---
title: "Asset availability: how to calculate it | attendo"
description: "What asset availability is, how to calculate it from MTBF and MTTR, why 99% means about 87 hours of downtime a year and how to commit to it in a contract."
url: "https://attendo.me/en/glossary/availability"
lang: "en"
---

# Availability: the metric that sums up MTBF and MTTR

Also known as: Asset availability

Availability is the percentage of time an asset is in a condition to operate.

How to calculate it Availability = MTBF ÷ (MTBF + MTTR)

## Two ways to improve it

The formula makes one thing clear: availability goes up in two ways. By raising [MTBF](https://attendo.me/en/glossary/mtbf), so the equipment fails less, with [preventive](https://attendo.me/en/glossary/preventive-maintenance) work. Or by lowering [MTTR](https://attendo.me/en/glossary/mttr), so it is repaired sooner, with spare parts and organization. The second is usually faster and cheaper.

## Watch out for 99%

99% availability sounds very good, and it means about 87 hours of downtime a year. For example, on a production line that brings in $2,000 an hour, that is more than $175,000. The percentage is misleading: you have to translate it into hours and money.

## The usual mistake

Committing to an availability figure in an operations and maintenance contract without defining what counts as downtime. You also need to state which stoppages are excluded (scheduled maintenance, force majeure, supply failure) and who provides the data. Without that, the clause is a source of disputes.

## In attendo

Each work order stores the type and length of the equipment downtime. With that, [attendo CMMS](https://attendo.me/en/cmms) shows availability by asset, next to MTBF, MTTR and preventive compliance.

- [attendo CMMS](https://attendo.me/en/cmms)

## Where it is used in attendo

### Modules

- [Assets and inventory](https://attendo.me/en/modules/assets): Each asset with its own record, QR code, history and readings
- [Contracts and SLA](https://attendo.me/en/modules/contracts-and-sla): Scope, SLA and hour bank, measured on every ticket
- [Reports and dashboards](https://attendo.me/en/modules/reports-and-dashboards): Reports and dashboards for every area, with today’s data

### Industries that use these modules

- [IT services and MSPs](https://attendo.me/en/industries/it-services)
- [Hospitality, retail and multi-site](https://attendo.me/en/industries/multi-site-operations)
- [Facility maintenance and services](https://attendo.me/en/industries/facility-maintenance)
- [Repair and after-sales service](https://attendo.me/en/industries/after-sales-repair)
- [And any other business](https://attendo.me/en/industries)

## Related terms

Maintenance

### MTBF

Mean time between failures

MTBF (mean time between failures) is the average time a piece of equipment runs properly between one breakdown and the next. It measures reliability.

Maintenance

### MTTR

Mean time to repair

MTTR (mean time to repair) is the average time it takes to bring equipment back into service after it fails. It measures responsiveness, not reliability.

Support and service

### SLA

Service level agreement

An SLA (service level agreement) is the written commitment, usually part of a contract, on how quickly you will respond to and resolve a customer’s tickets.

[See all 53 glossary terms](https://attendo.me/en/glossary)

## Shall we look at it with your data?

We will show you how what you just read works in attendo, with your own assets, tickets and customers. If it is not a fit, we will tell you.

- With your operation, not a generic demo
- A real person from our team replies
- No cold calls afterwards

Would you rather talk first?

- Phone [+34 910 053 530](tel:+34910053530)
- Email [sales@attendo.me](mailto:sales@attendo.me)
- Monday to Thursday 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM and Friday 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM (Spain time)