Unplanned maintenance costs three to five times more than planned maintenance. Yet many organisations still operate reactively. They respond to issues instead of preventing them. With Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) and predictive maintenance, you can reverse this pattern. The result? 25–30% lower maintenance costs and an ROI within 18 months.
The price tag of reactive maintenance
You probably know the situation: phone calls in the middle of the night about machines that have stopped. Emergency technicians at premium rates. Express deliveries for urgent parts. For a mid-sized production company, one day of unplanned downtime can quickly cost €50,000 to 100,000.
Between 15% and 40% of your operational costs go toward maintenance. For a company with €50 million in revenue, that means €2–5 million per year. The problem? Research shows unplanned maintenance is 3–5 times more expensive:
- Emergency deliveries cost twice as much
- Weekend technician rates: 150% overtime
- Production losses and catch-up work at higher costs
- Customer penalties for missed deliveries
Meanwhile, an average of 20% of your maintenance budget is tied up in excess inventory — while critical parts are missing exactly when you need them. Budget-vs-actual differences? Often 20% or more.
Predictive maintenance: from reacting to anticipating
First understand where the pain is, then introduce technology. That’s our approach. We analyse your current maintenance processes and identify where the biggest gains lie. Only then do we implement EAM software with predictive maintenance.
The system predicts when maintenance is needed before failures occur. Vibration sensors detect anomalies weeks before a bearing seizes. Temperature measurements signal wear early. The system automatically schedules maintenance at the optimal moment.
The impact on your working capital is immediate:
- No more emergency purchases at premium prices
- 15–30% less capital tied up in inventory
- First-time-fix rates rise from 70% to 85%
- Automatic ordering at the right time
The hard numbers that matter
Organisations using EAM and predictive maintenance consistently report:
Cost savings:
- 25-30% reduction in total maintenance costs
- 20% less unplanned downtime
- 15% longer asset lifespan
For a company with a €3 million maintenance budget:
- Annual savings: €750,000–900,000
- EAM system investment: €200,000
- Payback period: 12-18 months
- Total cost of ownership over 5 years: 40% lower
- Bonus: you meet stricter ESG and audit requirements.
Your budget variances? They drop from 20% to below 5%.
Case study: 30% savings within one year
Emergya Wind Technologies transformed their maintenance approach using EAM. Result: 30% lower maintenance costs in the first year.
Their wind turbines now achieve 97% availability (up from 92%). For a 50 MW wind farm, each additional percentage point of availability represents roughly €500,000 in extra annual revenue. Technicians have instant access to complete maintenance history. Predictive maintenance prevents costly offshore repairs, where downtime costs €10,000 per day.
Quick wins for immediate impact
Start today with these actions for results within 3 months:
- Centralise planning: 15–20% better technician utilisation
- Digitalise work orders: 5–10 days faster cashflow
- Optimise inventory: free up 20% working capital
Every day without optimised maintenance costs a mid-sized production company €2,000–5,000 in avoidable expenses. Meanwhile, your machines likely already have unseen wear issues. In two weeks, a critical component may seize: €50,000 in damage. With predictive maintenance, you would have known and planned for this three weeks earlier.
The business case is crystal clear
ROI within 18 months. 25–30% structural cost reduction. The numbers show that delaying action costs money immediately. The real question is: where will you start with predictive maintenance?
As an implementation partner, Eqeep helps organisations translate EAM and predictive maintenance into lower maintenance costs and higher uptime. We guide you throughout the entire process – from process analysis to implementation and adoption.
Want to know more?
Curious what EAM can mean for your maintenance costs? Schedule an EAM assessment with our experts and discover your savings potential.
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