OEE & Factory Performance worked example

Cycle Time Loss with actual cycle time of 16 sec / unit: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop actual cycle time to 16 sec / unit, then walk the calculation through step by step. Quantify cycle-time (speed) loss for OEE & Factory Performance — the minutes lost to running slower than the ideal cycle.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Actual cycle time: 16 sec / unit (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 32)
  • Ideal cycle time: 28 sec / unit (held at the documented default)
  • Units produced: 1,500 units (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Cycle-time loss = (actual cycle − ideal cycle) × units ÷ 60.
  • Cycle-time loss works out to 0 min at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Loss per unit works out to 0 sec / unit at these inputs.
  • Units works out to 1,500 units at these inputs.
  • Loss in hours works out to 0 hr at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where actual cycle time sits at 32 sec / unit and the headline result is 100 min, this scenario comes in 100% below the baseline at 0 min.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to actual cycle time, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It only captures speed loss versus your chosen ideal cycle; it does not account for downtime or quality losses, and an unrealistic ideal cycle skews the result.

Results at a glance

  • Cycle-time loss: 0 min (headline result)
  • Loss per unit: 0 sec / unit
  • Units: 1,500 units
  • Loss in hours: 0 hr

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Cycle Time Loss calculator, set actual cycle time to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.