Glossary term
Service interval
Also called: PM interval · maintenance interval
Short definition
A service interval is the time or usage-based spacing between maintenance events for an asset or asset class—what turns “maintenance exists” into a schedulable, auditable cadence.
Related terms
Expanded explanation
Full definition and contextExpand
Intervals should be defined with explicit rules: calendar time, runtime hours, seasonality adjustments, and exception handling (extensions, deferrals, criticality tiers).
Bad interval design creates “surprise due weeks” that overwhelm dispatch—or silent drift where compliance looks fine until it is not.
Intervals must be explainable to customers: what changes if they defer, and what risk they accept.
Industry relevance
Essential for PM programs, contract renewals, and regulated environments where “we check it sometimes” is not a defensible policy.
Industry tags: field service general, medical equipment, hvac