Glossary

MTBF (mean time between failures)

In short

MTBF, mean time between failures, is a reliability measure of how long a repairable asset runs on average before it fails. It is calculated by dividing total operating time by the number of failures over a period. A higher MTBF means a more reliable asset, and tracking it helps you spot equipment that is failing more often than it should.

MTBF (mean time between failures)

MTBF, or mean time between failures, is a reliability measure of how long a repairable asset runs on average before it fails. If a pump typically runs for 250 hours between breakdowns, its MTBF is 250 hours. The higher the figure, the more reliable the asset, and the longer it works between the interruptions that cost a maintenance team time and money.

How MTBF is calculated

The calculation is simple: take the total operating time of an asset over a period and divide it by the number of failures it had in that time.

  • MTBF equals total operating time divided by the number of failures.

So an asset that ran for 1,000 hours and failed 4 times has an MTBF of 250 hours. The figure only makes sense for repairable assets, the ones you fix and put back into service, because it measures the gap between failures over a working life.

What MTBF tells you

On its own, a single MTBF figure is just a number. Its value is in the trend and the comparison. A falling MTBF on a particular asset is an early warning that it is failing more often than it used to, which might point to a maintenance plan that is no longer right, harsher operating conditions, or an asset reaching the end of its useful life. Comparing MTBF across similar assets can highlight a problem unit or a problem site.

MTBF pairs naturally with MTTR, mean time to repair. MTBF tells you how often an asset breaks; MTTR tells you how long it takes to get it running again. Together they describe both halves of reliability and maintainability.

How it relates to Cohiva Control

Cohiva Control records work orders and asset history on an append-only audit trail, with failures and repairs captured against each asset. That history is the raw material a maintenance team uses to understand reliability measures like MTBF: the record of how often an asset has needed unplanned work, and when. Cohiva Control’s preventive maintenance scheduling is one of the levers you can adjust when a reliability measure tells you an asset needs more, or less, routine attention.

Part of the Cohiva platform

Cohiva Control is part of the Cohiva platform. Leisure operators often run it with Cohiva Complex, and finance teams connect it to Cohiva Crunch for the general ledger. Explore the platform at www.cohiva.app.

Frequently asked questions

How do you calculate MTBF?
Divide the total operating time of an asset by the number of failures it had in that time. For example, 1,000 running hours with 4 failures gives an MTBF of 250 hours.
What is the difference between MTBF and MTTR?
MTBF measures how long an asset runs before it fails, a reliability figure. MTTR measures how long it takes to restore the asset after a failure, a maintainability figure. The two together describe both how often something breaks and how quickly you fix it.
Why track MTBF?
Because it surfaces assets that fail more often than expected. A falling MTBF is a signal to review the maintenance plan, the operating conditions or the asset itself before failures become more frequent and more costly.