Available On: Premium, Professional, Enterprise
🛠️ Stay ahead with Preventive Maintenance (PM) in UpKeep!
Being proactive with PM Triggers helps your team prevent breakdowns and reduce unplanned downtime. In the Preventive Maintenance module, you can set up Work Orders based on time-based or usage-based frequencies.
This article walks you through the key terminology, tabs, and setup methods used in the PM section—so you can build a maintenance schedule that keeps your operations running smoothly.
Key Terminology
Details
These are the foundational settings that define what each generated work order will look like.
Work Order Title – A clear, descriptive name for the task (e.g., "Monthly HVAC Filter Replacement")
Category – The type of work being performed (e.g., Safety, Inspection, Cleaning)
Checklist – A step-by-step task list attached to the work order for standardization
Priority – The urgency level of the work (Low, Medium, High)
Estimated Time – How long the work is expected to take
Schedules
This defines when and how often work orders are generated from your PMs.
Calendar-based – Triggers based on time (e.g., every 30 days)
Meter-based – Triggers based on asset usage (e.g., every 5,000 miles)
Calendar and Meter – Triggers on either time or usage, whichever comes first
Example: “Every 1 month based on completion” means a new work order is triggered one month after the last one is completed.
Records
These are the assets, locations, or items that your PM is applied to.
Example: If Asset ABC is assigned to a weekly PM, UpKeep will automatically generate a new work order for it every 7 days.
PM Trigger Templates
Used to import or update the Details section of one or more PMs. This includes titles, categories, priorities, and checklists. Ideal for bulk setup or changes.
PM Trigger Schedules
Used to import or update the schedule and assignment side of PMs. This controls when PMs fire and which records they apply to (e.g., specific assets or locations).
Navigating the Preventive Maintenance Section
Filters: Create Filters to easily view the items most important to you
Create PM: Use this to create any new Preventive Maintenance Schedules/Records
Option Menu: Import/Export your Preventive Maintenance Trigger information