The Preventive Maintenance (PM) function automates the process of scheduling regular work or assessment procedures for maintenance-worthy items, locations (starting with Facility), and Groups.
PMs are based on either a meter or a calendar method. You can schedule either Fixed or Floating PMs at the interval of your choice: daily, weekly, monthly, annually, or meter unit.
Preventive Maintenance Details
When you establish a PM schedule, you give the system a frequency (number of days, months, meter units, etc.) and a date to start the next PM. Thereafter, the software automatically advances the date (or meter reading) when Fixed or Metered PM Work Orders are generated.
To advance a Floating PM date, a Work Order must have a Close Date. PM tracking relates to the Close Date on the Work Order only when you use a Floating Schedule. See Fixed and Floating PM Schedules below for an explanation.
Once a PM schedule is determined, Work Orders are generated using Admin > Batch Management > Batch Jobs. WebTMA handles the tracking. All you do is generate the Work Orders. To maintain the PM status of auto-generated Work Orders, do not change the WO Type, Item, or Task Code on these Work Orders. See No Manual PMs below for more information.
If you use a Fixed Schedule, the next Due Date or unit is advanced as soon as a PM Work Order is generated.
If you use mobileTMA on a handheld device and a PM is designated as medTester, the PM is not transferred to the handheld device. All medTester PMs are downloaded to the medTester equipment.
PM Types
WebTMA uses two kinds of PMs:
- Calendar based, such as the 15th of the month.
- Meter based, such as every 3000 miles. See note below.
The two can be used separately or together (Dual Schedule). When Dual Schedules are used, WebTMA generates a PM Work Order for an item when either criterion is met.
For details, see
NOTE: The Meter Based Section of the PMs Tab is found only on the maintenance-worthy item records. Since one item can have more than one meter, this arrangement assures the correct meter is used for the PM.
Fixed and Floating PM Schedules
Scheduled dates for Preventive Maintenance can be either Fixed or Floating. Each has advantages and disadvantages, your own circumstances determine which is more appropriate.
In a Fixed Schedule, the next PM date is determined by the interval, such as monthly, and automatically appears in the PM list based on this setting. In a Floating Schedule, the next PM date is based on the Close Date of the most recent Work Order generated as a PM.
This illustration shows a monthly PM due on January 1, 2022. According to the schedule, the next PM is due in an interval of one month; however, the Work Order for the PM is closed on January 6. Depending on the selection, the next PM will be due either on the first of the next month for the Fixed Schedule or one month from the Close Date of the Work Order ( the sixth of the next month in this example) for the Floating Schedule.
NOTE: Use care when choosing a Floating Schedule. If a Floating PM Work Order is not closed for any reason, you risk missing the next PM. The system will not generate a new Floating PM until open PM Work Orders are closed.
Calendar Schedule for Fixed PMs
PM Schedule Entry
The Calendar Schedule section for PMs on the PM Schedule Entry flyout for both Tasks and Items uses the industry standard RRule, which is a rule or repeating pattern for recurring events.
The use of the RRule provides you a way to schedule a given day of the week, for the third Tuesday, or other specific patterns. This recurring pattern is similar to ones available in other applications such as MS Outlook or iCal.
Using RRule allows you to be more precise in setting dates as well as selecting multiple days of the week for a single schedule. You have a more exact generation of PMs either by a date or a recurrence pattern.
When creating a schedule, you can see the next four Projected Dates to give you a sense of upcoming PMs.
Following are examples of results when using a setting by Day or Day of Week:
Setting for Day 14 Would give the following dates:
Friday, Mar 14, 2025
Monday, Apr 14, 2025
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Saturday, Jun 14, 2025
Setting for the Second Friday has the following results:
Friday, Mar 14, 2025
Friday, Apr 11, 2025
Friday, May 9, 2025
Friday, Jun 13, 2025
Floating Schedules are NOT supported by the RRule.
NOTE: The RRule option is only available if you check the Use Modern Interval Pattern box. By default, the box is unmarked, which allows you to use the less-robust legacy calendar option.
PMs Based on Season Start and End Dates
PMs for items that use Season Start and Season End dates are checked to assure that at least one of the dates falls within the season.
You are alerted if the next PM date is set outside the season dates.
When season dates are entered, the following rules apply:
- Season End cannot occur before Season Start
- Both Season Start and Season End dates are required fields
At least one projected next PM date must occur between the Season Start and Season End dates. This applies to both fixed and floating PMs.
No Manual PMs
A manually created PM cannot be saved. This applies to any Work Order that duplicates an existing PM Schedule for all of the following fields:
- Location / Item
- Task Code
- WO Type (PM Schedule)
A message alerts you, “There is a PM associated with this task / item.”
These manually created Work Orders cannot be saved unless you change one of the critical fields. This is because manually created PMs are not connected to the PM schedule; therefore, a manually created PM cannot be included in PM-related reports. It also means the PM records are not updated.
WebTMA also alerts you if you attempt to make changes to auto-generated PM Work Orders. The following message pops up: "Changing Work Order type, item, or task code will disconnect from the PM Schedule and affect reports. Do you wish to proceed?"
‘Yes’ separates the Work Order from the PM link. ‘No’ discards changes.
This prohibition helps assure your PM records are updated and reports are accurate.