In IBM Maximo Manage, the failure reporting mechanism is designed for precise tracking. The system allows for the creation of one distinct failure report for the main work order header. This report captures the primary problem, cause, and remedy. In addition, for work orders that have multiple tasks, a separate and single failure report can be created for each individual task. This enables granular failure analysis on complex jobs where each task might address a different component or failure mode. The system architecture enforces this one-to-one relationship between a failure report and its associated record (either the work order header or a specific task).

B. unlimited failure reports for either a work order or any of its tasks

This is incorrect. The standard functionality enforces a one-to-one relationship; you cannot create multiple, separate failure reports for the same work order header or the same task.

C. unlimited failure reports for each work order, but none for a task

This is incorrect because failure reports can be created at the task level, and the system does not permit an unlimited number of reports for the work order header.

D. just one failure report

This is too restrictive. While only one report can be made for the work order header, additional reports can be created for each of its associated tasks.

1. IBM Maximo Manage 8.7 Documentation, Work Orders, "Reporting failures": This official documentation states, "You can report a failure for a work order or for a work order task. When you create a failure report, you create a record of the failure hierarchy that is associated with the work order." This confirms that reports can be created for both the work order and its tasks. The use of singular nouns ("a failure", "a record") implies a one-to-one relationship for each object.

2. IBM Maximo Manage 8.7 Documentation, Database information, FAILUREREPORT table: The database schema for Maximo includes the FAILUREREPORT table. This table contains the attributes WONUM, SITEID, and TASKID. The application logic uses this structure to link a single failure report record to either a work order header (where TASKID is null) or a specific work order task (where TASKID is populated), thereby enforcing the one-report-per-object rule.