How Usage-Based Preventative Maintenance Works
Service Equipment When It Actually Needs It
Dynamics 365 Field Service handles time-based maintenance out of the box. We extended it with usage-based preventative maintenance — so service happens at the right time, every time.
A Maintenance Schedule Is Not a Failure Schedule
Equipment doesn't fail on a calendar. It fails based on how hard it's been running. Schedule too early and you're dispatching technicians to service equipment that doesn't need it, burning labor and parts. Schedule too late and you get unplanned downtime, emergency repair costs, and missed SLAs.
Maintenance Triggered by Reality
HSO’s extension to Dynamics 365 Field Service adds the usage layer that's missing out of the box — tracking the metrics that predict failure, and triggering work orders based on defined thresholds, not arbitrary dates.
Pair a usage threshold (2,000 runtime hours) with a time-based safety net (180 days), whichever comes first — and you have a hybrid scheduling model that works whether equipment is running hard, sitting idle, or anywhere in between.
The result is the right service, on the right asset, at the right time. Not too early. Not too late.
Under the Hood
- 1
Define
Configure Usage Properties on the Asset
Set the metrics that matter — runtime hours, miles, cycles, or any custom unit of consumption. Define the threshold value that triggers a service event, and set the time override that acts as your safety net.
- 2
Track
Monitor Asset Usage in Real Time
The system continuously tracks usage data against the defined thresholds on each asset. For non-IoT environments, technicians capture updated readings directly from the work order — no separate system, no manual handoff.
- 3
Trigger
Whichever Comes First: Usage or Time
When a tracked property hits its defined value — 2,000 hours, 5,000 miles, 500 cycles — a work order is automatically generated. If the threshold isn't reached within the time override window, the time override fires instead. No asset gets missed.
- 4
Consolidate
Combine Major and Minor Services into One Work Order
When quarterly, annual, and major overhaul services align, the parent-child hierarchy merges products, services, service tasks, and resource requirements into a single parent work order — eliminating redundant dispatches and consolidating execution.
- 5
Execute
Technicians Get Everything in One Place
The work order surfaces the latest usage readings, timestamps, and all rolled-up service requirements from child work orders. Technicians update equipment data on-site, feeding back into the usage-based scheduling loop.
- 6
Forecast
Plan Parts, Labor, and Budget Before Demand Arrives
Agreement data, usage projections, and historical consumption patterns are aggregated into a forward-looking demand forecast — so procurement and resource planning know what's coming before it does.
The Same Asset. Two Different Outcomes.
Scenario A: Heavy Usage
Summer: Equipment Running Hard
The generator logs 2,000 runtime hours before the 90-day interval expires. The usage threshold fires at day 83. Service is performed exactly when needed — before failure risk accumulates, and without waiting for the calendar.
Day 83: Work Order Generated; Usage Threshold Reached
Scenario B: Light Usage
Winter: Equipment Running Idle
The same generator logs only 800 hours over 180 days. The usage threshold is never reached — but the time override fires automatically. The asset still gets serviced, on a cadence aligned with actual wear rather than the peak-season schedule.
Day 180: Work Order Generated; Time Override Fired
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
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Tell us about your maintenance operations and we'll show how you can reduce costs and keep equipment running longer.
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Usage-based preventative maintenance is one piece of a broader service strategy. We can help.