Maintenance Load measures the cost of keeping existing systems working.
Maintenance is not optional.
Deferred maintenance is debt.
Maintenance debt compounds into CDI and constraint tightening.
What This Sensor Measures
Maintenance Load measures:
Maintenance backlog size
Backlog growth rate
Budget share required for maintenance
Frequency of breakdowns from neglected upkeep
Repair cost inflation over time
How to Read This Sensor
Healthy signal
Backlog is controlled or shrinking
Maintenance costs are predictable
Breakdowns are rare
The system upgrades while maintaining
Repair costs do not spiral
Danger signal
Backlog grows faster than repair capacity
Breakdowns become frequent
Costs rise sharply over time
The system is forced into emergency fixes
Maintenance crowds out improvement
Thresholds
Level 1: Controlled maintenance
Backlog stable, predictable costs
Level 2: Mild backlog
Some buildup, still manageable
Level 3: Rising backlog
Breakdowns increase, costs rise
Level 4: Maintenance crisis
Emergency fixes dominate, decay compounds
Level 5: Maintenance collapse
Systems fail faster than repair, brittleness accelerates
Minimum Viable Test
Track 3 months:
Is the backlog shrinking, flat, or growing?
If backlog grows while repairs remain constant, maintenance load is binding.
Repair Actions
Ring-fence maintenance funding
Reduce leakage and rework
https://edukatesg.com/governance-sensor-leakage/
Increase repair capacity
https://edukatesg.com/planet-sensor-repair-capacity/
Reduce recurrence of breakdown causes
https://edukatesg.com/planet-sensor-recurrence/
Links
Production OS Sensors Directory
https://edukatesg.com/production-os-sensors/
Civilisation Sensor: CDI Index
https://edukatesg.com/civilisation-sensor-cdi/
Canonical Statement
Maintenance Load measures decay pressure. If maintenance debt rises faster than repair, the system drifts into brittleness even when output looks stable.