Full definition
Maintenance management objective or philosophy where all work orders are executed within the planned timeframe with no accumulation of pending work. In industrial practice, the optimal backlog is 2-4 man-weeks (provides buffer against variations without generating risk). True zero backlog is undesirable: indicates overstaffing or systematic underestimation of available work. Reducing excessive backlog requires: effective WO prioritization, temporary additional resources, outsourcing and improved planning. Monitored weekly in maintenance planning meetings.