The third annual MaintainX State of Industrial Maintenance report reveals AI is delivering measurable value fast, fueling a shift toward increasingly proactive, intelligence-driven maintenance
MaintainX, the leading AI-powered maintenance and asset management platform, today released its annual State of Industrial Maintenance report. Based on responses from 2,234 maintenance and operations leaders across the U.S. and Canada, the report finds that AI has crossed the adoption threshold in industrial maintenance. A majority of teams (58%) are already using AI in their operations, and 75% report measurable ROI in under six months.
Teams are using AI for everything from maintenance data analytics and knowledge capture to real-time repair assistance and root cause analysis.Share
On the shop floor, the impact is tangible. Teams are using AI for everything from maintenance data analytics and knowledge capture to real-time repair assistance and root cause analysis. Among organizations already using AI, 59% are now using or testing AI agents, autonomous systems that can monitor operations, prioritize work, and take action across systems and workflows.
But one of the report’s most striking findings is that technology adoption alone has not translated into better reliability outcomes. Over the past year, organizations have embraced a wider range of advanced tools and proactive strategies—yet 79% of teams saw unplanned downtime stay the same or increase, and a growing share of leaders (39%, up from 31% in 2025) say those downtime events are getting more expensive.
“The industry is embracing AI faster than any technology before it, and the results are showing up quickly,” said Nick Haase, Co-Founder, MaintainX. “But this year’s data makes clear that reliability gains come from execution maturity, not system adoption alone. The organizations getting real results are the ones combining modern tools with strong fundamentals, including better training, disciplined scheduling, and a culture that prioritizes proactive work over constant troubleshooting.”
The data bears that out. While most leaders say they have preventive maintenance programs in place, half of all teams still spend less than 40% of their time on planned work. The report finds that the gap between strategy and execution is driven largely by workforce constraints: labor shortages and poor knowledge transfer rank among the top causes of unplanned downtime, and skills gaps remain one of the biggest barriers to improving maintenance programs.
“We’re at an inflection point. Reindustrialization is putting the physical world back at the center of the global economy; across North America and Europe, factories are coming back online, new facilities are being built, and the pressure to keep those assets running has never been higher,” said Chris Turlica, CEO and Co-Founder, MaintainX. “That makes what maintenance teams do every day more critical than ever. The good news is that AI is finally giving those teams tools that match the scale of the challenge.”
With 45% of leaders expecting to grow headcount this year, hiring is part of the answer, but the report suggests it’s not enough. As experienced technicians retire and institutional knowledge walks out the door, organizations are increasingly turning to AI-powered knowledge capture and modern CMMS and EAM platforms to preserve expertise and help newer technicians perform at a higher level.
“One of the things that keeps me up at night is the tribal knowledge in our network leaving. The average age of our technicians is 45, so this is something we’re acting on now,” said Mike Truitt, Director of DC Network Facilities, Michaels Stores.
