What a stopped hour costs.
Idle people, margin never made, overtime, restart scrap and repairs, from your own figures, an hour and a year.
How it is worked outHow the cost is worked out.
Five costs follow a stop. Each is your own figures multiplied together, for a month and then for a year.
- Idle people
Hours stopped × people idle × cost of an hour.
People are paid while the line stands still, whether or not they find other work.
- Margin never made
Hours stopped × units an hour × margin per unit × the share never made up.
Only output the customer never receives loses its margin.
- Overtime to catch up
Hours stopped × the share made up × people × cost of an hour × overtime pay.
Output made up later costs the overtime hours it takes.
- Restart scrap
Stops × units scrapped at a restart × cost of a scrapped unit.
- Repairs
Stops × repair cost per stop.
No published rate is used here: every figure is yours. Recorded at the machine with its cause, every real stop can be costed the same way.
Sources
- Eurostat, hourly labour costs in 2025, released 31 March 2026. ec.europa.eu