Modern maintenance management isn’t just about fixing what’s broken — it’s about using data to optimize uptime, reduce costs, and improve decision-making. Yet many teams still track surface-level metrics without uncovering deeper performance drivers.
Here are five high-impact KPIs that maintenance managers often overlook — and why enterprise asset management software like Mainpac is key to tracking them effectively.
1. Planned Maintenance Percentage (PMP)
What it is:
Planned Maintenance Percentage measures how much of your total maintenance work is scheduled in advance rather than unplanned or reactive.
Why it matters:
A low PMP often indicates a reactive culture — constantly chasing breakdowns instead of preventing them. This leads to:
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More emergency labor and overtime
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Higher unplanned downtime
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Greater safety risks
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Poor asset reliability
On the other hand, a high PMP shows that your team is strategically controlling maintenance, reducing surprises, and extending asset life.
Pro tip: Aim for 80% or higher planned maintenance. Anything below 50% should raise a red flag.
How Mainpac helps:
Mainpac automates preventive schedules based on time, usage, or condition. Technicians receive alerts on upcoming work orders, reducing missed tasks and surprise failures. Over time, PMP trends in Mainpac dashboards show how well your maintenance maturity is improving.
2. Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF)
What it is:
MTBF measures the average operational time between one failure and the next for a specific asset or asset class.
Why it matters:
MTBF is a reliability indicator. If an asset’s MTBF is dropping, it may be due to:
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Improper maintenance procedures
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Inferior spare parts
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Overuse or operational overload
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Environmental factors (e.g., humidity, vibration)
A stable or increasing MTBF means your asset is performing as expected — and your maintenance strategy is working.
Formula: MTBF = Total Operational Time ÷ Number of Failures
How Mainpac helps:
By logging every failure event and tying it to asset histories, Mainpac enables automated MTBF calculations. You can compare MTBF across locations or equipment types to identify systemic weaknesses and prioritize high-risk assets.
3. Schedule Compliance Rate
What it is:
This KPI tracks how many of your planned maintenance tasks are completed on time — not just eventually.
Why it matters:
Low compliance undermines even the best maintenance strategy. Delays in executing preventive work increase the risk of breakdowns and show inefficiencies in planning or staffing.
What it reveals:
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Overloaded technicians
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Poor planning
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Production conflicts
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Lack of accountability
Ideal benchmark: 90%+ compliance rate
How Mainpac helps:
Mainpac tracks every work order status in real-time. You can generate reports showing compliance trends by technician, asset, or site. It also allows for escalation workflows or reminders for overdue tasks, helping managers stay on top of execution.
4. Backlog of Maintenance Work (in Weeks)
What it is:
This KPI measures the total volume of pending maintenance work, expressed in weeks of labor available.
Why it matters:
A manageable backlog means your team is prioritizing work and staying ahead. But when backlog exceeds 4–6 weeks, it signals that:
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Your team is understaffed
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Assets are deteriorating faster than planned
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Reactive work is consuming too much capacity
Too little backlog (e.g., under 2 weeks) might mean your team is underutilized or missing preventive opportunities.
Goal: Maintain a healthy 2–4 week backlog buffer to stay flexible without falling behind.
How Mainpac helps:
Mainpac automatically calculates backlog based on task duration and labor availability. You can model backlog scenarios by adjusting staffing levels or introducing seasonal tasks. It helps managers balance short-term responsiveness with long-term planning.
5. Asset Criticality Score vs. Maintenance Spend
What it is:
This is a comparative metric that aligns how critical an asset is to operations versus how much is spent maintaining it.
Why it matters:
Not all assets are equal — a $10,000 sensor on a production-critical line is more valuable than a $100,000 pump used once a month. If maintenance spend doesn’t align with asset criticality, you may be:
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Over-investing in low-impact equipment
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Under-maintaining high-risk, high-impact assets
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Increasing exposure to unnecessary downtime
What to look for:
Use this KPI to rebalance your strategy — invest more in high-risk, business-critical equipment and consider reducing over-servicing of less vital assets.
How Mainpac helps:
Mainpac allows you to assign criticality ratings and track all associated costs per asset — including labor, parts, and downtime impact. With side-by-side comparison reports, you can visually see whether your investment is proportionate to operational importance.
✅ Final Thoughts
These KPIs do more than track maintenance performance — they reveal where your strategy is working and where it needs adjustment. When embedded into your maintenance culture and tracked through a robust platform like Mainpac, they become the foundation for smarter decisions, better budgeting, and improved uptime.
Ready to go beyond the basics?
Start tracking these KPIs and watch your maintenance operation evolve from reactive cost center to strategic business driver.
