Top 9 Must‑Listen Maintenance Podcast Episodes of 2020

The year 2020 challenged the world in ways never before seen: a pandemic, economic uncertainty, shifting leadership, and rapid technological change. In that climate, maintenance professionals turned to podcasts for fresh perspectives, proven strategies, and real‑world success stories. Below are the nine episodes that stood out for their depth, clarity, and actionable insight.

Top 9 Must‑Listen Maintenance Podcast Episodes of 2020

#1 – Culture Change with Cliff Williams, Michelle Henley, Susan Lubell & Martha Myers (Rob’s Reliability Project)

Key Takeaway: Culture is the linchpin that turns reliability best practices into tangible results. This episode explores how leaders can align company, departmental, and individual goals, motivate teams, and embed a culture of continuous improvement.

• Defining a mature reliability culture and identifying champions
• Aligning organizational, departmental, and individual objectives
• Strategies to secure buy‑in across all levels

One of the biggest things for me is to recognize that every organization and person is at a different stage of their journey... Even if the organization as a whole thinks that they’re very mature, they may or may not be. – Susan Lubell, P.Eng MBA MMP CAMA, Principal Consultant, Steppe Consulting Inc

#2 – Building Support for FMEA with Fred Schenkelberg (Rooted in Reliability)

Key Takeaway: Securing resources for FMEAs is often the first hurdle. The hosts discuss how to build a compelling business case that demonstrates tangible savings and aligns with executive priorities.

• Why top management resists FMEA investment
• Tactics for gaining leadership endorsement
• Scaling an FMEA program across the enterprise

We can change something and we track the progress of that and we can come back and say, ‘We just saved $15,000 a month because we identified that issue and we solved it.’ Nobody’s going to argue with that…that’s what an FMEA helps you identify… – Fred Schenkelberg, Reliability Engineering & Management Consultant, Co‑host of Speaking of Reliability

#3 – Women’s Representation in Maintenance (WIRAM Webinar Series)

Key Takeaway: Gender equality and representation are not just moral imperatives; they drive performance and innovation. This webinar reveals why bias persists, the benefits of diversity, and actionable steps to elevate women in maintenance.

• Root causes of discrimination and bias in the maintenance field
• Business advantages of a diverse workforce
• Practical strategies to increase female representation

It doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman, or what your race is, or your sexuality, you have to open up your space to engagement and to talking to each other with respect, and understand each other’s point of views. – Carla Santalucia, Maintenance & Facilities Lead, Bayer

#4 – CMMS Integration with Stuart Fergusson (Rob’s Reliability Project)

Key Takeaway: A CMMS is only as powerful as its integration strategy. Stuart Fergusson explains how to choose the right systems, build a clear business case, and execute integrations that solve real business problems.

• Identifying systems that complement your CMMS
• Developing a business case and execution roadmap
• Measuring success and driving continuous improvement

You have to be deliberate when setting up CMMS integrations. I think that’s the first thing you got to know—what you’re after. The main point of integration, I think, is to solve a business problem…It’s all about having the end goal. What’s the goal of your maintenance program and how are you going to feed the integration towards that? – Stuart Fergusson, Director of Solutions Engineering, Fiix

#5 – Assumptions and Maintenance (Speaking of Reliability)

Key Takeaway: Hidden assumptions about asset failure can derail maintenance decisions. This episode challenges conventional wisdom and advocates for data‑driven strategies that reduce corrective work.

• How assumptions shape maintenance practices
• Common myths about asset failure and their impact
• Using data to replace broad guidelines with specific actions

What I want people to do is think about how [failure curves] apply to us and our organization, and what do we do about these things. If we know…that infant mortality is a large issue, how do we deal with that? Maybe we don’t have good rebuilt procedures or we don’t have standards or installation requirements for pumps…If we put those things in place, we might not have so much corrective work down the line. – James Kovacevic, Host of Rooted in Reliability and Co‑host of Speaking of Reliability

#6 – Leadership & Mental Health in the Industrial Community (Empowering Industry)

Key Takeaway: People are the true assets of any operation. This episode highlights the importance of people‑centric leadership and mental‑health awareness for sustaining high‑performing maintenance teams.

• Why leadership must prioritize mental health
• Practical steps to eliminate stigma and foster well‑being
• Aligning leadership behavior with team needs

We sometimes forget that we are assets to our company and if we’re not running correctly, the facility won’t either. – Rob Kalwarowsky, P. Eng, Asset Management Specialist at Enbridge and Co‑host of The Leadership Launchpad Project

#7 – Focus on Scheduling and Planning of Maintenance (MRO Magazine Podcast)

Key Takeaway: Effective scheduling is both an art and a science. This episode shares proven techniques to optimize planning, leverage IIoT, and adapt to the constraints of the COVID‑19 era.

• Improving scheduling accuracy and reliability
• How IIoT transforms planning workflows
• Practical tips for maintaining momentum during disruptions

Somehow, we find the time to work on stuff that breaks, but we don’t do enough of the little stuff that keeps things from breaking. – Doc Palmer PE, MBA, CMRP, author of Maintenance Planning and Scheduling Handbook

#8 – Maintenance Benefits as Digital Transformation Accelerates (Efficient Plant Magazine Podcast)

Key Takeaway: COVID‑19 has fast‑tracked digital adoption in maintenance. This conversation explores how new tools, training, and visual procedures can enhance safety and productivity.

• Emerging systems and processes for remote work
• Leveraging technology to improve instruction clarity
• Upcoming trends shaping the maintenance landscape

This is a little thing, and it’s not as sexy when you’re talking about digital transformation, but training videos and improving instructions, and doing that at scale…that mindset of handing maintenance people better instructions is getting more pervasive…There’s loads of opportunities to better present work procedures in more visual ways to keep people safe and get the job done faster. – Brad Budde, Vice President, Digital, Emerson Automation Solutions

#9 – Front Line Engagement with Dylan Day (Over The Line Podcast)

Key Takeaway: Engaged teams deliver better results. This episode focuses on dismantling departmental silos, showcasing the value of maintenance work, and fostering constructive feedback loops.

• Bridging gaps between maintenance and other functions
• Communicating the tangible impact of maintenance activities
• Leading with empathy and actionable insights

Get to know your people. Get to know their strengths and get to know their weaknesses…Then you can stop looking at people as robots in a process and start to look at them as people. – Dylan Day, Millwright, Oil & Gas, Mining, Construction, Forestry, Renewables

Looking for more maintenance podcasts?

Podcasts are a convenient way to stay ahead of industry trends, discover best practices, and hear real stories from leaders who’ve been where you are. If you found these episodes helpful, explore the podcasts mentioned above and tune into our Fiix maintenance podcast for ongoing insights.