In this third installment of our “Efficiency in Uncertain Times” series, we explore how proactive and predictive maintenance practices help food processors do more with less.
Maintenance is often viewed as a necessary cost, an unavoidable overhead to keep production moving. But in times of economic uncertainty and capital constraints, it’s time to reframe maintenance not as a cost center, but as a strategic lever.
Smart maintenance strategies can extend equipment life, reduce unplanned downtime, and postpone large capital expenditures. Done well, they can help processors meet rising demand without expanding the plant floor or the payroll. In this third installment of our “Efficiency in Uncertain Times” series, we explore how proactive and predictive maintenance practices help food processors do more with less, starting with a hard look at where many plants still struggle. (Read Part 1 of the series; read Part 2 of the series)
The pitfalls of run‑to‑fail
Despite decades of industry progress, too many manufacturing operations still rely, either explicitly or by default, on a run‑to‑fail approach. The logic often sounds deceptively practical: “We’ll replace it when it breaks.” But in practice, this strategy results in surprise failures, production delays, frustrated teams, and expensive last-minute fixes.
I’ve walked into more than one facility where preventive maintenance (PM) was considered a luxury and equipment cleaning cycles were seen as an opportunity to “squeeze in a few maintenance tasks.” One of my former managers had a saying that still rings true: “Doing maintenance during equipment cleaning cycles is like trying to change your car’s oil while going through a car wash.” It may seem efficient, but in reality it’s ineffective, rushed, and often leads to missed issues that resurface at the worst possible time.
Moving up the maturity curve
Dr. Bryan Griffen is the President of Griffen Executive Solutions LLC. He was previously Senior Director of Industry Services for PMMI: The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, and he held a number of roles for Nestlé during his many years there.Strategic maintenance means climbing the maturity curve, from reactive and run‑to‑fail approaches to proactive and predictive models. Proactive maintenance focuses on scheduled tasks informed by equipment usage and failure history. Predictive maintenance takes it further, using condition‑based monitoring to identify when a machine is starting to deviate from normal performance.
Both approaches require investment in time, tools, and training, but the ROI is clear. According to reports by McKinsey & Company and the U.S. Department of Energy, proactive and predictive maintenance practices can reduce downtime by 30-50%, cut maintenance costs by 25-30%, and extend equipment life by several years. In addition, plants that implement these strategies often experience fewer emergency repairs, improved inventory planning for spare parts, and more stable production schedules.
In many facilities, this shift is tied to broader operational strategies like OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness). Maintenance impacts all three components of OEE: availability (by reducing downtime), performance (by keeping equipment running at optimal speed), and quality (by preventing failures that impact product consistency). As a result, maintenance teams that understand OEE can directly contribute to operational improvements and bottom-line results.
TPM: total participation, maximum value
One of the most effective frameworks for elevating maintenance from a backroom function to a front‑line priority is TPM, or Total Productive Maintenance. TPM involves everyone on the team—from operators to mechanics to managers—in maintaining and improving equipment performance.
In TPM environments, operators take ownership of routine inspections, cleaning, and basic upkeep, while maintenance teams focus on higher‑level diagnostics, planning, and improvements. This shared responsibility helps detect small issues before they become big problems, and it frees up skilled technicians to tackle the complex tasks that truly need their expertise.
More importantly, TPM fosters a culture where equipment care is part of everyone’s job. It builds pride, encourages teamwork, and keeps maintenance top‑of‑mind instead of being an afterthought when something breaks.
That said, TPM is not a plug‑and‑play solution. It’s a structured process that requires careful planning, cross‑functional training, and coordinated implementation across the facility. It’s not like buying a thermal imaging camera, getting someone trained on it, and then adding it to the maintenance plan. Successful TPM rollouts take time, discipline, and a long‑term commitment to changing how the entire organization views and engages in equipment care.
Predictive tools in practice
Predictive maintenance may sound like a high‑tech luxury, but many tools are already well within reach—and in some cases, underutilized. Across processing environments, inline current meters, thermal imaging, vibration analysis, and oil sampling can all serve as early warning systems for equipment degradation.
At one facility I worked with, a large blender motor was frequently shutting down due to overloads. The team initially planned a full equipment replacement, but instead we installed inline current sensors and studied the startup profile. By adjusting the control sequence based on current draw (rather than running a fixed time‑based routine), we reduced motor stress, minimized gear wear, and eliminated shutdowns. This simple change extended the life of the blending system by over two years, long enough to be replaced during a major renovation, not in a crisis.
Thermal cameras can be used to scan control panels for hotspots and detect failing breakers before they trip.only_kim / Adobe StockIn other plants, we’ve used thermal cameras to scan control panels for hotspots, helping us spot failing breakers before they tripped. Vibration sensors have flagged bearing wear in process pumps. Gas‑in‑oil tests have helped track insulation breakdown in transformers. These weren’t massive investments; they were disciplined applications of tools already available—tools that helped avoid emergencies and preserve capital.
The cultural component
Like most strategic initiatives, maintenance isn’t just about tools: it’s about people. Even the best sensors and schedules can fail if the organizational culture treats maintenance as a low‑priority task or resists allocating time for it.
Plants that win with maintenance tend to have two things in common: a clear, visible strategy for equipment care, and leadership that models and enforces it. When preventive tasks are consistently deferred to squeeze out more production, or when technicians are expected to “just get it running” instead of fixing root causes, the system slowly collapses into firefighting.
Contrast that with plants where weekly planning meetings include maintenance priorities, where downtime events are reviewed for learnings, and where technicians are supported with the time and training they need. These are the places where maintenance becomes a force multiplier, not a bottleneck.
Linking back to the broader efficiency effort
This article builds on the foundation we’ve been laying throughout the “Efficiency in Uncertain Times” series. In our previous article on smarter line utilization, we explored how to increase throughput without adding headcount or equipment. Maintenance plays a critical role in that effort. You can’t increase output if unplanned downtime keeps dragging you back.
The same holds true for our upcoming articles on utility optimization and workforce empowerment. Effective maintenance supports more efficient energy use, more stable production conditions, and safer work environments. It’s not a separate initiative—it’s the connective tissue that enables all the rest.
Final thoughts
In an era where capital budgets are shrinking and production expectations are rising, treating maintenance as a strategic advantage isn’t just good practice, it’s a competitive imperative. Every hour of unplanned downtime avoided is an hour of production preserved. Every year of extended equipment life is a capital dollar saved.
By investing in proactive practices, leveraging predictive tools, and cultivating a culture of care, processors can shift from reactive survival mode to proactive performance. Maintenance doesn’t have to be a necessary evil. With the right mindset, it becomes one of the smartest ways to do more with less.
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Dr. Bryan Griffen is the President of Griffen Executive Solutions LLC. He was previously Senior Director of Industry Services for PMMI: The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, and he held a number of roles for Nestlé during his many years there.
