential problems.

What Is Prescriptive Maintenance (RxM)?

Prescriptive maintenance is a data-driven maintenance approach that builds on customary predictive maintenance scenarios to deliver a “treatment plan” that prevents failures and keeps systems in top condition. Prescriptive maintenance, or RxM, goes beyond commonly used reactive, preventive, and predictive strategies by prescribing the most effective course of action to enhance equipment performance, reduce downtime, and control costs. Unlike other maintenance strategies, RxM not only addresses current issues, it also proactively prevents future failures by identifying root causes and recommending targeted risk mitigation measures. This results in a highly effective approach to maintenance.

Key Takeaways

• Prescriptive maintenance builds on predictive maintenance by providing specific, data-driven recommendations for maintaining and improving equipment performance.
• Technology embedded in Internet of Things sensors, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning work together to identify and prevent issues before they escalate, reducing costly downtime.
• From manufacturing and construction to healthcare and energy, many industries benefit from RxM’s increased reliability, compliance, and efficiency.
• Business solutions that include prescriptive maintenance capabilities can link maintenance data with other processes for seamless, cross-departmental functionality.

Prescriptive Maintenance Explained

Maintaining equipment is crucial for businesses, as unexpected failures or repairs can lead to costly downtime. Maintenance strategies range from reactive maintenance, where repairs occur after failure, to preventive maintenance, which schedules regular servicing to prevent issues. More advanced is predictive maintenance, which uses IoT data to anticipate failures.

Prescriptive maintenance goes a step further by not only predicting failures but also recommending precise actions to prevent them. It integrates IoT sensors, AI, and machine learning to assess equipment health and suggest optimal repair schedules, operational adjustments, and resource allocation. This reduces unnecessary maintenance, lowers costs, and minimizes downtime.

For example, in manufacturing, an automotive company using prescriptive maintenance can detect early warning signs—such as slight motor vibrations—pinpoint the cause (e.g., insufficient lubrication), and recommend targeted intervention during idle hours. This proactive approach prevents breakdowns, optimizes maintenance schedules, and enhances overall efficiency.

Prescriptive Maintenance vs. Predictive Maintenance

Prescriptive maintenance serves as a natural extension of predictive maintenance. Both aim to prevent equipment failures before they happen and rely on a shared technological foundation of IoT sensors and real-time data to achieve this feat. Here’s how they diverge.

• Predictive maintenance: This approach monitors equipment conditions using real-time and historical data to forecast when failures might occur. With this advanced warning, maintenance teams have time to determine the best course of action.
• Prescriptive maintenance: Taking predictive maintenance a step further, RxM uses AI and ML to analyze data, uncover patterns, and pinpoint the root causes of potential failures. Based on this analysis, it then provides specific, actionable recommendations—addressing what needs to be done (e.g., specific tasks like lubrication or replacement), as well as how and when to do so (e.g., optimal timing, method, resource allocation). This pinpointed approach minimizes downtime and the intervention of unnecessary repairs.

How Does Prescriptive Maintenance Work?

Prescriptive maintenance is structured and technology-driven. While specific implementation varies by industry and need, a general overview of the core process looks like this:

1. Collect data: Companies install IoT sensors on critical equipment to continuously monitor essential metrics relevant to the specific industry. Metrics can include temperature, vibration, pressure, or other indicators, such as energy consumption, cooling efficiency, or system responsiveness. This steady stream of real-time data provides a comprehensive view of equipment behavior and can capture subtle anomalies that could signal early signs of wear or failure.
2. Apply advanced analytics: Machine learning algorithms are trained on this historical data to provide a framework in which to dig deeper into equipment patterns and trends that the human eye might miss—for example, uneven load distribution in machinery. This, in turn, identifies preventable risks—like wear and tear on a specific component—and predicts potential outcomes before they escalate into failures.
3. Prescribe actions: Rather than force maintenance teams to develop a “treatment plan” for identified risks, prescriptive maintenance uses AI to generate clear, actionable recommendations. Whether that means scheduling repairs, recalibrating equipment, or replacing components, these recommendations are tailored to minimize downtime and make sure interventions are both timely and necessary—without taking unnecessary time out of the maintenance team’s day. Examples include:

• Prioritizing maintenance tasks: When there’s a large fleet of equipment to manage, platforms with RxM capabilities—such as computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS), field services management (FSM) platforms, or enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems—can rank tasks by urgency and impact. For example, assets critical to uptime or safety may be flagged as high priority, helping teams focus their efforts on areas that matter most.
• Assigning and tracking tasks: Recommendations are displayed on dashboards within the relevant CMMS, FSM, ERP, or other systems with integrated RxM features. These dashboards help translate actionable insights from prescriptive maintenance into coordinated tasks to streamline work-order generation and assign tasks to the correct team members.

4. Monitor results: Once actions are taken, the system tracks key performance metrics to validate that the intervention has achieved the desired results. For example, if repairs were made to address machinery overheating, IoT sensors might monitor temperature levels over time to confirm that the issue has been resolved. By analyzing trends and comparing them to preintervention benchmarks, this step provides measurable insights into whether the action achieved its intended outcome, be it smoother operations or extended equipment life. If discrepancies are detected, the system can recommend further adjustments or interventions to safeguard performance.
5. Learn and adapt: Prescriptive maintenance isn’t static. Feedback loops play an important role in improving accuracy and effectiveness over time. After maintenance teams implement recommendations, the RxM approach analyzes post-maintenance data and compares outcomes to preintervention benchmarks. Should results not align with expectations, feedback can be used to refine algorithms by incorporating overlooked variables or recalibrating the timing of future recommendations. This continual learning process helps prescriptive maintenance adapt and deliver increasingly accurate insights.

What Is an Example of Prescriptive Maintenance?

Prescriptive maintenance can help companies modernize their approach to maintenance. By shifting from a reactive or cautious maintenance approach to a more proactive strategy, here’s how a hypothetical chemical manufacturing company can turn its maintenance challenges into opportunities.

The Challenge: Scaling Without Interruptions

Facing surging demand for its products, our chemical manufacturer must scale up production, yet keep equipment running smoothly. The company currently relies on reactive maintenance, addressing equipment issues only after they arise. As production ramps up, though, machinery is pushed to the limit, leading to more frequent breakdowns. This unplanned downtime disrupts operations and threatens the company’s ability to meet demand. A better, more proactive maintenance strategy is needed.

The Solution: A Smarter Maintenance Approach

The company decides to adopt a prescriptive maintenance approach. IoT sensors are placed on critical machinery, such as chemical reactors and compressors, to track metrics, such as flow rates and heat output. Advanced analytics tools, powered by AI and ML, process the influx of up-to-the minute data, spotting subtle inefficiencies that could disrupt production and providing appropriate remediation strategies, noting that reactor pressure spikes during peak operation are increasing the risk of overheating. So the system prescribes adjustments to reduce pressure during specific production cycles to prevent equipment strain.

The Results: Better Operations, Bigger Impact

• Reduced maintenance costs: Targeting issues early put a stop to costly downtime and unplanned emergency repairs, directly improving the company’s bottom line.
• Higher productivity: With fewer breakdowns halting production, output stayed steady, allowing the company to consistently meet increased demand.
• Extended equipment life: Proactive care reduced unnecessary wear and tear, keeping machines running longer and delaying the need for costly replacements.
• Increased customer trust: Reliable production schedules prevented stockouts, strengthening customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Benefits of Prescriptive Maintenance

Prescriptive maintenance does more than keep equipment running. It turns real-time insights into actionable steps that can help businesses cut costs, work smarter (not harder), and stay ahead of potential problems to improve overall operational conditions. Here are a few key ways prescriptive maintenance can benefit a company.

• Better equipment reliability: Unexpected breakdowns interrupt operations, frustrate teams, delay timelines, and ultimately upset customers. Identifying potential issues early and addressing them before they escalate ensures consistent and reliable equipment performance.
• Longer equipment lifespan: Major equipment repairs or premature replacements can strain budgets. By resolving potential issues before they become serious problems, prescriptive maintenance can reduce unnecessary stress on components. This proactive approach can limit excessive wear and tear to help businesses get the most out of their assets.
• Increased site safety: Malfunctioning equipment can be dangerous. Addressing risks as early as possible can reduce the chances of accidents or unsafe working conditions, protecting employees and meeting workplace safety standards.
• More efficient operations: Unnecessary maintenance and unexpected failures can quickly lead to wasted time and resources. Prescriptive maintenance eliminates inefficiencies by performing tasks only when needed, while seamlessly integrating them into operations. With data-driven insights and actionable recommendations, it supports strategic planning so teams can schedule tasks during downtime to maintain workflow continuity and efficiency.
• Better resource allocation: When tasks are ranked by urgency and impact, teams can focus their time and effort on where they matter most. By dedicating resources to critical issues, businesses can reduce waste and ensure that maintenance crews aren’t stretched too thinly across low-priority tasks.
• Improved compliance: Many industries face strict operational and safety regulations. Keeping equipment in peak operating condition can help companies adhere to regulatory standards. This can reduce the risk of penalties tied to violations, and provide peace of mind during inevitable audits.
• Less downtime: Downtime is costly, whether due to halted production on factory floors or disruptions in patient care in a hospital. Identifying risks early and recommending targeted interventions can minimize unplanned downtime, helping businesses maintain continuity and meet operational demands.
• Lower overhead costs: Frequent, reactive maintenance due to higher labor costs, expensive emergency repairs, and unplanned downtime can eat into budgets. By targeting only what’s necessary, organizations can avoid unnecessary interventions, improve resource use, and minimize the financial strain of unexpected failures.
• Better reputation management: Equipment failures that delay orders, disrupt services, or cause safety incidents can harm a business’s reputation. The smoother operations run, the more likely businesses will meet customers’ expectations and maintain their standing in the market.

Which Industries Benefit Most From Prescriptive Maintenance?

Prescriptive maintenance can have a transformative impact for some industries, especially those in which equipment reliability and safety are crucial. Here’s how it can support the needs of some of the most demanding industries.

• Manufacturing: Production lines depend on precise, uninterrupted workflows, since even minor delays can lead to missed deadlines and lost revenue. Prescriptive maintenance makes use of IoT sensors and AI to monitor metrics, such as motor vibration and cycle times, to identify anomalies that could signal wear or failure. Taking care of these issues during planned downtime can minimize the need for emergency repairs and improve worker safety.
• Construction: Heavy equipment, including cranes and excavators, are essential to project timelines but expensive to repair. Prescriptive maintenance tracks metrics, such as hydraulic pressure in excavators and cable stress in cranes, to identify wear early to keep work on track and improve safety for workers.
• Aerospace: IoT sensors can monitor landing-gear hydraulics, engine temperature, and cabin pressurization to verify compliance with rigorous safety standards. Early detection of system anomalies allows for efficient maintenance scheduling to reduce the chances of delayed or grounded flights.
• Energy: From wind turbines to oil rigs, energy operations rely on continuous performance under demanding conditions. Blade wear in wind turbines and pressure fluctuations in drilling rigs can be analyzed around the clock to detect whether there will be a need for early interventions, which extends asset lifespans and keeps power generation steady.
• Healthcare: Hospitals rely on equipment that simply must not fail, like ventilators or MRI machines. Prescriptive maintenance aims to keep those life-saving devices operating without interruption, protecting both patient outcomes and hospital reputations.
• Utilities: Utility providers need to keep power grids, water systems, and other infrastructure running 24/7. Prescriptive maintenance can monitor pressure drops in water systems or thermal stress in power grid transformers, flag aberrations, and recommend crucial repairs, such as replacement of failing valves, resealing of pipe joints, or redistribution of electrical loads, before they cause service outages.
• Logistics and transportation: On-time deliveries hinge on reliable fleets. With prescriptive maintenance, engine diagnostics, tire pressure, and fuel efficiency data can be analyzed across fleets at one time, without the need for human intervention. Maintenance schedules can be optimized to minimize delays, allow businesses to meet delivery promises, or ensure that public transportation runs smoothly.

Requirements for Prescriptive Maintenance

First and foremost, prescriptive maintenance depends on a well-structured data strategy that continually collects relevant, high-quality data. This strategy integrates real-time sensor data with historical service records to build a complete picture of equipment performance and foresee possible issues. Without a clear plan for managing and using this data, prescriptive maintenance will not be able to generate accurate or actionable recommendations. In addition to a robust data strategy, success is contingent on the following tools and systems being able to work together to deliver insights that drive proactive decision-making.

• IoT devices: Sensors are the backbone of prescriptive maintenance. These devices monitor equipment in real time, tracking metrics tailored to specific industries or equipment to provide the raw data necessary for precise analyses. Proper sensor placement and routine calibration are necessary for accurate and relevant data collection. For instance, vibration sensors placed on motor casings may need to be recalibrated if data drift is evident.
• Service and sensor data: Reliable data is at the heart of prescriptive maintenance. Combining historical service records with real-time sensor data allows systems to identify patterns and anomalies, enhancing prediction models. Historical data provides context for recurring issues or long-term trends, while real-time data captures immediate conditions—such as sudden changes in electrical currents—so that recommendations are both timely and informed.
• Security tools: With data from IoT devices flowing through networks, strong cybersecurity measures are essential. Beyond breaches, risks such as tampered-with or corrupted data can undermine system reliability, resulting in inaccurate recommendations or operational failures. To mitigate these risks, tools such as encryption, firewalls, network monitoring, and multi-factor authentication protect sensitive operational data and maintain system integrity.
• Management and planning software: Prescriptive maintenance doesn’t operate in isolation. The approach should integrate with tools, such as CMMS systems or ERP platforms. These tools help translate maintenance recommendations into actionable plans and can even automate task management, work-order generation, and resource planning.

Unify Operations Management With Manufacturing ERP

NetSuite for Manufacturing is a cloud-based ERP platform that helps manufacturers manage every aspect of operations—such as equipment maintenance, production scheduling, inventory management, and order fulfillment—from one centralized system. NetSuite supports IoT integration so businesses can track integrated sensor data, while advanced analytics capabilities generate proactive, data-driven maintenance strategies. These tools turn prescriptive maintenance into a natural extension of the platform’s offerings.

The benefits don’t stop there. NetSuite can also be used to automate workflows, and the platform’s unified nature seamlessly connects maintenance teams with other departments for continued collaboration. Because it resides in the cloud, teams have the flexibility to access critical data anytime, anywhere—whether from the factory floor or a remote office. The result? Reduced downtime, enhanced operations, and a foundation for growth that’s scalable for the future.

Prescriptive maintenance empowers businesses to transition from reactive strategies to a proactive approach that minimizes equipment wear, reduces downtime, and enhances operational efficiency. By providing a “prescription” for how to solve detected issues and identifying root causes, this maintenance method can support sustainable, long-term business improvements in various industries. When integrated with tools, such as ERP systems, prescriptive maintenance becomes even more effective.

Prescriptive Maintenance FAQs

Is prescriptive maintenance the same thing as preventative maintenance?

No, prescriptive maintenance and preventative maintenance are different. Preventative (or preventive) maintenance involves routine inspections and servicing to avoid equipment failure. Prescriptive maintenance is more proactive in that it uses real-time data and analytics to identify potential issues and addresses them with specific, automatically generated recommendations.

What is the difference between prescriptive maintenance, predictive maintenance, and precision maintenance?

Prescriptive maintenance uses real-time data, advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to foresee failures and recommend specific actions to address or prevent them. Predictive maintenance also uses real-time data and analytics to forecast when equipment might fail, but it doesn’t use technology to prescribe actions.Precision maintenance checks that equipment is operating within particular parameters for maximum efficiency and longevity.