What is the difference between planned and unplanned downtime?
Planned downtime is scheduled in advance for maintenance, changeovers, or projects, so it can be resourced and minimised. Unplanned downtime is an unscheduled failure. Unplanned downtime is far more expensive per hour because it pairs lost production with emergency labour, expedited parts, and collateral disruption.
Both are lost production time, but they are not equal. Planned downtime is a managed cost you can shrink with better execution. Unplanned downtime is a surprise that costs several multiples more per hour, which is why shifting downtime from unplanned to planned is so valuable.
| Dimension | Planned downtime | Unplanned downtime |
|---|---|---|
| Cause | Scheduled maintenance, changeovers, projects | Equipment failure or unplanned event |
| Cost per hour | Lower, resourced in advance | Higher, emergency labour and parts |
| Predictability | Known and schedulable | Surprise, disrupts the plan |
| Lever to improve | Faster, better-executed shutdowns | Reliability and defect elimination |
Reducing total downtime cost means both shrinking planned-downtime duration through better execution and converting unplanned failures into planned work through reliability.
Frequently asked questions
Which is worse, planned or unplanned downtime?
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