{"id":9479,"date":"2023-01-13T14:59:23","date_gmt":"2023-01-13T21:59:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/limblecmms.com\/?p=9479"},"modified":"2025-05-30T13:04:18","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T19:04:18","slug":"nested","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/limblecmms.com\/blog\/nested\/","title":{"rendered":"Nested preventive maintenance functionality: meaning and use cases"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row kd_background_image_position=”vc_row-bg-position-top”][vc_column][vc_column_text]Optimizing the maintenance workload and inventory relies on efficient maintenance scheduling.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nested <\/span>preventive maintenance is a feature of modern CMMS software<\/a> that lets you merge recurring maintenance tasks in a way that reduces administrative burden and simplifies maintenance planning.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s see how it works in practice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What are nested PMs?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Preventive maintenance<\/span><\/a> is built on time-based and usage-based schedules. With a CMMS, such recurring tasks can be automatically scheduled months ahead of time.<\/span><\/p>\n

When you have weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly PMs for a single piece of equipment, it is only a matter of time before some of those PMs overlap. In many cases, you want them to overlap so you can perform all of the work on that asset <\/span>during a single planned shutdown.<\/span><\/p>\n

In these scenarios, you want to schedule one big PM which includes everything that needs to be done on the day, without messing up future due dates for any of those recurring tasks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nested preventive maintenance function \u2014 if your CMMS<\/a> supports it \u2014 lets you do exactly that.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”middle” kd_background_image_position=”vc_row-bg-position-bottom” kd_top_separator_style=”skew-left” kd_top_separator_height=”separator-height-small” kd_bottom_separator_style=”skew-left” kd_bottom_separator_height=”separator-height-small” kd_top_separator=”true” kd_bottom_separator=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1682969636891{margin-bottom: 40px !important;padding-top: 120px !important;padding-right: 40px !important;padding-bottom: 50px !important;padding-left: 40px !important;background: #dde4e8 url(https:\/\/limblecmms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/cta-laired-hex-4.webp?id=9077) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;border-radius: 0px !important;}” css_tablet_landscape=”.vc_custom_1682969636891{padding-bottom: 80px !important;}” css_tablet_portrait=”.vc_custom_1682969636891{padding-bottom: 80px !important;}” css_mobile=”.vc_custom_1682969636892{padding-bottom: 80px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_row_inner kd_background_image_position=”vc_row-bg-position-top”][vc_column_inner]

The Essential Guide to CMMS<\/h2>
Download this helpful guide to everything a CMMS has to offer.<\/h6><\/header>[\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner content_placement=”top” kd_background_image_position=”vc_row-bg-position-top”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1631866454223{padding-right: 50px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}” offset=”vc_col-lg-6 vc_col-md-12 vc_col-xs-12″ css_tablet_landscape=”.vc_custom_1631866454223{padding-right: 0px !important;}” css_tablet_portrait=”.vc_custom_1631866454223{padding-right: 0px !important;}” css_mobile=”.vc_custom_1631866454224{padding-right: 15px !important;}”][vc_raw_html]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[\/vc_raw_html][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image source=”external_link” alignment=”center” css_animation=”fadeIn” custom_src=”https:\/\/3975608.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net\/hubfs\/3975608\/Content%20Downloads\/CMMS%20Guide%20mockup.png”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row kd_background_image_position=”vc_row-bg-position-top”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Who uses nested PMs?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Nested PMs are very useful if you manage a large number of assets, with a lot of recurring tasks you can merge together. Instead of creating two or three separate PMs and asking technicians to close them in a specific order, you can schedule all of the work<\/span> via a single task.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you run a small operation with just a few assets on your <\/span>preventive maintenance plan<\/span><\/a>, you can live without this feature.<\/span><\/p>\n

An example of nested preventive maintenance<\/span><\/h2>\n

Nested PM functionality <\/span>assumes that you want to include all activities and tasks from more frequent cycles into less frequent cycles.<\/b> You want to perform all of the daily tasks alongside a Weekly PM, all of the daily and weekly tasks alongside a Monthly PM, and so on.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a CNC machine as an example, and put it on a simple, time-based calendar outlined in the image below.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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In the first 3 weeks, everything goes as planned. Every Thursday, your CMMS software triggers a PM to inspect tool heads and lubricate dry machine parts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Then <\/span>week 4<\/b> comes along. You have to trigger at least two PMs \u2014 one for the weekly tasks and one for the monthly tasks. On <\/span>week 12<\/b>, you would have to schedule, assign, and manage at least three different PMs to cover all<\/span> scheduled tasks in this example.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nested preventive maintenance functionality allows you to automatically merge those overlapping preventive maintenance tasks into a single PM, simplifying work for both maintenance planners and technicians.<\/span><\/p>\n

How does nested preventive maintenance work inside Limble CMMS<\/span><\/h2>\n

Using Limble CMMS, you can create a nested PM in five simple steps we outline below.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step #1<\/b>: Select an existing PM template you want to modify or create a new template from scratch.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Step #2:<\/b> Select “Add Instruction” in the bottom left corner.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Step #3:<\/b> From the advanced instructions list, choose “Assign PM”.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Step #4:<\/b> Now that the instruction is added, click “Pick PM” to select an existing PM you want to nest.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Step #5:<\/b> The PM you choose from the list above is now nested under another PM!<\/span><\/p>\n

This way, you can nest your Weekly PMs under Monthly PMs, Monthly PMs under Quarterly PMs, etc. Since each PM comes with its own<\/span> Parts and Instructions, Limble will still track all of that for you in the background.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After you\u2019re finished, you can open the calendar for that specific asset and check if everything is scheduled as intended.<\/span><\/p>\n

Things to keep in mind when using nested preventive maintenance<\/span><\/h2>\n

Automating maintenance scheduling is a huge time saver, but only if the system triggers everything correctly. Here are some things to keep in mind while using the nested preventive maintenance functionality.<\/span><\/p>\n

Different implementation methods<\/span><\/h3>\n

Different CMMS vendors have different approaches to nested PMs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Without going too much into technical details, the most common implementation methods include:<\/span><\/p>\n