Maintenance Task Analysis (MTA) is the identification of the steps, spares, and materials, tools, support equipment, personnel skill levels, and facility issues that must be considered for a given repair task.  It also includes the elapse times required for the performance of each maintenance task. MTAs cover both corrective and preventative maintenance tasks and, when complete, identify all physical resources required to support a system. [1]

Performing an MTA begins with identifying each step of the repair process. The steps are analyzed and a description is written as to how they would be physically performed. After the description, resources to perform that task are identified. These resources include: [1]

1. Number of people required to participate in each step
2. A narrative description of what each person should do
3. The time duration of each person’s participation
4. Tools or support equipment required
5. Parts and materials needed for the step

Once all the steps are performed, the results are analyzed to determine the following:

1. The total elapsed time for the task; start to completion.
2. The skill level of the person (or persons) required to perform the task based on their minimum technical capabilities, knowledge and experience.
3. Any additional training that must be provided to ensure proper task performance
4. Any facility implications such as space limitations, environmental controls, health hazards or minimum capacity requirements.

MTA results must be analyzed to assess the compliance of the items with all supportability issues such as ease of maintenance, accessibility and standardization that may have been established by earlier analytical tools or functional analyses (see below). The source for comparison of the physical support requirements for acceptability should be the requirements documents (Initial Capability Document (ICD), Capability Development Document (CDD) and Capability Production Document (CPD)). Many of these design limitations may be derived from actual state requirements. Any shortfalls or non-compliant features must be reported back to the design organization (vendor) for correction. This closes the loop between requirements for the design and the actual results of the design process. [1]

MTA also provides a detailed understanding of the necessary logistics support element requirements to sustain required material availability. The process identifies logistics, support tasks and the physical location where they will be accomplished considers the costs, availability implications, and statutory requirements. [2]

Implementation of a disciplined supportability analysis approach, including systems engineering activities (tools) such as Conditioned Based Maintenance (CBM)+, Failure Mode Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA), Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM), and level of repair analysis will produce a MTA directly linked to the system’s reliability and maintainability characteristics. [2]

AcqLinks and References:

• [1] Website: ACQuipedia – Maintenance Task Analysis
• [2] Defense Acquisition Guidebook (DAG) – Chapter 5

Updated: 7/5/2021

Update: G1.8