Maintenance log: what is it and how to create it

The equipment maintenance log, lists the operations performed on an asset. Find out what is it and what information should be filled with.

All companies, regardless of the sector, applying to various methods and strategies try to ensure the constant and efficient maintenance of all the assets.

A great way to improve maintenance activities, without losing sight of the real needs of the equipment is certainly through a maintenance log of the assets.

It is very simple to generate them directly through a Facility Management software, with which to create specific schedule for each asset and manage all the related documentation.

Do you know what a maintenance log is? Do you know what part it’s made of? Find it out with me in this article!

What is an Equipment Maintenance Log?

An asset maintenance log is a document that collects all the maintenance interventions performed on an asset during its life.

Keeping documented maintenance activities helps the entire organization stay up-to-date on the status of the assets.

Managing and organizing preventive maintenance interventions through a maintenance logbook allows companies to ensure that all machinery is inspected at regular intervals and operates regularly, avoiding the risk of sudden failures.

Types of Maintenance Logs

Based on a company’s operational needs, a facility manager can choose different types of maintenance logs:

1. maintenance program books: provide an overview of all the projects on which a company is working at a certain time. In fact it keeps track of all the work in progress, constantly defining the expected time for completion;
2. project logbooks, such as maintenance schedule logs, keep track of ongoing projects within an organization. It may also include projects from other departments and projects that have already been completed.
3. machinery maintenance logs: collect all the information useful for maintenance activities and are used to schedule machinery maintenance. They are very useful because they guide technicians to carry out maintenance operations on the machines at specific intervals.

What does a maintenance log contain?

A maintenance record contains different information in relation to the asset to which it refers, but generally it is configured as a document that can be divided into two sections:

1. the first section identifies the general information used to identify the asset as:
   • serial number;
   • model;
   • producer;
   • position;
   • maintenance technician;
   • date of purchase;
   • purchase price;
   • etc.;
2. in the second section, you can find the list of maintenance actions performed on the asset, such as:
   • date on which maintenance is performed;
   • description of the intervention carried out;
   • technician who performed the operation.

Advantages of asset Maintenance Logs

Equipment maintenance logs allow you to constantly monitor the condition of the equipment allowing the company to obtain a series of advantages:

• saving on repair costs: planning and documenting maintenance activities allows assets to remain operational, reducing the costs of sudden repairs or replacements;
• increase the asset value: the maintenance logs guarantee the correct execution of the maintenance programs and therefore the quality of the resource itself. Equipment that has well-documented maintenance increases its value compared to other used equipment that does not have maintenance records;
• greater safety: constantly inspecting the equipment and keeping track of the interventions that are carried out allows a more frequent identification of the problems, avoiding greater damage and increasing the safety of the workplace and operators;
• better allocation of responsibilities: the equipment will be entrusted to maintenance technicians, who will have to deal with it and will be responsible for its proper functioning;
• development of specific maintenance programs: each equipment has a maintenance log and therefore will have a program developed ad hoc depending on the history of interventions carried out and to be carried out.

Why use a CMMS to record maintenance operations

Manually compiling maintenance logs can be very tedious and create sheets that are difficult to organize and manage. Although this operation is of fundamental importance to help organizations optimize their performance.

A CMMS, a Computerized Maintenance Management System, which eliminates manual compilation processes. It works with interconnected data and automatically updates records as soon as a job is closed.

My advice is to start using a Facility Management software that allows you, in a few simple steps, to create sheets and maintenance logs to access through a simple QRCODE and the possibility of sharing them quickly with your team.