Dive summary:

• If it's done right, preventive maintenance is more than just changing oil and filters in equipment on which jobs depend to keep running, because that alone is not enough.
• Real preventive maintenance involves having equipment managers and technicians use their knowledge of the equipment to anticipate and avoid breakdowns by understanding what is reaching the end of its life before it gets there.
• Work in preventive maintenance can be scheduled when it's least inconvenient and least expensive for the owner and clients instead of waiting for when the machines announces painfully that it's past time.

From the article:

Successful PM programs are built on a proactive approach, or identifying areas to address before they become major problems and cost issues. ...