When managing maintenance tasks in FlowPath, it's important to know the difference between Preventive Maintenance (PM) schedules and inspections, particularly in how they handle equipment associations.

PM Schedules
PM schedules are designed to create a 1:1 relationship between a piece of equipment and a work order. This means that for each PM schedule, a single piece of equipment is tied to a specific work order, making it ideal for tasks that require focused attention on individual equipment units.

Inspections
Inspections, on the other hand, offer more flexibility by allowing you to associate multiple pieces of equipment with a single inspection. This is done by linking each piece of equipment to an inspection item within the inspection itself. This setup is especially useful for regularly scheduled maintenance tasks that occur at a high volume and require thorough documentation, such as air filter changes or fire extinguisher maintenance.

Additionally, inspections are versatile and can be effectively used for tasks beyond equipment maintenance. For example, they are ideal for conducting custodial, grounds, or pavement inspections, where multiple assets or areas are evaluated within a single inspection process.

When to Use Each