Key Industrial Maintenance Trends of 2020 – Insights & Actionable Strategies

In early 2020, ATS in partnership with Plant Engineering Magazine surveyed a broad cross‑section of manufacturing leaders—including engineers, maintenance supervisors, and plant managers—to gauge the most pressing challenges and the effectiveness of current maintenance practices on productivity and profitability.

The survey captured the voices of those directly responsible for facility upkeep, providing a clear view of the trends shaping the industry this year. By understanding and, where appropriate, adopting the 2020 trends highlighted by respondents, facilities can more effectively tackle maintenance obstacles.

Top Industrial Maintenance Trends in 2020

Respondents identified several key themes:

• Skills Gap, Resources, and Technical Training—A persistent skills shortage and limited internal resources prompted 48% of respondents to outsource maintenance. A lack of time or personnel was the leading driver, followed closely by insufficient in‑house expertise at 41%. Outsourcing also addressed niche, high‑specialization training that would otherwise be cost‑inefficient.
• Preventive and Predictive Maintenance Strategies—Standard preventive maintenance remains the dominant approach, employed by 76% of facilities, while reactive or run‑to‑failure tactics are still used by 60%. However, data‑driven methods are gaining traction: 52% of respondents now use a CMMS to centralize data, streamline processes, and boost productivity—recognised as the most effective tool by 75%. Predictive maintenance has been adopted by 41% of respondents, signalling a shift toward analytics‑based upkeep.
• New Strategies to Reduce Downtime—When asked how to cut equipment downtime next year, 46% cited updating or introducing a new maintenance strategy. Rank‑ordering of tactics revealed predictive maintenance as the most effective at 70%, followed by reliability‑centered maintenance at 60%. Run‑to‑failure scored below 15%, underscoring its limited value in downtime mitigation.
• Industry 4.0 and IIoT Impact—The growing IIoT ecosystem is expected to transform maintenance by providing deeper insights into machine health (32%) and improved control over shutdown schedules (27%).
• Adoption of Advanced Technology—Only 17% currently deploy advanced tech for performance data capture, but 47% plan implementation within 1–3 years. Seven in ten respondents see data as actionable and intend to leverage new tech to refine maintenance processes.

Want to dive deeper into the 2020 industrial maintenance landscape and future forecasts? Download the full 2020 Industrial Maintenance Report.

ATS specializes in outsourced factory maintenance, addressing personnel shortages and implementing effective, technology‑driven strategies to enhance asset reliability. Contact our representatives to learn how we can support your facility.