When I wrote the introduction to last year’s Guide, I think that it had just about sunk in that the COVID pandemic was not going to be over any time soon  – and while the lockdown has now been lifted, industry is still facing unprecedented challenges.

The need to social distance combined with the furlough scheme has been compounded by many overseas workers leaving the UK, leading to greater challenges in terms of skills and recruitment. If access to engineers is reduced, it is vitally important to have an effective maintenance regime in place that reduces the risk of unplanned downtime.

Where a lack of appropriate manpower is proving a challenge, many businesses are now turning to technology for a solution and the use of augmented reality and virtual in the maintenance and asset management sector is on the increase. Leveraging the types of developments popularised by the gaming sector, personnel on-site can access a wealth of interactive information to help fill any knowledge gaps and enhance safety levels. AR/VR is also being used to great effect for training purposes.

For a long time, attitudes towards maintenance have been moving away from it being seen as a necessary but often separate afterthought, to it being recognised as an essential part of any successful business in the industrial sector and beyond. This change in perception has been enhanced by increasing digitalisation, with many of the technologies associated with Industry 4.0 lending themselves perfectly to enhanced maintenance practices. For example, smart sensors are enabling previously unimaginable amounts of new machinery health and process performance data to be gathered from key assets and made available locally or remotely. The challenge for many now is how to refine that data.

Another aspect of maintenance that cannot be ignored, particularly in this day and age, is its ability to reduce environmental impact. Well maintained machinery is far more likely to run at optimum efficiency, helping to lower energy use and having a positive impact on the bottom line of many a business.

Reflecting the growing importance of maintenance across the board in such challenging times, this year’s Maintenance Management Guide includes valuable insight from many of our established contributors, as well as some new names, which will hopefully give a wider picture of the maintenance sector, not only where it is today, but what it will look like in the near future.

Charlotte Stonestreet

Managing Editor