How to Scope Your First Predictive Maintenance Pilot

The most successful pilots answer a single question: 'Can we know sooner when this asset class is heading toward failure?' Avoid scoping a 'digital transformation' on day one.

Interview maintenance leads and operators. List the last three unplanned events that hurt production. Pick the asset type that appears most often.

Agree on pilot duration (typically 8–12 weeks after data stabilizes), asset count, and what 'success' means—e.g., one avoided failure, 50% reduction in emergency callouts on pilot assets, or alert-to-inspection time under 24 hours.

Signal type drives hardware cost and installation complexity. Vibration monitoring on rotating equipment often uses accelerometers with 1–10 kHz sampling for bearing defects. Temperature may need only minute-level logging.

Match connectivity to site layout: wired Ethernet in machine halls, cellular at remote stations, LoRaWAN for distributed level sensors.

Magnetic or stud-mounted sensors, non-invasive current clamps, and tap points on existing analog loops reduce downtime during install. Schedule work during planned maintenance windows where possible.

First month is tuning: false positives, missed events, and operator feedback. Weekly reviews with maintenance keep the system grounded in reality. Document every alert and whether it led to useful action.