Asset Criticality Ranking: Deciding Which Machines Matter Most
A simple scoring method to rank food-factory assets by safety, food-safety, production and cost impact, so PPM, spares and capital go where they matter.
Why this matters in UK food manufacturing Every site has more maintenance demand than people. Without a ranking, the loudest breakdown or the most senior voice decides the priority. A criticality ranking gives an agreed, written answer to "what matters most here?" It drives PPM depth, critical spares, condition monitoring, backlog priority and the capital plan. Auditors and insurers increasingly ask to see it. In plain English Criticality is a score for how bad it would be if a machine failed. A metal detector that fails could put a recall on the shelf. A spare conveyor in the corner can wait. The score makes that obvious to everyone. 1. Build the asset list first Use the CMMS asset register, down to the level you maintain (a line, a machine, or a major component such as a gearbox). If the register is incomplete, fix that first: you cannot rank what you have not listed. 2. Score each asset on consequence Score each asset 1 to 5 on four questions. Use the highest score, not the average, for safety and food safety,…
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