THE MAINTENANCE PLANNERS PLAYBOOK
The practical guide to Maintenance Scheduling, CMMS Strategy and Reliability Engineering
OUT NOW!
The Maintenance Planners Playbook
Great maintenance doesn’t start with tools, technicians, or technology — it starts with a plan.
The Maintenance Planner’s Playbook is the definitive guide for maintenance planners, reliability engineers, and CMMS specialists who want to bring structure, clarity, and efficiency to their organisations.
Written by planners, for planners, this book goes beyond theory to give you practical strategies, proven frameworks, and real-world advice on how to:
- Plan smarter: Build job plans and workflows that eliminate chaos and delays.
- Master your CMMS: Create clean data structures that unlock better decision-making.
- Enable flawless execution: Align planning with scheduling, operations, and spare parts management.
- Lead reliability improvements: Understand the metrics and KPIs that matter.
- Create value beyond your role: Become a trusted partner to technicians, supervisors, and leadership.
- Develop your career: Explore how to develop yourself personally and professionally in your planning career.
Whether you’re new to the role or managing a planning team, this book offers a complete blueprint to elevate your performance and build long-term asset reliability.
The Maintenance Planners Playbook is more than a book — it’s the foundation of Planner HQ’s mission to empower maintenance professionals worldwide.
Who is the Planners Playbook for?
The Maintenance Planner’s Playbook is written for maintenance planners, reliability engineers, CMMS administrators, and anyone responsible for structuring and improving maintenance operations. Whether you’re just starting the role or leading a planning team, this book provides practical strategies that you can apply immediately. We believe it is the foundation text for any maintenance planner to understand all the different aspects of the planning and CMMS role.
I’ve been a planner for years, will I learn anything new?
Without doubt even experienced planners will find value in the Playbook’s advanced insights on KPIs, continuous improvement, and reliability culture. The book is packed with actionable ideas and tips that can help you refine your processes, avoid common traps, and build trust across teams.
Why should I choose this book over other planning and reliability guidebooks?
Most maintenance books focus on high-level reliability concepts, leaving planners with little practical advice. The Planners Playbook is different in that it’s written by a planner, for planners, and focuses on real-world tactics that drive results. It bridges the gap between theory and execution, with practical frameworks you can start using today. It is written in a style which is easy to read, with examples throughout, to help quickly apply the lessons into any operational environment.
Is it based on any specific CMMS?
Not at all. The principles and techniques in the Playbook apply to any CMMS or planning environment. While we reference common CMMS features and workflows, the focus is on processes, job plans, and scheduling best practices, which are system-agnostic and adaptable. So much of the content is about principles and mindset which can be applied whatever CMMS you use and whatever industry you find yourself in.
Do you offer digital versions or other resources?
The book itself if available only in paperback and hardback printed copy. However, alongside the printed book, Planner HQ offers a free digital toolkit containing templates, checklists, and planning aids. These are designed to help you put the Playbook’s strategies into practice quickly, and save you some time on issues many planners struggle with. Additional premium toolkits and an online planner training program are also under development.
How is the book structured?
The Maintenance Planners Playbook has been structured in an intentionally straightforward way to be able to digest and apply each chapter at a time. Written using every day language to achieve less of a ‘text book’ feel than many of the other guide books available.
★★★★★
On Maintenance Planners desks in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, and around Europe, with 5 star reviews on Amazon
Chris Diprose
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Author, and Planner HQ Founder
What You’ll Learn in The Maintenance Planner’s Playbook
- ✅ How to build job plans that work – Learn to create clear, step-by-step job plans with the right parts, tools, and instructions to eliminate guesswork and delays.
- ✅ The secrets to effective scheduling – Discover how to balance planned and unplanned work, build a frozen weekly schedule, and boost schedule compliance.
- ✅ CMMS best practices – From structuring asset data to improving work order close-outs, you’ll uncover ways to turn your CMMS into a powerful decision-making tool.
- ✅ Spare parts and job readiness – Understand how to manage parts, reduce last-minute chaos, and ensure every job is executable when it hits the schedule.
- ✅ Metrics that matter – Learn which KPIs and performance indicators truly measure planning success and how to use them for continuous improvement.
- ✅ How to influence without authority – Gain communication and leadership skills to build trust and alignment across maintenance, operations, and leadership teams.
Interested in Bulk Orders?
Looking to upskill a maintenance team or embed maintenance planning best practices into a project rollout?
The Maintenance Planner’s Playbook is now available for discounted bulk orders, making it an ideal resource for:
- Team development and planner training programs.
- Supporting CMMS deployments or upgrades.
- Reliability and asset management initiatives.
- Standardising planning processes across multiple sites.
Planner HQ