Which of the following is a disadvantage of Reactive Maintenance (Unplanned Maintenance)?

• A. Increased downtime
• B. Lower labor costs
• C. Reduced risk of secondary damage
• D. Shorter lead times

Answer: (A)

Reactive maintenance means fixing equipment only after it fails. The clear drawback of this approach is the downtime that comes with unexpected failures. When a machine quits, production stops, schedules are disrupted, and urgent repairs are needed, often with overtime, expedited parts, and scrambling to get back online. That lost production time directly translates to higher downtime and greater overall disruption.

Other choices don’t fit as disadvantages here. Urgent, unplanned work tends to raise labor costs rather than lower them, due to overtime and rush parts. Failures can cause secondary damage to nearby components, not reduce the risk, so the risk actually tends to rise. Lead times for unplanned repairs are typically not shorter; they’re often longer because parts and skilled technicians must be mobilized on short notice.