Packaging Automation & End-of-Line Systems worked example

Case Packing Labor Cost at 58% share packed manually: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop share packed manually to 58%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Estimate the labor cost to hand pack a run from cases packed, labor cost per case, the share packed manually, and any fixed supervision cost.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Cases packed: 100 cases (held at the documented default)
  • Labor cost per case: 45 $ / case (held at the documented default)
  • Share packed manually: 58 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 80)
  • Fixed supervision and setup cost: 250 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Variable packing labor cost = cases packed × labor cost per case × share packed manually.
  • Total case packing labor cost works out to 2,860 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Labor cost per case works out to 28.6 $ / case at these inputs.
  • Variable packing labor cost works out to 2,610 $ at these inputs.
  • Fixed supervision and setup cost works out to 250 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where share packed manually sits at 80% and the headline result is 3,850 $, this scenario comes in 25.71% below the baseline at 2,860 $.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to share packed manually, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It assumes one blended manual labor rate per case; mixed crew skill, learning curves, and case-size differences can move the real per-case rate, so validate against time studies.

Results at a glance

  • Total case packing labor cost: 2,860 $ (headline result)
  • Labor cost per case: 28.6 $ / case
  • Variable packing labor cost: 2,610 $
  • Fixed supervision and setup cost: 250 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Case Packing Labor Cost calculator, set share packed manually to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.