Wrench time definition
Wrench time is a maintenance metric used to measure how much time maintenance technicians spend doing actual work assignments. Also known as tool time, it quantifies the time employees spend working with a “tool in hand.”
Wrench time represents the measurement of maintenance work completed while on the clock. When seeking to understand this metric, it’s helpful to understand what it is not.
Wrench time as a measurement of maintenance work hours does not include travel time, work order assessment, tools organization, or task communication. Neither idle time nor work breaks are included in wrench time calculations.
In general, the average wrench time for maintenance technicians is 35 percent. Say a technician works a 10-hour shift; that means he spends an average of 3.5 hours engaged in actual maintenance tasks throughout the day.
Experts emphasize that boosting wrench time to a “best practice” of 55 percent typically increases productivity by 57 percent. For example, a plant might go from fulfilling 500 work orders per month to 785 work orders per month without adding any new technicians to staff.
These days, the easiest method to measure Wrench Time is with a robust CMMS maintenance software.
Key takeaways
- Wrench time measures the actual hands-on maintenance work performed by technicians, averaging 35% of their shift time, excluding travel, planning, and administrative tasks.
- Increasing wrench time from 35% to the best practice of 55% can boost productivity by 57%, allowing teams to complete significantly more work orders without additional staff.
- The metric generates controversy because it excludes critical maintenance activities like problem diagnosis, root cause analysis, and equipment assessment that contribute to overall effectiveness.
- Organizations can improve wrench time by developing standard operating procedures, streamlining communication systems, mapping facilities efficiently, and automating inventory management to reduce idle time.
The difference between internal and external wrench time
Internal wrench time refers to the amount of time that in-house maintenance technicians spend doing actual maintenance work. On the other hand, external wrench time is wrench time generated by third-party contractors hired to complete specialized tasks.
External wrench time can be affected by outsourcing maintenance procedures, engaging in clearance processes, and fulfilling regulatory requirements.
Wrench time controversy
With this in mind, it may surprise non-maintenance professionals to learn that wrench time is hotly debated within the maintenance community. Those in favor of measuring it argue that it’s the only way for maintenance managers to assess “true productivity” on the clock.
Alternatively, many technicians suggest that an over-emphasis on wrench time downplays the importance of other maintenance-related tasks. Therefore, maintenance managers who solely rely on it to measure productivity lack a complete picture of worker productivity.
So, is wrench time a good metric for measuring the performance of maintenance pros? We’ll list the oft-cited pros and cons below and let you decide.
Pros of measuring wrench time
Many maintenance managers rely on wrench time statistics to measure the effectiveness of their maintenance planning and scheduling. Proponents insist that measuring measure it helps them:
- Match Technicians to Assignments: Wrench time can reveal which workers have an aptitude for specific tasks and which ones could be more useful elsewhere. Just analyze the average job competition times over a specified period e for increased insight into task suitability. Adjust assignment-worker pairings as needed.
- Increase Productivity: The higher a maintenance team’s combined wrench time, the more productive the team is. If workers are clocking insufficient numbers, managers can reevaluate standard operating procedures, work instructions, and operational systems for shortcomings to make informed procedural changes.
- Improve Budgeting: Tracking the actual time spent completing projects helps organizations strengthen asset management for accounting purposes. Management must monitor upkeep-related expenses to determine when to replace aging equipment.
- Reveal Time-Consuming Tasks: As with any endeavor, some things just take longer than others. Knowing how long it takes technicians to fulfill specific assignments leads to more effective maintenance planning and better equipment reliability.
- Validate Onboarding Initiatives: Besides matching individual technicians with ideal assignments, the metric can shed light on knowledge gaps. Once management recognizes that several technicians lack the necessary skill set, it can provide continued educational instruction to ensure everyone is on the same page.
Cons of measuring wrench time
Despite the benefits above, there are some potential pitfalls to be aware of when tracking wrench time. It might not be a good idea to measure it because it could:
- Minimize the Importance of Other Activities: One significant drawback of wrench time is that it doesn’t factor in other essential maintenance operations. To effectively complete work orders, maintenance technicians must diagnose problems, identify their root causes, organize resources, and travel to both onsite and offsite locations.
- Discourage Team Members: It’s not uncommon for inexperienced maintenance managers to assume that low wrench times automatically mean team members are slacking. However, this assumption isn’t always valid. Jumping to such conclusions can foster distrust, resentment, and annoyance between O&M leaders and technicians.
- Generate a False Sense of Productivity: Again, if you don’t know how to interpret it correctly, the information may do more harm than good. For example, just because someone completes assignments quickly doesn’t mean they are doing them correctly or according to company standards. In addition, wrench time averages tend to under-value a maintenance team’s high-performers by mixing their times with under-performers.
Departments within an organization strive to prove productivity, increase efficiency, and justify budgetary requests. Plant maintenance departments are no exception.
However, wrench time doesn’t measure the primary goal of maintenance teams: decreasing downtime and increasing reliability. Despite these drawbacks, the metric remains an informative maintenance metric when used within the proper context.
How to improve wrench time
The best way to improve your team’s average wrench time is to a) become aware of standard stumbling blocks and b) engage in effective planning.
Over-reliance on reactive maintenance, inefficient travel routes, inadequate Lockout Tagout procedures, and extended wait times for spare parts orders can all contribute to “false flags.” In other words, poor maintenance management can cause the illusion of unproductivity.
Below are a few tips to improve wrench time:
1. Develop SOPs for recurring assignments
Every maintenance manager should document and distribute standard operating procedures (SOPs) for recurring work orders. Clear SOP checklists make it easier for maintenance technicians to understand precisely how to complete work orders according to company standards.
In addition to providing step-by-step instructions on how to complete assignments, your SOPs can include illustrative workflows, equipment manuals, and tools lists. Use a work order software platform like MaintainX to streamline SOP management.
Click here to read more about how to develop effective SOPs.
2. Streamline communication systems
Re-evaluate your existing communication systems to ensure maintenance technicians can reach managers quickly and easily. Juggling several different communication methods—voicemails, emails, text messages, sticky notes—sometimes results in unnecessary idle time.
3. Map facilities
Correctly map out facilities so maintenance technicians can quickly locate machines when filling work orders. This proactive work helps workers efficiently plan travel times when prioritizing incoming work orders and work requests.
4. Automate inventory management
Use work order software to set low-quantity alerts for stockroom supplies. Whenever a technician uses a part for a repair job, they can indicate doing so on their mobile device. This automatically signals the software to alert management when to order critical components. Having the right parts on hand goes a long way in reducing idle time and increasing wrench time.
Get MaintainX to help increase wrench time
Measuring wrench time can alert management to potential red flags that warrant investigation. However, the amount of time technicians spend with “tools in hands” will never be an accurate indicator of team productivity, asset reliability, or decreased downtime. Use MaintainX CMMS to automate work order scheduling, streamline team communication, and track the KPIs that most heavily impact operational bottom lines.
Wrench time FAQs
Wrench time measures only the actual time technicians spend performing hands-on maintenance work, excluding activities like traveling to job sites, waiting for parts, searching for tools, or completing paperwork. While total work hours might be 8 hours per shift, wrench time is typically much lower. Industry benchmarks suggest that 35% wrench time is average, 45% is good, and 55% or higher is considered world-class. This means that in an ideal scenario, a technician spending 8 hours at work would have approximately 4.4 hours of actual hands-on maintenance work.
The article identifies several key factors that reduce wrench time: poor planning and scheduling that leads to technicians arriving at job sites without proper preparation; lack of readily available parts and materials requiring technicians to search or wait; inadequate tools or tools that are difficult to locate; excessive travel time between job sites; unclear or incomplete work orders that create confusion; and administrative tasks like manual data entry and paperwork. Additionally, insufficient training can slow down work execution, and communication gaps between shifts or departments can create delays.
A CMMS improves wrench time by centralizing maintenance information and streamlining workflows. It enables better work order management by providing clear, detailed instructions and checklists that eliminate confusion. The system facilitates parts and inventory tracking, ensuring technicians know what's available and where it's located before starting work.
A CMMS also supports preventive maintenance scheduling, which reduces reactive work that typically has lower wrench time. Mobile access allows technicians to receive assignments, access documentation, and update work status in real-time without returning to an office. The system also captures data that helps identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies in maintenance processes.
The article recommends conducting time studies through direct observation as the most accurate method. This involves having a supervisor or analyst shadow technicians for a representative period—typically several days across different shifts and job types—to record how time is spent across various activities. The observer categorizes time into productive wrench time versus non-productive activities.
While this method provides the most accurate baseline data, it should be done respectfully and transparently, explaining to technicians that the goal is process improvement rather than individual performance evaluation. Once baseline wrench time is established, organizations can track improvements through CMMS data and periodic follow-up observations.
Several immediate actions can boost wrench time: implementing kitting, where all necessary parts, tools, and materials are gathered and staged before work begins; creating organized tool cribs or shadow boards so technicians can quickly locate what they need; developing detailed work order procedures and checklists that eliminate guesswork; staging parts at or near the job site to minimize travel; conducting pre-job planning meetings to review upcoming work and identify potential obstacles; establishing clear communication protocols between shifts using logbooks or digital handoffs; and providing mobile devices so technicians can access information and update status without returning to a central office. These changes directly reduce waiting, searching, and travel time, converting previously wasted time into productive wrench time.
