What is downtime in Production Scheduling?

Article code: PSHDF01
Tags: Downtime, Terms, Definitions

Answer

In Production Scheduling, downtime refers to any period of time when production has been paused or stopped at a line. Downtime can be separated into two categories:

1. Planned downtime
2. Unplanned downtime

1. Planned downtime

Planned downtime refers to expected events that are intentionally scheduled to pause or stop production. In some situations, it is useful to schedule planned downtime because it creates an opportunity for your facility to check if there are any issues that they can fix, before it becomes a major problem that may stop production (e.g. repair or replace machine parts to avoid the machine breaking down during production).

Below are some examples of planned downtime that you may experience at your facility:

• Scheduled breaks (e.g. lunch breaks)
• Scheduled machine maintenance and repair
• Scheduled teardown time at the end of work blocks
• Cleaning the line to make it ready for the next shift
• Quality check on completed production units

2. Unplanned Downtime

Unplanned downtime refers to unexpected events that pause or stop production. The risk with unplanned downtime is the unpredictability of how long production will be paused or stopped until the issue is resolved. 

Below are some examples of unplanned downtime that you may experience at your facility:

• Equipment failure
• Material shortage
• Power outage
• Accident occurs at the line (e.g. liquid spills on the floor, which is a safety hazard)

To learn how to add downtime to your production schedule, please read the HelpDesk article called “How do I add downtime in Production Scheduling?”

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Related HelpDesk Articles:

• What is teardown time in Production Scheduling?
• How do I add teardown time in Production Scheduling?
• How do I lock work blocks in Production Scheduling?