Summary
In short
- A mtbf review is a review used in KnowMaintain that reviews mean time between failures for an asset or asset class over a period. It is built against ISO 14224 and forms part of the Reliability and Predictive Maintenance programme.
- Run quarterly. Carried out by reliability engineering.
- The template holds 43 fields across 4 sections, with assets reviewed repeating for each entry.
- Scoring is hours between failures, where high is good.
- ISO is international Organization for Standardization. A voluntary international standard. Widely adopted, often required by customers, and certifiable where a management system standard.
- It connects to the rest of the library: links Asset, Failure records.
What it is
What it is
What is a mtbf review?
A mtbf review is a review used in KnowMaintain that reviews mean time between failures for an asset or asset class over a period. It is built against ISO 14224 and forms part of the Reliability and Predictive Maintenance programme.
When is a mtbf review completed?
A mtbf review is completed at the review interval, and after any trigger event. Run quarterly.
When to use it
When to use it, and when not to
This review is one step in a larger programme. Using it for work that belongs to a neighbouring template produces records that are hard to report on later.
Use it for
- The event or activity this review covers has occurred, or is about to
- A new record is needed; each one gets its own ID in the form MTBF-2026-000
- You are running the Reliability and Predictive Maintenance programme and this is one of its steps
- A linked record needs this one to exist: links asset, failure records
Not for
- Equipment FMEA, which works through how an asset could fail, what the effect would be and how likely it is to be detected.
- Reliability Centred Maintenance Study, which decides the right maintenance strategy for each failure mode, from run to failure through to condition monitoring.
- PM Optimization Review, which reviews whether preventive tasks are set at the right frequency, using actual failure and finding data.
- Anything outside KnowMaintain, which belongs in the workspace that owns that process
Standards
What it is built against
ISOInternational Organization for Standardization
A voluntary international standard. Widely adopted, often required by customers, and certifiable where a management system standard.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the mtbf review template based on?+
It is built against ISO 14224. ISO is international Organization for Standardization. A voluntary international standard. Widely adopted, often required by customers, and certifiable where a management system standard.
What sections does the mtbf review contain?+
There are 4 sections: header, assets reviewed, related records, interpretation. Together they hold 43 fields, 30 of which are required.
How often is a mtbf review raised?+
A new record is raised at the review interval, and after any trigger event. Each one is given an ID in the form MTBF-2026-000, so it can be traced and referenced from other records.
Which programme does the mtbf review belong to?+
It is part of Reliability and Predictive Maintenance. Intervals set by failure behaviour rather than by the calendar.
How is a mtbf review scored?+
Scoring is hours between failures. High is good. Scores exist to make the form tell you something, not to produce a percentage for its own sake.
Can the mtbf review template be changed?+
Yes. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it. Most teams install it as it is, run it for a cycle, then adjust.
The agents
What the agents do with it
The form is the easy part. Keeping it current, routing it to the right owner and holding the evidence together is the work that actually slips.
Holds the mtbf review library against your registers, routes each record to its owner, and keeps the evidence trail together.
Coordinates the crew, rolls completion and exceptions into one view, and holds every write for your approval before it touches a record.
This template lives in KnowMaintain — asset maintenance. Work orders, planned maintenance, calibration, reliability and shutdowns.
Meet KnowMaintain→Sources
Sources
- ISO — International Organization for Standardization