Preventive Maintenance Software Guide: The Top Nine Features to Look for when Choosing Preventive Maintenance Software

You know you need software to track preventive maintenance and manage routine maintenance tasks. The question is, which one?The question is, which one? With dozens of computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS), it can be hard to separate the true difference-makers from the glorified spreadsheets.

After working with thousands of industrial maintenance teams, we’ve identified nine core features that define world-class preventive maintenance software.

Whether you’re evaluating your first CMMS or replacing an outdated one, this guide will help you know exactly what to look for and what to avoid when choosing preventive maintenance software.

Key takeaways

• The right solution will help you create preventive maintenance schedules, monitor equipment conditions, and reduce operational costs by keeping operations running smoothly.
• Look for automation and integrations that eliminate manual scheduling and data entry.
• Choose CMMS software that’s mobile-friendly, easy to adopt, and built for technicians in the field.
• Prioritize systems that provide real-time visibility into assets, parts, and performance.
• Reliable vendor support and training can make or break long-term adoption of CMMS software and ROI.

1. Automated work order generation and maintenance scheduling

This may seem obvious, but it's surprising how many systems get this one wrong. Your preventive maintenance software should automatically generate most of your work orders and routine maintenance without you lifting a finger.

Baseline

Scheduling preventive maintenance tasks on a calendar or meter basis. Most systems allow you to create recurring work orders and send reminders when tasks are due.

Difference-makers

• Data-rich work order generation: The best systems pull in historical data, parts lists, and specific instructions for each asset.
• Condition-based triggers: Automatically generate work orders when equipment readings (ex. temperature) cross a set threshold.
• Multi-asset work orders: Create a single preventive maintenance work order for multiple machines, like updating software on 30 HVAC units.
• Bundled PMs: Group related tasks (ex. lubrication, filter replacement) into one shutdown event to reduce downtime.
• Event triggers: The system automatically generates corrective follow-up tasks when a PM uncovers an issue.
• Dynamic calendars: Managers can reassign or shift preventive maintenance schedules without IT bottlenecks.

Test drive tip 

Test how the system handles schedule adjustments. Can you easily modify the frequency of a preventive maintenance task without disrupting the entire maintenance calendar? Your operations change and your software should adapt accordingly.

Pitfalls to avoid

• Static-only scheduling: Some vendors still only offer rigid time-based PMs, leading to costly over- or under-maintenance.
• Missed task handling: In weaker systems, skipped PMs simply vanish instead of being rescheduled, creating audit gaps.
• Desktop-only planning: Many vendors call themselves ‘mobile’ but require managers to log in from a desktop for actual schedule changes.

Case study: Redimix Companies

Redimix, New England’s leading concrete supplier, relied on sticky notes and spreadsheets before adopting MaintainX. The lack of scheduling visibility led to constant firefighting and runaway costs. 

After centralizing preventive scheduling in MaintainX, Redimix achieved a 53.9% decrease in year-over-year maintenance spend. Nearly 1,800 preventive maintenance work orders have been completed since implementation. As Operations Manager Greg Wortman put it, “The scheduling portion of this software was a massive win for us—there were no more dumpster fires.”

2. Comprehensive asset management

Your preventive maintenance software should be the source of truth for equipment information. We're talking serial numbers, maintenance history, parts specifications, and manuals. In other words, everything your technicians need at their fingertips to execute a preventive maintenance program.

Baseline

A complete asset profile with repair and preventive maintenance history, manuals, documentation, associated parts, and open work orders.

Difference-makers

• Hierarchical asset structures: Drill down from facility to production line to individual components to track costs, recurring problems, and more.
• Asset metering and usage-based triggers: Schedule preventive maintenance by cycles, hours, or consumption.
• Total cost of ownership: Track all costs (labor, parts, downtime) against individual assets.
• Warranty and vendor integration: Log warranty expirations and preferred vendor details in the asset profiles.

Test drive tip

Can you easily upload and attach documents? Does it support QR codes or barcode scanning for quick asset identification? These seemingly small features can help your team save time, ensure operational efficiency, and reduce downtime during critical tasks.

Pitfalls to avoid

• Flat asset hierarchies: Some platforms don’t support detailed asset hierarchies, forcing clumsy workarounds.
• Limited reporting: Without cost rollups per asset, leaders can’t identify true high-cost of equipment.

Case study: Titan America

Titan America needed to build a reliability-centered maintenance program for its cement plant. By tracking 2,700+ meters across 800+ assets with MaintainX, Titan eliminated 30% of unplanned downtime in under a year. 

“To make information available at the right time is critical to our success,” says Senior Reliability Manager Jorge Pinzon. “A supported reliability community, with flowing, real-time information…is an essential element of RCM program success.”

3. Mobile accessibility

Your maintenance team doesn’t sit at desks all day, so they shouldn’t have to go back to one to use maintenance software. That’s why being able to use a preventive maintenance system on a phone or tablet is essential.

Baseline
The ability for technicians to open, update, and close preventive maintenance work orders on a mobile device.

Difference-makers

• Intuitive interface and native mobile design: The interface should be designed for technicians wearing gloves, working in poor lighting, or dealing with equipment noise. It should be built specifically for mobile, not just a desktop view shrunk for a phone.
• Offline mode: Software that can be accessed without internet connection and that syncs automatically when connectivity is regained.
• Push notifications with escalation rules: Alerts go to the right tech first and escalate to supervisors if unacknowledged.
• Built-in QR scanning, photo, and video uploads: Capture asset condition directly in the field.

Test drive tip

Check to see if the software allows voice-to-text notes directly from mobile devices. This will help you capture key data and save your technicians from typing lengthy reports.

Pitfalls to avoid

• Browser-based apps: If “mobile” just means logging into a website from a browser, adoption among frontline staff will lag.
• Connectivity gaps: Some apps fail when service drops, forcing techs to use pen and paper.

Case study: Cayman Islands Public Works Department

The Cayman Islands Public Works Department was drowning in over 100 paper work orders a week, slowing response times across hundreds of facilities. After implementing MaintainX, they digitized 75% of their processes and empowered technicians with mobile-first preventive maintenance workflows. 

As MEP Manager Adam McLaren explains, “Through the mobile app, workers in the field can access real-time data and updates, bringing the department closer to their goal of being fully paperless.”

4. Inventory and parts management integration

Nothing kills productivity like unavailable parts. When parts aren’t on hand, equipment downtime increases and maintenance needs pile up, forcing more emergency repairs. That’s why your preventive maintenance software should integrate with your parts management system and have robust inventory features of its own.

Baseline

Your CMMS should let you log parts and set low-stock alerts to help you maintain optimal stock levels based on preventive maintenance schedules and historical usage.

Difference-makers

• Kitting: Bundle parts required for specific preventive maintenance jobs so techs grab everything in one trip.
• Parts reporting: View reports on spare parts usage and costs.
• Cross-site visibility: See stock across facilities and transfer as needed.
• Integrated purchase orders: Directly connect usage to reorders and vendor workflows.

Test drive tip

Have your parts procurement team test the software you’re evaluating. Ask them how easy it is to sync information between the preventive maintenance platform into the company’s ERP platform and any other system used to track inventory.

Pitfalls to avoid

• Disconnected modules: If inventory isn’t tied to WOs, stock usage gets underreported.
• Lack of vendor visibility: Without integration, you risk overpaying with last-minute emergency purchases.

Case study: Duracell

Duracell’s maintenance teams struggled with parts tracking and wasted time walking back to storerooms. By integrating MaintainX with SAP, they gained real-time mobile visibility into parts and streamlined cost allocation. 

The company now saves an estimated $50,000 annually on parts inventory costs per site, with Jarrod Kipp, North America Product Supply Transformation Manager saying, “Moving to MaintainX was one of the smoothest integrations I’ve ever seen in my career.”

5. Customizable reporting and analytics

Data without insights is just digital clutter. Your preventive maintenance software should offer robust reporting capabilities that help you make informed decisions about your maintenance program.

Baseline

Standard, out-of-the-box reports for must-have preventive maintenance metrics, like downtime, planned maintenance percentage, and work order completion

Difference-makers

• Custom dashboards: The ability to create custom dashboards and choose the data for these dashboards, like asset-specific costs or time spent by technician.
• Multisite benchmarking: Compare asset performance across multiple facilities.
• Filtering and drill-down analytics: Segment maintenance and asset data, from enterprise-wide OEE to an individual asset’s work orders.
• AI-powered forecasting: Predict budgetary needs and justify capital expenditures with data.

Pitfalls to avoid

• CSV dumps only: Many systems export raw data with no visualization or context.
• Lagging metrics: Reports that take hours or days to generate defeat the purpose of real-time visibility.

Test drive tip

Ask vendors how long it takes to start collecting meaningful data in reports. A promise of immediate insights is a red flag as it takes time to collect reliable information and set baselines for preventive maintenance. Progress should take weeks or months, not days or years.

Case study: Electro Cycle

Electro Cycle transitioned from a clunky custom CMMS to MaintainX, boosting preventive maintenance by 30% and improving OEE by six points. Their team now uses MaintainX reporting to justify new equipment purchases by comparing downtime costs with production output.

6. Integrations and IIoT capabilities

Your preventive maintenance software shouldn't exist in isolation. It needs to play nicely with the other systems your business uses every day, including ERPs, inventory management software, PLCs, and SCADA systems.

Baseline

Any CMMS you consider should include meter-based scheduling and capture historical performance data from assets. It should also be able to connect with common business and IIoT systems.

Difference-makers

• Open API for custom connections: Every business’s tech stack is unique. An open API allows you to connect to the systems you use to maximize every piece of tech you have.
• Live IIoT integrations: Vibration, pressure, and temperature sensors feeding real-time data into your CMMS.
• Automated condition-based or predictive maintenance alerts: AI-driven insights that trigger work orders before a failure occurs.

Test drive tip

Loop your IT team into the evaluation phase when choosing preventive maintenance software. They’ll be able to work with each vendor to figure out which integrations would be useful and how much effort it would be to implement them.

Pitfalls to avoid

• “Predictive” in name only: Some platforms advertise predictive features but only log basic readings.
• No work order integration: Alerts that don’t translate into action items create more noise than value.

Case study: Future Foam

Future Foam struggled with overdue preventive maintenance leading to costly breakdowns. With MaintainX meters and data-driven scheduling, they reduced reactive maintenance by 30–35% across 22 sites.

7. Regulatory compliance and safety

The best preventive maintenance software helps you maintain compliance with OSHA, EPA, and other regulatory standards without creating a paperwork nightmare. Every inspection, calibration, and audit trail should be automatically documented so you can focus on team safety instead of chasing signatures.

Baseline

A CMMS that logs inspections, certifications, and safety checks with time stamps and user accountability.

Difference-makers

• Digital SOPs with sign-offs: Capture technician signatures and timestamps for audits.
• Automated audit trails: Every work order completion, inspection, or corrective action is automatically logged for full traceability.
• Embedded safety checklists: Lockout/tagout and safety inspections tied to work orders.

Test drive tips

Try exporting an audit report. Can the system produce a full compliance record with just a few clicks, including dates, users, and documentation? If not, you’ll be spending unnecessary hours preparing for inspections.

Pitfalls to avoid

• Manual audit prep: If compliance still means binders and exports, you’re not audit-ready.
• Incomplete audit trails: Systems without digital signatures or time stamps may not pass regulator scrutiny.

Case study: PharmaNZ

PharmaNZ, a nutraceutical manufacturer, faced heavy audit pressure and high reactive maintenance costs. By shifting to MaintainX, they cut audit prep time by three hours per audit and reduced maintenance spend by 70%.

8. User-friendly interface and easy setup

Your team won't use preventive maintenance software effectively if it’s complicated. Look for intuitive interfaces that don't require extensive training for you or your technicians. Pay attention to the setup process too. Some systems require weeks of configuration, while others can be running in days. A simple design also helps teams streamline workflows, complete tasks, and track work history efficiently.

Baseline

A clean and intuitive user experience that you can master in under a week.

Difference-makers

• Easy importing of existing data: The software allows for bulk imports of existing data, either from CSV files or right from your previous system.
• Mobile-first design: Optimized for the frontline, not just managers.
• Guided onboarding: In-app tutorials and contextual help.
• AI-assisted workflows: Auto-suggest preventive maintenance tasks and fill in details based on history.
• Low IT dependency: Non-technical users can configure fields, workflows, and reports.

Test drive tip

Have your maintenance team test the interface using the actual workflows they see on a daily basis. Gather their feedback and rank vendors by ease of use.

Pitfalls to avoid

• Feature bloat: Platforms that are technically powerful but impossible to navigate stall adoption.
• Over-reliance on admins: If only a few users can operate the system, it will fail.

Case study: DeLong Grain Company

DeLong rolled out MaintainX across 30+ sites and 35,000 work orders. What could have been an overwhelming change was made simple by MaintainX’s ease of use. “What really stood out is MaintainX’s simplicity,” says Sean Farrell, DeLong’s Project Manager. “We didn’t need to modify it. We started using it on day one.”

9. Reliable vendor support and training

A strong vendor partnership means your team never has to navigate implementation, updates, or troubleshooting alone. From onboarding to long-term optimization, look for a provider that invests in helping your team get the most out of every feature. Reliable vendor support ensures your preventative maintenance software continues to meet evolving maintenance needs and supports PM program improvements over time.

Baseline

Access to documentation, training materials (including videos), and standard customer support during business hours.

Difference-makers

• Dedicated onboarding and implementation: Hands-on guidance during setup ensures data migration, integrations, and user roles are configured correctly from day one.
• Continuous training resources: Ongoing tutorials, training sessions, webinars, and other learning opportunities.
• Proactive customer success management: Regular check-ins to review KPIs, recommend optimizations, and introduce new product capabilities.
• Community and peer learning: Access to active user communities, webinars, and best practice exchanges that help you learn from other maintenance professionals.
  

Test drive tip

Contact the vendor’s support team during your trial period. How quickly do they respond? Are their answers specific and helpful? A strong support culture is obvious from the first interaction.

Pitfalls to avoid

• One-and-done training: Some vendors only provide setup assistance, leaving your team to fend for itself once you’re live.
• Limited communication channels: If support is only available via email or ticket systems, expect slower resolutions when every minute counts.
• No ownership after go-live: Without a dedicated customer success contact, you risk losing momentum and adoption once the initial excitement fades.

Case study: Cardinal Glass

Cardinal Glass was able to roll out MaintainX and reduce unplanned downtime by 60% in short order because of the seamless implementation and dedicated support from the MaintainX team.

“The MaintainX Academy was awesome,” says Derrick Tuft, a maintenance manager at Cardinal Glass. “We also had someone to set us up. That was refreshing because we didn't have that support with the previous system.”

Choosing the best maintenance management software

Choosing preventive maintenance software is a decision that will impact your operations for years to come. The goal isn't to find the cheapest software or the one with the most features. It's to find the right software for your specific needs and culture so that you can execute on your preventive maintenance strategy. With these nine features as your guide, you'll be well-equipped to make a choice that allows you to go from reactive to proactive maintenance.

The right maintenance software will grow with you, adapt to your changing needs, and continuously help you optimize maintenance operations. Choose wisely, and your equipment will thank you.