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Maintenance Backlog
A maintenance backlog is requested maintenance that remains incomplete, including periodic maintenance past its due date.
A maintenance backlog is requested maintenance that remains incomplete, including periodic maintenance that has passed its due date. It is a work-status measure, not a statement that every open task has the same urgency or cost.
A property-operations team could use a backlog view to separate requested, planned, ready, working and held work, then review priority and age together. The current Deferred Maintenance entry describes work postponed to a future budget cycle; a backlog is a broader status view and can include requests before a deferral decision. The DOE audit warns that counting only ready work can hide requests that still await planning, so the inclusion rule should be documented.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy: Maintenance Backlog Audit (OAI-M-16-12).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a maintenance backlog include only work that is ready to assign?
No. A complete backlog can include requested work that is still being planned. A narrower ready-backlog measure should be labeled separately so it is not mistaken for all outstanding requests.
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