Guide
Maintenance KPIs Guide: Metrics That Matter
This guide explains which maintenance KPIs to track and how to use them to improve reliability, cost and productivity.
Maintenance KPIs (key performance indicators) are metrics used to measure the effectiveness of maintenance activities. Common KPIs include PM compliance, MTTR, MTBF, backlog and maintenance cost as a share of replacement value.
In this guide:
- Why track maintenance KPIs
- Operational KPIs: compliance, backlog, cycle time
- Reliability KPIs: MTTR, MTBF, failure rate
- Cost and efficiency KPIs
- How to use KPIs in practice
- Frequently asked questions
Table of contents
Why track maintenance KPIs
- KPIs turn daily activity into visible performance so you can spot trends and problems.
- They support conversations with management and justify investment in people and tools.
- The right KPIs focus the team on what matters: safety, reliability, cost.
Operational KPIs
- PM compliance: percentage of PM work orders completed on time.
- Backlog: count of open work orders; often split by age (e.g. overdue).
- Work order cycle time: from request or creation to completion.
- Schedule adherence: how often assigned work is done as planned.
Reliability KPIs
- MTTR (mean time to repair): average time to restore an asset after failure.
- MTBF (mean time between failures): average time between failures for an asset.
- Failure rate or breakdown count per asset or per period.
Cost and efficiency
- Maintenance cost per unit produced or per square foot (for facilities).
- Labour and parts cost per asset or asset class.
- Ratio of preventive to reactive work (aim for a higher share of preventive).
Using KPIs in practice
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Practical steps
- Choose 3–5 KPIs that align with your goals (reliability, cost, compliance).
- Define how each KPI is calculated and where the data comes from.
- Set baselines and targets; review at least monthly.
- Share results with the team and use them in planning and improvement.
Who should read this
Maintenance managers, operations leads and anyone who reports on or improves maintenance performance.
Frequently asked questions
What is PM compliance?
PM compliance is the percentage of preventive maintenance work orders completed on or before their due date. It is a standard KPI for measuring execution of the PM program.
How do I calculate MTTR and MTBF?
MTTR is total repair time divided by number of failures in a period. MTBF is total operating time divided by number of failures. Both require consistent recording of failure and repair times in your CMMS or logs.
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