What are maintenance professionals really dealing with in 2026, and where are they focusing next?
Maintenance teams are under growing pressure to reduce downtime, improve reliability, make better use of resources and demonstrate the value they deliver to the wider business.
Our new State of Maintenance and CMMS in 2026 Report explores what maintenance, engineering, reliability and operations professionals told us about the realities behind those expectations.
The findings reveal an industry where the fundamentals still matter. Unplanned downtime remains commonplace, preventive maintenance can be difficult to protect, workforce skills are under pressure and digital maturity varies significantly between organisations.
A glimpse at what we found
79.2%
Experience unplanned downtime daily or weekly.
37.5%
Say improved workforce skills and training could have the greatest positive impact on maintenance over the next three to five years.
82.6%
Report significant operational downtime.
81.9%
Prioritise ease of use when evaluating maintenance software.
The research also found that mobile maintenance applications are already used by 54.9% of respondents, while AI and machine-learning analytics are currently used by fewer than 3.5%.
What will you discover?
Download the full report to explore:
- Why unplanned downtime continues to shape everyday maintenance priorities
- The gap between understanding preventive maintenance and consistently delivering it
- Why skills and training outrank AI as a future maintenance priority
- What maintenance teams really want from CMMS and maintenance technology
- Where organisations plan to improve over the next 12 months
- A practical 90-day improvement plan for turning the findings into action
The report moves beyond the headline statistics to provide practical recommendations for improving planning, parts availability, measurement, CMMS usability and workforce capability.
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Choose the Right ShireSystem CMMS Plan for your Business
ShireSystem provides a range of CMMS plans tailored to suit organisations of all sizes, budgets, and levels of maintenance maturity.
Each plan is strategically designed to support your current needs, accelerate your progress, and deliver measurable returns on investment at every stage of your maintenance journey.
Essentials Complete foundation for proactive maintenance management with mobile capabilities and built-in knowledge management. | Professional Enhanced resource optimisation and data-driven decision making for maintenance operations that directly impact your bottom line. | Advanced Enterprise-wide maintenance orchestration with advanced compliance, and system integration capabilities. | Expert Complete maintenance ecosystem customisation with integrated procurement, and brand alignment for maximum organisational fit. |
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ShireSystem is a leading CMMS (Computerised Maintenance Management System) software solution used globally across the aviation, automotive, healthcare, education, food and drink manufacturing, industrial and retail sectors, handling thousands of facilities and maintenance operations and activities every day. Its modular solution grows with your business.
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