The world of industrial maintenance is evolving rapidly, and frontline technicians are at the forefront of this change. As the amount of data companies need to collect continues to grow—nearly doubling in the past two years according to NAM—technicians often struggle to find the right information when they need it most.
To make matters more challenging, experienced technicians are retiring at an unprecedented rate, leaving newer team members without the mentorship and guidance they need to succeed. And here's the kicker: most of the tools and systems in place today were designed with desk workers in mind, not the frontline teams on the shop floor. It's no wonder that keeping equipment running smoothly feels like an uphill battle.
But there's hope on the horizon. AI is emerging as a game-changer for industrial maintenance, empowering technicians with tools that streamline their work, reduce errors, and boost efficiency. Here are three ways AI is transforming the maintenance landscape:
1. Standardize maintenance work from the facility floor
One of the most important parts of maintenance is making sure the right procedure is followed to keep equipment running smoothly and reliably. Traditionally, creating these procedures meant digging through long asset manuals to find the correct process information, then writing it down in a binder or entering it into a system. But now, with AI and mobile devices, experienced technicians can create maintenance procedures right on the shop floor. AI can quickly pull together a new procedure based on a few details about the task and equipment, which the technician can review and adjust on the spot to make sure it’s accurate.
By creating procedures this way, instructions reflect the real, practical steps technicians use in their daily work. With standardized processes, any technician can follow the procedure as it’s actually done on the shop floor.
2. Do maintenance work right-first-time
Even when procedures are standardized for the best outcomes, following them correctly can still be a challenge. That’s where AI’s on-the-spot guidance becomes a game-changer, helping technicians get the job done right. With AI “CoPilots,” or assistants, now available in industrial settings, technicians essentially have an expert by their side whenever they need support, especially when built into a mobile maintenance system. These CoPilots can pull up answers from years of maintenance data, manuals, and previous work, making it easy to find specifications, troubleshoot issues, or follow safety steps.
AI also helps technicians enter accurate data while they work. For example, if a decimal point is missed, AI can catch it, preventing small mistakes from turning into big problems. This gives technicians confidence in their work and ensures data accuracy, which is essential for making better maintenance decisions.
3. Enable work to be done hands-free
With speech-to-text technology, technicians can simply speak, and AI will turn their words into written notes. This saves time and keeps their hands free so they can stay focused on the work. Plus, built-in translation tools help multilingual teams by translating notes, instructions, and maintenance records into different languages. This means everyone can understand key information, no matter the language, making it easier for global teams to work together.
A future where AI and technicians collaborate
AI isn’t here to replace technicians—it’s here to support them. As maintenance challenges grow, the tools technicians use need to keep up. AI helps by turning data into useful insights and making expertise available when it’s needed. With AI, maintenance teams can not only meet today’s demands but also prepare for tomorrow’s challenges.
Whether your team is just starting with AI or already familiar with it, MaintainX is here to help. Our powerful maintenance system is built for real-world use, empowering technicians to work smarter, not harder.
If you’re ready to learn more about how AI and maintenance can work together, dive into our AI whitepaper!
Andrew Benjamin
Andrew Benjamin is a Senior Product Marketing Manager at MaintainX with nearly a decade of experience marketing SaaS products. Of late, he’s guided organizations through digital transformation initiatives, and enabled them to harness actionable insights from their data using AI & ML models.
