Glossary

What is mean time to repair (MTTR)?

Quick answer

MTTR is the average time taken to restore a failed asset to working order, from the failure to the return to service. A lower MTTR means failures cost less downtime. It is calculated by dividing total repair time by the number of repairs.

FormulaMTTR = total repair time / number of repairs

Benchmark

Benchmark
GoodLower is better. Strong MTTR reflects good spares, planning, and access for the assets that matter.
Warning signA high or rising MTTR on critical assets multiplies the cost of every failure.

Why it matters

MTTR decides how much each failure actually costs in lost production. Two plants with the same failure rate can have very different downtime bills if one restores assets in two hours and the other takes a day. It is heavily influenced by spares availability, planning, and access, all of which are controllable.

How to improve it

Lower MTTR with critical spares strategy, pre-planned repair procedures, fast and safe access, and trained crews ready for the failures that matter most.

Frequently asked questions

How do you reduce MTTR?
Through critical spares availability, pre-planned repair procedures and kits, fast safe access, and crews trained for the high-impact failure modes. Much of MTTR is logistics, not turning spanners.

See where your plant is leaking profit.

Score your operation across five leak zones in 3 minutes, or book a free 30-minute Fit Call to confirm whether a Diagnostic is the right next step.

15 questions. 3 minutes. Instant grade. No email required.