Importance of System Maintenance

A CISO ran a vulnerability scan across the organisation's estate. 14,000 findings. 847 critical. The oldest critical vulnerability had been open for 2 years and 4 months. The CISO called the IT director. "We have 847 critical vulnerabilities. How?" "Every time we try to patch something, a business owner says we can't take their system down." "All 847 of them?" "Welcome to enterprise patching." The CISO pulled the audit trail on the oldest finding. → Ticket raised 27 months ago → Deferred 14 times → 6 different business owners had objected → Escalated to IT director twice - both times resolved by extending the deadline → Never escalated to the CISO → Never presented to the board as accepted risk The affected system: a customer-facing payment processing application. The vulnerability: remote code execution. CVSS score 9.8. Sitting open. Customer-facing. Exploitable. For 27 months. Nobody had made it anyone's problem to solve. The CISO took it to the board the same day. "CVSS 9.8 on our payment processing system. Open 27 months. I found out today." "How is that possible?" "Our patching process has no escalation path and no consequence for deferral." "Fix it." "I need two things. A maintenance window this weekend - regardless of business objection. And a new policy: critical vulnerabilities cannot be deferred beyond 30 days without board-level risk acceptance in writing." Patched that weekend. What changed across the programme: → Vulnerability SLAs by severity - critical: 30 days, high: 60 days, medium: 90 days → Deferral beyond SLA requires CISO sign-off → Deferral beyond double SLA requires board risk acceptance - in writing → Business owners can object - but objection doesn't stop the clock Six months later: → Critical vulnerabilities: 847 → 23 → Average age of critical finding: 2 years → 18 days → Board risk acceptances issued: 2 - both documented The lesson: unpatched vulnerabilities aren't a technical problem. They're a prioritisation problem dressed as one. Every deferral is a decision. Every decision has an owner. Until someone is accountable for the age of a vulnerability - nobody is. What's the oldest critical finding open in your environment right now? Does your board know it exists? Since i am not at home it is harder to capture fire SOC(k) game but it's there courtesy of Alert Logic #cybersecurity #leadership #it #technology #patching #cve #cvss #vulnerability #critical #innovation

Starting a new role as a Maintenance Manager often comes with an unspoken expectation to perform miracles. “Just make it work.” “Do your magic.” And so it begins — quick fixes, temporary patches, anything to keep the line running. But over time, the real questions surface: How much operational neglect has been normalized? How much reactive maintenance is hiding the absence of a structured plan? In several plants I’ve managed, I’ve encountered the same mindset: 🗨️ “If the line is running, don’t stop it.” 🗨️ “We’ll fix it when it breaks.” 🗨️ “Everything we make gets sold — downtime is just waste.” But here’s the truth: a production line that never stops for preventive maintenance will eventually stop for corrective failure. And when it does, the cost — in time, resources, and lost output — is much higher. Proper maintenance isn’t just about fixing machines. It’s about managing risk, ensuring continuity, and enabling operational excellence. That requires more than good intentions. It requires a working maintenance strategy, built on: ✅ Cross-functional collaboration between planning, production, and maintenance. ✅ Clear preventive maintenance schedules aligned with production forecasts. ✅ Data-driven decisions based on machine history and failure patterns. ✅ Shared KPIs that reflect not just output, but equipment availability and efficiency. ✅ Ownership and communication, so that maintenance is not a “service department” — it’s a partner in performance. One of the hardest conversations I’ve had was trying to justify planned downtime to a leadership team that saw any stop as a loss. I used the analogy of a car needing regular service, only to hear: 🗨️ “Fine, once a year you can stop.” 🤦♂️ But that mindset doesn’t scale. You can’t grow efficiency on top of neglected assets. True performance comes from a healthy tension between the need to produce and the need to maintain — with leadership that understands both. Maintenance doesn’t exist to slow production down. It exists to make sure production can speed up — and sustain it.

💥 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝘂𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗲—𝗦𝗼 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗜𝘁? In 2024, UK businesses lost an estimated £3.6 million each due to IT failures. Yet, most companies still treat software maintenance as an afterthought—waiting for a breakdown before scrambling to fix it. Let’s be clear: downtime is 𝗡𝗢𝗧 a tech issue. It’s a revenue, reputation, and survival issue. When systems crash: 🚨 Revenue stops—Every minute costs an average of £4,300 in lost sales. 🚨 Customers leave—91% of UK consumers won’t return after a bad digital experience. 🚨 Reputation takes a hit—Frustrated users don’t wait; they switch. So why do so many businesses still react to failures instead of preventing them? 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙆𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙏𝙚𝙘𝙝 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙠 Warning signs that your business is heading for a tech disaster: ⚠️ Frequent system crashes or slow performance—frustrating employees and customers alike. ⚠️ Delayed software updates & security patches—opening the door to cyberattacks. ⚠️ Unexpected outages during peak periods—costing thousands in lost sales. If any of these sound familiar, your business isn’t running software—it’s running on borrowed time. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙁𝙞𝙭: 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙎𝙤𝙛𝙩𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 Preventing downtime isn’t about waiting for the next crisis. It’s about engineering resilience into your systems. 🔹 Emergency Bug Fixing & System Rollbacks – Rapid-response fixes to restore operations fast. 🔹 Automated Security Patching – Shield your business from compliance fines and cyber risks. 🔹 Scalability Planning – Ensure your systems can handle peak demand without breaking. 🔹 AI-Powered Monitoring – Catch small issues before they turn into major failures. At Full Metal Software, we specialise in Maintenance Rescue—helping UK businesses avoid IT catastrophes before they happen. 𝙇𝙚𝙩’𝙨 𝙏𝙖𝙡𝙠: 𝙄𝙨 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝘽𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝘽𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚? ❓ When was the last time your software was audited for risks? ❓ What’s your biggest challenge in keeping systems running 24/7? Let’s discuss how UK businesses can move from reacting to IT failures to building bulletproof systems that just work. 📩 Drop a comment or DM me if you want a free software health check—before the next outage costs you thousands. . . . . . #SoftwareReliability #BusinessContinuity #ITLeadership

Interesting: Why airplanes must be washed as frequently as every 7 days? Here's why regular washing is important: A) Aerodynamics: 1) Reduced drag: Dirt and debris buildup on the aircraft's surface can increase drag, leading to increased fuel consumption and reduced efficiency.  2) Improved airflow: A clean aircraft allows for smoother airflow over the wings and fuselage, optimizing lift and reducing turbulence. B) Corrosion prevention: 1) Saltwater exposure: Saltwater is highly corrosive and can quickly damage the aircraft's metal structure.  2) Acid rain: Acid rain can also accelerate corrosion. C) Paint protection: Dirt and grime can trap moisture and accelerate paint deterioration. D) Safety: 1) Improved visibility: Clean windows and windshields provide better visibility for pilots.  2) Reduced risk of damage: Regular inspections during washing can help identify and address potential maintenance issues early on. E) Brand image: A clean aircraft presents a better image for the airline and its passengers.

Myth: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" This was my favorite busted myth from AppSec Hive's newsletter this week. AppSec focused on developers, but we all often have this mindset. Whether it source code, our laptop, our mobile phone, etc. updating the system comes with risks... Risks that your favorite app won't run the same way... Risks of new settings or options hiding your favorite features... Risks that a bad update will completely brick the device and you will lose years of pictures and contacts... All of that is technically true - but not updating it has a lot of the same risks. An outdated phone may not be able to use the latest apps, features, and could get hacked (losing all those pictures anyway). The balance (for anything not-critical) is to make a process to schedule your updates and minimize your risks by, for example: 1) Backing up your important files/apps 2) Testing the update on a different device/environment, if available 3) Working with an engineer or professional who has done the update before 4) Having a recovery plan if the update doesn't go well Everything comes with risks - it is how we handle that risk that matters. #security #cybersecurity #risk #updates

Not All Maintenance is Created Equal In many organizations, maintenance is still misunderstood as simply fixing equipment when it fails. But in high-performing operations, maintenance is not a reaction, it is a carefully designed strategy for reliability, cost control, and asset longevity. The Maintenance Body of Knowledge (BoK) provides world-class benchmarks for how work should ideally be distributed: 1 Unplanned (Breakdown) Maintenance (<10%) The most disruptive and expensive form. Breakdowns cost 3-5 times more than planned work when you factor in downtime, safety risks, and lost production. In leading organizations, breakdown work is the exception, not the rule. 2 Planned Maintenance Preventive (Time-Based/Calendar-Based) (30-40%) Scheduled inspections, servicing, and part replacements. Necessary to address wear-and-tear, but if overdone, it risks wasting resources. Corrective Maintenance (10-15%) Work identified during inspections or condition checks that needs intervention before failure occurs. This is where structured planning and backlog management keep plants stable. Predictive / Condition-Based (40-50%) The most advanced form of planned maintenance. Uses sensors, data analytics, and condition monitoring to act just before a failure develops. Extends asset life while optimizing costs, making it the gold standard for reliability. World-class organizations manage their portfolios to steadily reduce unplanned maintenance while shifting investment toward predictive strategies. This doesn't happen overnight, it requires leadership, systems, and a culture of reliability. Maintenance leaders don't just keep the lights on. They shape business outcomes by deciding where each maintenance hour and rand/dollar should go. Every percentage point shift away from unplanned work translates into: Lower costs Higher safety and reliability More predictable operations #Reliability Leadership #Maintenance Excellence #Predictive Maintenance #AssetManagement #OperationalExcellence Image credit: ResearchGate

Maintenance Planners - Picture this: It's midnight in the heart of operations, and the unthinkable hits - a critical pump seal fails without warning, and there's not a spare in sight. The clock ticks mercilessly as production grinds to a halt, with a staggering $10 million a day in losses looming. As a planner with over 14 years deep in SAP PM for oil & gas and mining, I've lived that nightmare. That's why Safety Stock (SS) became my go-to and I always emphasis it's importance. A single stockout can cascade into hours or even days of downtime. SS isn't about hoarding; it's about holding just enough critical spares to weather demand spikes, supplier delays, or those inevitable hiccups - without tying up excess capital in dead weight. It's proactive insurance: turning "What if?" into "We're covered." Want to audit your setup in SAP? Here's a straightforward 3-step check in the MM module: • Step 1: Access Material Master - Run transaction MM03, enter the material number, and navigate to the MRP 2 view. Scan the "Safety Stock" field - if it's zero, flag the material for review. • Step 2: Verify Service Levels - In the same MRP 2 view, cross-check the "% of Demand" field to ensure it aligns with your target service-level calculations for reliability. • Step 3: Inventory Snapshot - Execute MB52, filter by plant and storage location/warehouse, and review for gaps in critical spares - highlight any low or zero quantities. Pro Tip: Integrate with PM by linking materials to equipment tags or functional locations; this triggers alerts in work orders when stock is consumed, enabling proactive replenishment. The payoff? That same $10M-a-day shutdown threat flips on its head. With SS in place, you're looking at 30-50% less downtime overall: spares at the ready, no scrambling for expedites, and crews staying productive. It racks up $1-2 million in annual savings by ditching those sky-high airfreight premiums and smoothing out procurement into a steady rhythm. Wrench time climbs above 70%, shifting your team from firefighting to strategic wins. Plus, it's a SHE booster - safer, faster fixes mean fewer incidents, higher team morale, and a workplace that feels unbreakable. Take this real-world case from a top US oil & gas firm's lube plant, where bloated SS costs and unpredictable spikes were bleeding them dry. Legacy push systems inflated inventory across 142 SKUs with long lead times and spotty planning. They pivoted to a hybrid CONWIP pull system, value stream maps, Pareto analysis, and variability crunches to fine-tune SS levels. Results: $3.1 million off finished goods inventory, $1.4 million from raw materials - $4.5 million total savings - while predictive operations streamlined everything from blending to packaging. No more million-dollar surprises; responsive supply chain that bends but never breaks. SS ROI at 5-10x. In year one alone, every $1 invested yields $5-10 back through avoided losses.

Automatic Updates are not enough. Never trust, always verify that your system software is updated to the latest version to optimize security.   Vulnerability management is a cornerstone of any robust cybersecurity strategy. With the constant influx of new threats, automating software updates might feel like a "set-it-and-forget-it" solution. But the truth is, relying solely on automatic updates can leave hidden gaps in your defenses.   Here’s how Automatic Updates can fail to protect your systems: ❌ Update Failures: Whether it’s a configuration issue, insufficient permissions, or a lack of system resources, updates don’t always install as intended. ⚙️ Incompatibility Risks: Automatic updates can sometimes conflict with existing applications, causing disruptions in critical systems. 🔒 Custom Environments: For organizations using custom applications or configurations, vendor patches may not address vulnerabilities specific to your environment.   What should you do? 🔒Conduct regular vulnerability scans to identify missed patches or unknown risks. 🔒Implement a layered security approach with intrusion detection systems, firewalls, and endpoint protection. 🔒Use patch validation testing before applying updates to critical systems. 👀 Maintain manual oversight for high-value assets or systems with unique configurations.   Last month, security updates were released for a Network Attached Storage (NAS) system that I use for personal file storage instead of Apple iCloud, Microsoft OneDrive, or other commercial solutions.   Automatic updates were enabled for this system and it reported that it was running the latest software version. When I verified the version number, it was multiple versions out of date. For unknown reasons, automatic updates had failed me. It was a simple process to manually update my NAS to the latest version, but relying on the automatic update checkbox would have left my system vulnerable.   Automation is a powerful tool, but it works best when paired with proactive monitoring and a change management strategy. Vulnerability management is about staying vigilant, adaptable, and prepared for the unexpected.   #CyberSecurity #VulnerabilityManagement #Automation #CyberResilience

Mining operations running reactive pay 2–5× more per failure. Maintenance already consumes 30–50% of total mining OPEX, which represents an extensive chunk of operating costs by any measure. Across heavy industry, average unplanned downtime now runs at US $25,000 per hour and can exceed $500,000 per hour for large operations. During our analysis of a copper operation, we found that around 50% of maintenance was reactive rather than planned. Of that reactive work, the majority represented unplanned events. This level of unplanned downtime translates to lost production sales in the tens of millions monthly at current LME copper prices. The core problem is that mining systems remain stuck in silos, with data trapped in disconnected spreadsheets, legacy CMMS platforms, and messaging threads that supervisors skim trying to trace root causes. This information fragmentation creates what I would call a decision latency tax*. When a stope trips, when an LHD goes down, when a vent fan fails, operations cannot resequence tasks in real time. Whole crews wait. Shifts get lost. And those micro stoppages compound into millions in lost productive time that never appear as a single line item on any report. There is also the supply chain penalty that rarely gets discussed. When equipment fails unexpectedly, the required spares are often not on site. Procurement scrambles. Parts get air freighted at premium rates. A planned repair can triple in cost when emergency logistics and expedited delivery enter the equation, and that is before accounting for the additional downtime waiting for parts to arrive. Predictive maintenance gives procurement the lead time to have parts ready before failures occur, turning crisis purchasing into routine inventory management. The compounding effect is what really concerns me. Small faults left unchecked become gearbox, crusher, or mill rebuilds costing $3-8 million in CAPEX and weeks offline. Emergency fix-it culture reduces planned maintenance windows, increases incident probability, and attracts regulatory scrutiny. Each quarter of delay forfeits roughly 6–8% of the run-rate value that digitally integrated competitors are already banking. The path forward requires connecting systems that were never designed to talk to each other. When asset health data, task management, and short interval control operate from a unified platform, operations can shift from reactive to predictive work. The benchmark shows that pushing reactive maintenance below 25% can halve breakdowns while recovering 20–25% of shift time currently lost to waiting and ad-hoc replanning. Shifting just 10% of reactive work to planned maintenance typically pays for itself within a year through avoided breakdowns and recovered throughput. The longer you wait, the harder and more expensive the recovery curve becomes.

Last week, a manufacturing plant asked us to simulate ROI stats on UpKeep vs. paper and pen for their facility. They literally laughed when they saw the numbers and didn't believe us. "50X ROI? Come on. That can't be real." So we broke it down together: Their downtime cost: $2,000 per minute. Just one hour of unplanned downtime weekly = $120,000. That's $6.2 million annually. The investment in UpKeep? $20/month per technician. For their 30-person team, that's $7,200 a year. Do the math. Even if we only prevented ONE HOUR of downtime per month, that's a 16X return. But here's what really happens: - Workforce productivity jumps 30% when techs stop shuffling papers - Asset lifespans extend 20-40% with proper maintenance tracking - Emergency repairs drop by half when you catch issues early The plant manager stopped laughing. Started calculating. Then asked the question that made me realize how broken our industry is: "Why doesn't everyone know this?" Because we've accepted chaos as normal. We think paper and Excel are "free" because we don't count the hidden costs. The downtime. The overtime. The early equipment replacements. That $20/month per tech isn't just software. It's the difference between reactive firefighting and proactive maintenance. Between guessing and knowing. Between hoping equipment lasts and MAKING it last. The real joke? Companies are burning millions to save thousands. And they don't even know it 🤯