Unserviceable

Unserviceable is a status assigned to equipment, components, or assets that can no longer perform its intended function or meet required safety or regulatory standards. In maintenance, logistics, and asset management, items marked as unserviceable are removed from active use and segregated until they are repaired, refurbished, exchanged, or disposed of. The term contrasts with serviceable, which denotes readiness for use.

Unserviceable items may be due to physical damage, wear beyond repair, functional failure, noncompliance with specifications, obsolescence, or safety concerns. Some organizations distinguish between repairable unserviceable items (which can be brought back to service with maintenance) and non-repairable or condemned items (which cannot be repaired economically or safely).

Handling typically involves qualified personnel assessing the item, assigning an unserviceable status, and tagging or documenting it. It is isolated to prevent installation or operation. Maintenance work orders may authorize repair, overhaul, or replacement; if repair is not feasible, disposal, sale, or salvage may follow, in accordance with environmental and safety regulations.

Contexts: in aviation, unserviceable parts are tracked with part numbers and supply chain systems; in military and industrial contexts, inventory control uses unserviceable status to plan replacements and logistics; in manufacturing, equipment downtime is categorized to optimize uptime and maintenance.

See also: serviceability, repairable, condemned, asset management.