Which maintenance approach focuses on preventing failures by addressing the root causes through data-driven monitoring?

• A. Predictive maintenance
• B. Reactive maintenance
• C. Corrective maintenance
• D. Run-to-failure maintenance

Answer: (A)

Predictive maintenance uses data-driven monitoring to foresee failures and prevent them by addressing root causes before they occur. It relies on sensors and data analysis to detect patterns and trends that signal an impending fault, so maintenance can be planned to fix the underlying degradation rather than just reacting after a failure or replacing parts on a fixed schedule. This approach contrasts with reactive maintenance (fixing after a failure), corrective maintenance (repairs after a failure), run-to-failure (letting it fail before repairing), and traditional preventive maintenance (time- or usage-based replacements that don’t rely on current condition data).