Autonomous maintenance (AM) involves individual workers maintaining their own equipment through preventative measures like daily checks and correct operation. This represents a shift from the traditional model of separate production and maintenance roles. AM aims to improve reliability and maintainability of machines by empowering workers to identify and address deterioration through activities like cleaning, inspection, and prompt reporting of issues. The seven steps of Jishu Hozen (autonomous management) provide a framework for workers to establish cleaning and lubrication standards for equipment and progressively take on more responsibility for autonomous inspection and management.