Limble Report Finds Maintenance Teams Struggling to Get Ahead of Downtime

Survey of nearly 700 maintenance and operations professionals reveals limited technician time, lost
expertise and inconsistent use of maintenance data

LEHI, Utah, Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Limble, the modern maintenance and asset management platform, today unveiled its inaugural State of Maintenance Report at the 2026 Maintenance Heroes Summit. In the survey of nearly 700 U.S. maintenance and operations professionals,* leaders estimate their teams complete just 54% of scheduled preventive maintenance. Nearly half (47%) of leaders report more than 10 hours of unplanned downtime in a typical month, and 40% estimate annual downtime costs of $100,000 or more. Meanwhile, 65% of respondents say reactive maintenance puts technicians in higher-risk situations at least monthly.

The findings highlight limited time for hands-on work, expertise that may never get documented, and inconsistent use of maintenance data as teams work to prevent failures and move beyond reactive maintenance. 

"Most maintenance teams aren't short on technology. They're short on time and information they can trust," said Gary Specter, CEO of Limble. "Adding AI won't automatically solve the problems they face every day. We have to make it easier for the technician to capture what they know and give teams information they can use to act before a failure happens."

Technician Time and Knowledge Are at Risk

More than 60% of both leaders and technicians estimate that hands-on maintenance accounts for just three hours or less during a typical shift. Nearly half (48%) of frontline technicians say they lose at least an hour waiting for approvals or site access.

Lost time is compounded by knowledge that may never make it into a system. In findings released earlier, 74% of maintenance organizations said they have at least one critical asset that exactly one person on staff knows how to fix, and 47% said their organization has already lost knowledge it could not recover when someone left.

Technology Alone Does Not Close the Gap

While 82% of respondents say their organization owns and operates a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), just 39% report consistent use across their entire team. And 71% have asked a colleague for information their system already holds.

Consistent use matters as teams move toward predictive maintenance and AI. 55% of maintenance teams are already using or piloting AI, while 92% agree it needs good, complete maintenance data to work effectively. Teams further along in predictive maintenance report better outcomes, including less unplanned downtime and more technician time spent on hands-on work.

The full State of Maintenance Report includes additional findings and practical recommendations for building a stronger foundation for Maintenance Intelligence. Download the report.

About Limble

Limble is the modern maintenance and asset management platform trusted by over 3,500 customers globally. By unifying asset data, work orders, preventive maintenance, inventory, and analytics into a single intuitive interface, Limble empowers teams to increase uptime, extend asset life, and make data-driven decisions with confidence. From manufacturing and facility management to healthcare and hospitality, Limble simplifies the complex work of technicians while delivering the strategic insights required to optimize operations across diverse industries. Learn more at limble.com.

* Methodology: The survey was conducted July 29–August 6, 2026, among 686 full-time U.S. employees directly involved in maintenance or operations, with a 95% confidence level and ±3.7% margin of error. Respondents included maintenance and operations leaders and frontline technicians across manufacturing, wholesale and distribution, facilities-intensive services, infrastructure and the public sector.

SOURCE Limble