Level of Repair Analysis Level of Repair Analysis ( LORA ) is used in the United States Department of Defense ( DoD ) as an analytical methodology used to determine when an item will be replaced , repaired , or discarded based on cost considerations and operational readiness requirements . For a complex engineering system containing thousands of assemblies , sub - assemblies , components , organized into several levels of indenture and with a number of possible repair decisions , LORA seeks to determine an optimal provision of repair and maintenance facilities to minimize overall system life - cycle costs . Logistics personnel examine not only the cost of the part to be replaced or repaired but all of the elements required to make sure the job is done correctly . This includes the skill level of personnel , support equipment required to perform the task , test equipment required to test the repaired product , and the facilities required to house the entire operation . Process . LORA analysis establishes who and where each unit will be repaired and determines if it is more cost effective to discard an item than attempt to repair it . While this kind of analysis seems costly and unnecessary , at enterprise scales over many years , significant cost savings can be realized . For example , the LORA process may discover that replacing a part actually costs hundreds of times that amount , when all cost are considered ( maintenance manpower , warehousing facilities , shipping , etc . ) . If this part is replaced hundreds of times per year , over the course of many years , then there may be an opportunity to save money by adjusting the repair process to leverage this economy of scale ( reliability improvements , component repair , etc . ) . This analysis drives the maintenance support for each repairable unit analyzed . LORA is the most important physical supportability analysis business decision made during acquisition of a system . LORA is performed in two steps : The LORA process produces the final support solution for the system . It determines where each required maintenance action will be performed , the physical resources that must be available to support performance of maintenance , and what the support infrastructure must be capable of sustaining throughout the operational life of the system . The results of LORA are documented and used as the basis for development of the physical resources for support of the system . Repair levels . The LORA process starts by identification of the options where maintenance can be performed . It is common for systems to use 2 or 3 levels of maintenance . LORA produces a decision for each item within the system , indicating where each maintenance action for the item will be performed . Organizational maintenance . Organizational , or O - level maintenance occurs at the organizational unit level , for example by a single maintenance squadron as part of an aircraft wing . O - level maintenance is typically optimized for quick turn - around , to enhance operational availability . Maintenance at this level typically consists of immediate remove and replace ( R & R ) operations that replace failed ( unserviceable ) LRU s with spare ( serviceable ) assets taken from inventory . Repair - in - place ( RIP ) procedures are also common . Intermediate maintenance . Intermediate , or I - level maintenance occurs in specialized backshop s that are typically allocated to multiple operating units residing at a common operating location , for example , an entire wing or multiple wings at an operating base . Because it is more specialized , I - level maintenance allows for more thorough and time - consuming diagnostic testing and repair procedures , usually in support of failed items removed at the organizational level of repair . Test equipment is more common at this level of repair , and is used to automate many test procedures . Spare parts maintained at this level of repair are known as bench stock . Intermediate - level maintenance deployment can vary widely , and is highly dependent on desired operating conditions . In minimal maintenance concept s , there may be minimal or no I - level maintenance , a system known as two - level maintenance ( O - level & D - level ) . A system deploying a typical I - level repair capability would be known as a three - level maintenance system ( O - , I - , and D - level ) . Depot - level maintenance . Depot , or D - level maintenance typically occurs in highly specialized repair depot s , or at original equipment manufacturer ( OEM ) facilities . These sites are typically not at operating locations , and extensive diagnostic equipment and possibly even manufacturing capabilities exist . Equipment overhauls and modifications are typically executed at this repair level . Decision considerations . Non - economic LORA decision criteria are a list of rules or guidelines that are used to determine if there is an overriding reason why maintenance should be performed . Some organizations have policies that any item costing less than a predetermined price level will be discarded and replaced rather than be repaired . Other decisions are addressed using cost models that calculate the possible costs of all support options and then identify the least cost solution . Then the total cost of each option can be compared to determine the lowest option in terms of long - term support over the life of the system .