What is Mean Time Between Maintenance (MTBM)?

Understanding Mean Time Between Maintenance (MTBM): A Guide for Maintenance Professionals

For maintenance professionals, every hour of uptime counts. Equipment failures, unexpected repairs, and inefficient scheduling don’t just disrupt daily operations—they can drive up costs, delay production, and impact safety. That’s why organizations are increasingly turning to data-driven metrics to guide smarter maintenance strategies and reduce unplanned downtime. 

One of the most powerful yet often underutilized metrics in this toolkit is mean time between maintenance (MTBM). This KPI tracks the average interval between maintenance activities, offering critical insights into asset health, reliability, and performance. When used effectively, MTBM can help teams move from reactive to proactive maintenance, extend equipment lifespan, and improve resource planning. 

In this guide, we’ll break down what MTBM is, why it matters, and how to calculate it accurately. You’ll learn how MTBM compares to similar metrics like MTBF and MTTR, discover practical ways to use MTBM as a KPI, and explore proven strategies to improve it. Whether you’re building out a new maintenance program or optimizing an existing one, understanding MTBM is key to long-term success. 

What is mean time between maintenance (MTBM)?

Mean time between maintenance is a maintenance metric that measures the average time between all maintenance activities—both scheduled and unscheduled—for a specific piece of equipment or system. It gives maintenance teams a reliable snapshot of how frequently an asset requires attention, helping them better plan resources, reduce downtime, and identify opportunities to extend the lifespan of their equipment. 

Unlike failure-specific metrics, MTBM takes into account all types of maintenance, from routine inspections and part replacements to emergency repairs. This broader view makes it particularly useful in preventive maintenance programs, where understanding the full scope of service intervals is key to avoiding unexpected breakdowns. 

In simple terms, MTBM tells you how long equipment runs, on average, before it needs to be serviced again. When tracked over time and across assets, this metric becomes a powerful tool for optimizing maintenance schedules and improving overall operational efficiency. 

Importance of mean time between maintenance in maintenance practices 

While MTBM is a relatively simple calculation, its value extends far beyond the numbers. This metric can reveal deeper insights into the overall health of your assets and the effectiveness of your maintenance strategy. By regularly tracking and analyzing MTBM, teams can make smarter, more proactive decisions that improve performance across the board. 

Here’s why MTBM is such a valuable tool for maintenance professionals: 

• Enhancing equipment reliability: A longer MTBM usually indicates that equipment is running smoothly for longer periods between interventions, which often signals better performance and reliability.
• Reducing operational costs: Frequent maintenance can be expensive. Monitoring MTBM allows you to optimize intervals to reduce unnecessary tasks while still ensuring equipment longevity.
• Improving safety standards: Maintenance delays can compromise safety. MTBM helps teams stay proactive and avoid risk by ensuring that maintenance activities are timely and strategic.
• Planning resources efficiently: Knowing your MTBM means you can allocate technician time and spare parts more effectively, streamlining operations. 

Calculating mean time between maintenance

To make MTBM a meaningful part of your maintenance strategy, you need to calculate it accurately and consistently. While the formula itself is simple, applying it correctly ensures your data is reliable and actionable. 

MTBM vs. MTBF 

Mean time between maintenance (MTBM) and mean time between failures (MTBF) are often mentioned in the same breath—but they serve distinct purposes in maintenance planning and analysis. Understanding the difference is key to using both metrics effectively. 

• MTBF measures the average time between equipment failures. It focuses specifically on unplanned breakdowns and is commonly used to assess reliability.
• MTBM includes all maintenance activities—both scheduled (like preventive maintenance) and unscheduled (like corrective repairs). It gives a broader view of how frequently an asset requires attention. 

Because MTBM accounts for more events, it will always be equal to or shorter than MTBF for the same asset and time period. 

Tracking both metrics in tandem provides a more comprehensive understanding of asset performance, helping maintenance teams balance reliability with routine care and plan more strategically. 

MTBM vs. MTTR

While MTBM tells you how often maintenance is needed, mean time to repair (MTTR) reveals how long it takes to complete that maintenance once it begins. Both metrics are essential—but they measure very different things. 

• MTBM focuses on the frequency of maintenance. A higher MTBM means your equipment can run longer without requiring service, which often indicates good performance and effective preventive strategies. 
• MTTR, on the other hand, measures the speed of repair. It reflects how long your team takes to restore equipment to full operation after a breakdown or maintenance activity begins. A lower MTTR means faster response times and less downtime. 

Used together, these metrics provide valuable insight into both your equipment’s reliability and your maintenance team’s responsiveness. Ideally, you want a high MTBM—indicating fewer interventions—and a low MTTR, showing that your team can resolve issues quickly when they do arise. 

This balance is a strong indicator of a well-optimized maintenance strategy: one that keeps assets running efficiently while minimizing the impact of any disruptions. 

Using mean time between maintenance as a maintenance KPI 

MTBM is more than just a useful metric—it’s a key performance indicator (KPI) that can help maintenance teams measure progress, pinpoint inefficiencies, and guide smarter decision-making. Because it reflects both equipment performance and the effectiveness of your maintenance strategy, MTBM bridges the gap between preventive and reactive maintenance approaches. 

Here are a few ways to incorporate MTBM into your performance tracking: 

• Set benchmarks: Start by calculating MTBM for your most critical assets, then compare across similar equipment or industry benchmarks. This helps identify outliers and set realistic performance targets.
• Monitor trends over time: MTBM is most useful when tracked consistently. An increasing MTBM may indicate improvements in reliability, while a sudden drop could signal an issue—such as operator misuse, subpar parts, or flawed procedures.
• Correlate with other KPIs: Don’t look at MTBM in isolation. Pair it with metrics like overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), MTTF, MTTR, and MTBF for a fuller picture of asset health and team performance.
• Drive continuous improvement: Use MTBM insights to refine your maintenance plans. This might mean adjusting preventive maintenance intervals, optimizing inventory levels, or identifying training needs for technicians. 

When consistently monitored and thoughtfully applied, MTBM becomes a leading indicator of operational maturity and a powerful lever for driving efficiency. 

Best practices for improving mean time between maintenance in maintenance operations

If your MTBM is consistently lower than expected, it could be a sign of deeper issues—anything from inconsistent procedures to poor-quality parts or a lack of technician training. Fortunately, there are several proven strategies that can help extend the time between maintenance events and improve overall equipment performance. 

Here’s how to increase your MTBM: 

• Implement preventive maintenance (PM) programs: Scheduled, proactive maintenance helps you address potential issues before they lead to breakdowns. A strong PM program naturally increases MTBM by reducing the frequency of reactive work.
• Standardize maintenance procedures: Clear, documented processes and checklists promote consistency across your team. Standardization minimizes the risk of human error and ensures that maintenance is performed thoroughly every time.
• Invest in training and development: Technicians who are well-trained can spot early warning signs, apply effective fixes, and reduce the likelihood of repeat issues—all of which contribute to a higher MTBM.
• Use high-quality replacement parts: Inferior parts fail faster and require more frequent replacements. Sourcing from reputable suppliers can significantly improve reliability and extend maintenance intervals.
• Leverage CMMS and EAM software: A CMMS or EAM system helps you track maintenance activity, monitor MTBM trends in real time, and generate insights for smarter decision-making.
• Analyze historical data: Review past maintenance logs to uncover recurring issues, failure patterns, or missteps in strategy. Use this analysis to fine-tune your maintenance intervals and prioritize improvements. 

By combining these strategies, maintenance teams can make meaningful, measurable progress toward increasing MTBM and building a more resilient maintenance program. 

Why MTBM belongs in your maintenance strategy 

Mean time between maintenance (MTBM) is more than just a metric—it’s a strategic lever for driving reliability, reducing unplanned downtime, and improving overall operational efficiency. By understanding how frequently maintenance is truly needed, organizations can fine-tune their strategies, avoid over- or under-servicing equipment, and make better use of technician time and spare parts. 

When used as a core KPI, MTBM offers valuable insight into asset performance and maintenance effectiveness. It empowers teams to move beyond reactive fixes and build a proactive, data-informed maintenance culture—one that supports long-term asset health and operational excellence. The result? Reduced costs, increased uptime, and safer, more predictable operations. 

At Prometheus Group, we help maintenance and operations teams put metrics like MTBM into action through intuitive, integrated solutions that simplify planning, tracking, and optimization. Contact Prometheus Group today to learn how our software can help you improve your MTBM, streamline your maintenance strategy, and maximize the performance of your critical assets.