What is usage-based maintenance in a CMMS?
Usage-based maintenance (also known as meter-based or condition-based maintenance) is a reliability strategy where maintenance tasks are automatically triggered based on actual equipment utilization—such as cycle counts, run hours, or OEE performance—rather than fixed calendar dates.
For Mike (the Tactical Manager), this is the end of the "Sunday Night Call-In." Instead of waiting for a motor to seize on the night shift, the integrated OEE and CMMS identifies that the line has hit its 1-million cycle threshold and dispatches Tom (the Technician) during a planned changeover.
1. Fabrico: The Integrated System of Action
Fabrico is the only platform built to natively unify Native OEE pulses with a Field-Ready CMMS through automated usage-based triggers.
Why it wins for high-speed lines:
Fabrico treats production cycles as the primary driver of maintenance priority. By pulling real-time signals via PLC or IoT, it counts every stroke, rotation, or bottle filled with absolute precision.
Because it is a System of Action, the system doesn't just "notify" a manager when a threshold is hit; it natively triggers a prioritized Work Order on Tom’s mobile device. This ensures your team is always focused on the Value Fulcrum—the machines that actually drive your revenue.
2. Fiix (by Rockwell Automation)
Fiix is a robust, enterprise-grade CMMS that has increasingly leveraged the Rockwell automation ecosystem to provide asset health monitoring.
The Trade-off:
Fiix is a heavyweight "System of Record" designed for large-scale procurement and financial auditing. While it supports meter-based triggers, the implementation is often slow (6–12 months) and the interface can be too complex for technicians on the floor. Its usage triggers often require third-party bridges to reach the level of OEE-native detail found in Fabrico.
3. MaintainX
MaintainX is widely praised for its intuitive, chat-heavy mobile interface that makes digitizing paper procedures accessible for any frontline team.
The Trade-off:
It is a "Maintenance-First" tool that lacks native, high-frequency PLC integration. While technicians can manually enter meter readings, it does not automatically analyze the Six Big Losses or use real-time OEE performance to trigger repairs. This leaves Mike with a "Data Gap" between how the machine feels and how it is actually producing.
4. eMaint (by Fluke Reliability)
eMaint is a highly customizable EAM/CMMS that excels at tracking large volumes of technical data across complex industrial environments.
The Trade-off:
Customization often leads to a "Complexity Tax." Many enterprise users find that eMaint requires significant IT resources to maintain and lacks the "Field-Ready" simplicity of a native offline mobile app. It functions well as a database for technical anomalies but often falls short as a real-time diagnostic engine for OEE-driven throughput.
5. UpKeep
UpKeep is a mobile-first CMMS known for its user-friendly interface and simple work order management for general asset care.
The Trade-off:
UpKeep is designed for broad facility management rather than the precision reliability required for high-speed Plastics or Food & Beverage lines. It does not offer native OEE monitoring or maintenance-aware production scheduling, meaning your usage triggers are often disconnected from the daily production load.
Comparison Matrix: Usage-Based Maintenance Capabilities
| Feature |
Fabrico (System of Action) |
Fiix (Rockwell) |
MaintainX |
eMaint |
UpKeep |
| Trigger Source |
Real-Time PLC + OEE |
Integrated / Slow |
Manual Entry |
Hardware Sensor |
Manual Entry |
| Maintenance Link |
Native CMMS |
Integrated / Heavy |
Manual / Basic |
Native EAM |
Manual / Basic |
| Logic |
Actual OEE Cycles |
Runtime Hours |
Meter Readings |
Threshold Alerts |
Meter Readings |
| Response Speed |
Zero (Automated) |
Moderate |
High (Human) |
Moderate |
High (Human) |
| Mobile UX |
Native Offline App |
Low (Desktop) |
High (Chat) |
Complex |
High (Task) |
| Implementation |
3-4 Months |
6-12 Months |
1-2 Months |
6-12 Months |
1-2 Months |
The Strategic ROI: Lowering Maintenance Cost per Unit
For Paula (the Strategic Leader), the business case for usage-based triggers is built on the stabilization of her Value Fulcrum.
By moving to Condition-Directed Tasks, you eliminate the 20% of technical labor typically wasted on healthy machines. This reclaimed "Wrench Time" allows you to fix the "Bad Actor" assets that drive 80% of your downtime.
This shift directly reduces the Maintenance Cost per Unit and ensures your multi-million dollar capital assets reach their full residual value.
Stop maintaining the calendar. Start engineering uptime with a System of Action.
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