In a manufacturing environment, operational efficiency relies on monitoring and reducing idle time. With proper maintenance planning, you can ensure your assets maximize time to complete their tasks, improving productivity, avoiding wasted resources, and reducing excessive costs.
Understanding what idle time is, how it differs from downtime, how to calculate it, and some causes, types, and examples of idle time can help you find a solution that fits your asset management needs. Let’s dive into the fundamentals of this crucial maintenance KPI.
What Is Idle Time?
Idle time is a timeframe when any asset — equipment or employee — is ready to work but is unable to be productive. Also called waiting time, idle time can be expensive. In fact, employee idle time alone costs employers approximately $100 billion each year. Some idle time is inevitable, but monitoring it closely can help you keep production moving at a steady pace and prevent unnecessary work stoppages.
Idle Time vs. Downtime
People often use downtime and idle time interchangeably. While the two are closely related, an important factor distinguishes the two: availability.
Idle time occurs when assets are available to work but are unable to for one or more reasons. Downtime occurs when assets aren’t available due to maintenance or an outage. Essentially, idle time is a period in which production slows down, while downtime occurs when production is stopped.
It’s critical to monitor both idle time and downtime to maintain optimal efficiency. If your facility experiences excessive downtime, you’ll likely struggle to meet production goals. Learning how to calculate idle time is key to tracking it and making the best use of it.
Read More: How to Use eMaint to Track Downtime
Idle Time Calcuation (And How to Use It)
You can use this formula to calculate idle time:
Idle Time = Scheduled Production Time – Actual Production Time
Scheduled production time refers to the amount of time an asset was available, and actual production time is the amount of time the asset was actually in use.
For example, let’s say a piece of equipment was powered on and ready to work for the entirety of an 8 a.m.–8 p.m. shift, but it was only used from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Your scheduled production time is the length of the shift, or 12 hours. Your actual production time is the amount of time the equipment was actually in use. Your idle time calculation would look like this:
12 hours (Scheduled Production Time) – 9 hours (Actual Production Time) = 3 hours (Idle Time)
You can perform these calculations manually, but many organizations use a computerized machine maintenance system (CMMS) to do the work for them. The right CMMS software helps you automate maintenance KPI calculation and tracking, which can save you time and make sure your results are accurate.
Types and Examples of Idle Time (Planned vs. Unplanned)
You can use the same formula for all idle time calculations, but it’s critical to consider the types of idle time when you measure it. Identifying the type can help you determine whether you could have — or should have — prevented it.
Planned Idle Time
One of the two main types of idle time is planned idle time. This is a scheduled period during which the asset remains functional and available but isn’t currently running. For example, you might plan idle time so machine operators can take breaks or change shifts. This is different from planned downtime, which occurs when an asset is not available because of an anticipated event, such as scheduled maintenance.
Although planned idle time can negatively impact efficiency if not monitored properly, planning specific timeframes for pauses in equipment usage can help forecast production more accurately and keep employees safe.
Unplanned Idle Time
The other type is unplanned idle time, meaning the delay wasn’t planned or expected. During unplanned idle time, the asset is ready for use but isn’t currently being operated. An example is a materials shortage, in which equipment isn’t in use because it doesn’t have the materials needed for production. If equipment cannot function at all because of an unexpected breakdown, this is called unplanned downtime.
It’s best to avoid unplanned idle time as often as possible by implementing planned idle time as necessary and monitoring all aspects of production to keep the process running smoothly.
Causes of Idle Time
The causes of idle time vary depending on the type. Since planned idle time occurs due to deliberate scheduling, we’ll focus on some of the common causes of unplanned idle time so you know what to watch for and avoid. They include:
- Inefficient workflows
- Low employee productivity
- Production bottlenecks
- Labor shortage
- Inventory shortage
- Supply chain interruptions
- Unexpected absences
- Health and safety incidents
- Poor communication
Track and Reduce Your Idle Time With eMaint
Idle time may be an unavoidable aspect of the production process, but recognizing where you can minimize or optimize it is crucial to preventing serious issues like increased costs, decreased efficiency, and missed deadlines. eMaint CMMS software makes it easy to make data-driven decisions by calculating, tracking, and reporting on KPIs for you. Sign up for your free demo today.