Of the more than $300 billion spent on plant maintenance and operations, U.S. industry spends as much as 80 percent of this amount to correct chronic failures of machines, systems, and people. With machines and systems becoming increasingly complex, this problem can only worsen, and there is a clear and pressing need to establish comprehensive equipment management programs that incorporate the diverse considerations that are essential to effective maintenance. The elimination of chronic failures through effective maintenance can reduce maintenance costs by 40 to 60 percent. Engineering Maintenance: A Modern Approach presents a cradle-to-grave strategy to preserve equipment function, avoid the consequences of failures, and ensure the productive capacity of equipment. Moving well beyond traditional approaches, this strategy incorporates quality and safety, human error, and software maintenance considerations along with costing, reliability, and maintainability. From specialized books and technical articles, the author has gathered and integrated the latest advances in engineering maintenance into practical, step-by-step plans designed to optimize maintenance activities, extend equipment life, and minimize failures.