Which system tool is best to assess when equipment is close to failure and may need to be replaced?

Reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) is the most suitable tool for assessing when equipment is close to failure and may need to be replaced. RCM focuses on understanding the reliability of assets and identifying potential failures before they occur. It emphasizes analyzing the operation of equipment and its historical performance data to determine failure patterns and develop a strategy for monitoring and maintaining equipment effectively.

Through RCM, facility managers can implement condition-based maintenance strategies that track the equipment's performance indicators and predict when a failure is likely to happen. This predictive capability allows for more informed decision-making regarding repairs or replacements, helping to minimize downtime and reduce maintenance costs.

In contrast, total productive maintenance (TPM) focuses on improving the overall effectiveness of equipment by involving all employees in maintenance processes, rather than monitoring equipment failure specifically. The asset list in an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system provides a catalog of assets but does not inherently include predictive maintenance capabilities. Reviewing for maintainability assesses how easily equipment can be maintained but does not directly predict failure points.