How many steps are there in the Classical RCM?

• A. 5 steps
• B. 6 steps
• C. 7 steps
• D. 8 steps

Answer: (C)

In classical Reliability-Centered Maintenance, the approach to planning maintenance is organized as seven steps that guide preserving a system’s function and reliability. Start by defining the system’s required functions and the performance levels those functions must meet. Then identify functional failures—what happens when a function does not perform as required. Next, analyze the potential failure modes that could cause those functional failures and understand why they occur. After that, determine the effects of each failure and assess their consequences for safety, operations, environment, and costs to establish how critical each failure is. With that understanding, select maintenance tasks that will prevent or mitigate the identified failures, choosing among preventive, condition-monitoring, or, in some cases, run-to-failure strategies based on risk and practicality. Finally, determine appropriate task intervals and triggers, assign responsibilities, and document the rationale behind the maintenance plan. This seven-step framework is what shapes a well-structured, risk-informed maintenance program.