Maintenance Backlog Management Strategies
Written on: June 25, 2025
Your maintenance backlog isn't just a list of work orders; it's a key indicator of your department's health. Managing it well means the difference between controlled, proactive maintenance and constant firefighting.
Understanding Healthy vs. Problematic Backlogs
Some backlog is actually good. A ready backlog of 2-4 weeks of work means your planners have prepared jobs waiting for scheduled execution. This buffer ensures crews stay productive even when emergencies disrupt the schedule. But when total backlog exceeds 6-8 weeks of available labor hours, you've got a problem.
Calculate your backlog weeks this way:
- - Ready Backlog = Planned work hours ready to execute ÷ Weekly available craft hours
- - Total Backlog = All open work order hours ÷ Weekly available craft hours
For a 10-person crew working 400 hours weekly, 1,600 hours of ready work equals 4 weeks, right in the sweet spot. But 4,000 total hours means 10 weeks of backlog, signaling trouble ahead.
Prioritizing Work Orders Effectively
Not all work orders deserve equal attention. Use a simple priority matrix:
- - Priority 1 (Emergency): Safety issues, production stoppers - execute immediately
- - Priority 2 (Urgent): Potential failures within 1-2 weeks - schedule this week
- - Priority 3 (Normal): Routine PMs, minor repairs - schedule within 2-4 weeks
- - Priority 4 (Deferred): Improvements, cosmetic work - schedule when convenient
Age your backlog weekly. Work orders sitting over 90 days need review. They're either not important enough to do or critical enough that ignoring them creates risk.
Backlog Reduction Strategies
When backlog grows beyond manageable levels, take action:
- The Purge Approach: Review all work orders over 60 days old. Cancel those that no longer add value. Common candidates include:
- - Duplicate requests
- - Problems already fixed during other work
- - "Nice to have" improvements during budget constraints
- - Work on decommissioned equipment
- Resource Surge: Temporarily increase capacity through:
- - Approved overtime for high-priority items
- - Contractor support for specialized work
- - Cross-training operators for basic maintenance tasks
- Work Order Combining: Bundle multiple small jobs on the same equipment into a single work order. This reduces planning time and improves wrench time when executed.
Preventing Backlog Growth
Stop backlog from spiraling out of control:
- - Screen Work Requests: Reject vague requests like "pump making noise." Require specific information: which pump, what noise, and when it occurs.
- - Set Realistic PM Frequencies: Over-maintaining equipment creates unnecessary backlog. Use condition-based maintenance where possible.
- - Fix Root Causes: Repetitive failures generate repetitive work orders. One good root cause analysis can eliminate dozens of future work orders.
- - Measure and Report: Track backlog weekly. When it trends upward for three consecutive weeks, investigate why. Share metrics with operations; they need to understand that unlimited work requests mean delayed responses.
The Bottom Line
A well-managed backlog keeps maintenance proactive and efficient. Aim for 2-4 weeks of ready backlog and less than 6 weeks total. Review aging reports weekly, purge unnecessary work, and address root causes of repetitive failures. Your backlog should be a controlled queue, not an overwhelming mountain of deferred work.
About the Author
John Crager brings over 40 years of practical industrial maintenance and capital project leadership within the industry, combining his industrial engineering background with hands-on operational experience. Currently Vice President and General Manager at APVantage LLC, John's unique career progression from unit operator and millwright to leading large maintenance and capital programs has provided invaluable insights into every aspect of industrial operations. As a published author and certified professional (CMRP, PMP, Six Sigma Master Black Belt), he specializes in transforming complex operational challenges into practical, effective solutions. His approach merges strategic vision with real-world expertise to drive process improvement and operational excellence across diverse industrial environments.