Plant  maintenance consists of all activities  needed to keep the plant machinery  tools and  equipment services including building and fittings in standards working condition. In  other words  maintenance ensures that all production facilities are in serviceable conditions at all times causing no production hold up interruptions or loss of their individual standard efficiency of operations. Maintenance is an important function  in modern production management. Production facilities consists  of machines  plants  building and services.

By  and large  maintenance is a neglected area  in India. In  fact preventive maintenance is conspicuous by its absence in most of the Indian industries excepting the defence service. Maintenance management must address itself to the followings questions  on what  where and  who  viz.

1. What is  to be maintained?

2. How is the maintenance to be done?

3. Where is the maintenance?

4. Who does that maintenance?