Lean Manufacturing & Operations worked example

Overtime Hours Requirement with production shortfall to recover of 20 units: a worked example

This worked example runs the overtime hours requirement numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: production shortfall to recover of 20 units instead of the typical 40 units. Calculate required overtime hours when regular capacity cannot meet production demand, based on output gap, cycle time, and overtime efficiency.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Production shortfall to recover: 20 units (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 40)
  • Regular-shift production rate: 20 units/hr (held at the documented default)
  • Overtime efficiency factor: 0.85 decimal (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Overtime Hours = Shortfall / (Regular Rate x Overtime Efficiency).
  • Required overtime hours works out to 0.85 hrs at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Raw ratio works out to 1 value at these inputs.
  • Conversion factor works out to 0.85 x at these inputs.
  • Effective overtime rate (units/hr) works out to 20 value at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where production shortfall to recover sits at 40 units and the headline result is 1.7 hrs, this scenario comes in 50% below the baseline at 0.85 hrs.
  • Use it when you are behind plan and deciding how many overtime hours to authorize to hit a due date. A result at this level usually justifies acting on the stressed input before touching anything else, because every other figure in the table is downstream of it.

Results at a glance

  • Required overtime hours: 0.85 hrs (headline result)
  • Raw ratio: 1 value
  • Conversion factor: 0.85 x
  • Effective overtime rate (units/hr): 20 value

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Overtime Hours Requirement calculator, set production shortfall to recover to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.