Free tool

How much is unplanned downtime costing your plant?

Quick answer

This free calculator estimates the annual cost of unplanned downtime from three inputs: downtime hours per month, the lost contribution margin per hour the line generates when running, and the emergency response cost per downtime hour. The lost margin is usually far larger than the repair, which is why downtime is so expensive.

Most plants record the repair cost of a failure but not its true cost. The true cost pairs lost production margin with emergency response. Enter your own figures below to size it. Everything stays in your browser; nothing is sent anywhere.

hrs

Total unplanned (failure-driven) downtime across the line or plant in a typical month.

$/hr

Contribution margin (not revenue) the line generates per running hour. This is the profit you forgo per hour down.

$/hr

Overtime labour, expedited parts, contractors, scrap and restart, averaged per downtime hour.

Estimated annual cost of unplanned downtime-

How it is calculatedAnnual cost = downtime hours/month x 12 x (lost margin per hour + emergency response per hour)

Uses contribution margin, not revenue, so it reflects profit actually lost. Assumes the monthly downtime figure is typical. Excludes harder-to-quantify costs such as customer and safety impact, so it is conservative.

Frequently asked questions

Should I enter revenue or margin per hour?
Enter contribution margin per hour, because that is the profit you actually lose while down. Revenue overstates it by ignoring the variable costs you avoid when not producing.
Is this calculator's figure exact?
No, it is an estimate to size the problem from your own inputs. A Diagnostic measures it precisely against your downtime and financial data.

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