ABSTRACT
Preface Maintainability is the measure of the ability of a system or item to be retained in or restored to operable condition. It is meant to be a design characteristic that measures the capacity of a design to reduce system/equipment downtime. System reliability is impacted by maintainability, since maintenance is intended to reduce the risk of equipment wear-out and failure. System supportability is impacted by maintainability design characteristics that determine the requirements for maintenance manning level, training, tools, and spare parts. Thus, maintainability, reliability, and supportability are all interrelated to dependability, which is the ability to deliver a system or service that can be trusted. This chapter is the second in the series on dependability that attempts to develop an improved understanding of the strategies being used in both government and commercial sustainment enterprises to identify innovative solutions for improving the performance of depot-based maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) operations.
