Packaging Automation & End-of-Line Systems worked example

End-of-Line Bottleneck at 58% share of output truly lost: a worked example

This worked example runs the end-of-line bottleneck numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: 58% share of output truly lost instead of the typical 80%. Estimate the cost of an end of line bottleneck from cases delayed, the value per delayed case, the share truly lost, and any fixed expedite cost.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Cases delayed by the bottleneck: 100 cases (held at the documented default)
  • Value per delayed case: 45 $ / case (held at the documented default)
  • Share of output truly lost: 58 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 80)
  • Fixed expedite and overtime cost: 250 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Variable bottleneck cost = cases delayed by the bottleneck × value per delayed case × share of output truly lost.
  • Total bottleneck cost works out to 2,860 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Bottleneck cost per case works out to 28.6 $ / case at these inputs.
  • Variable bottleneck cost works out to 2,610 $ at these inputs.
  • Fixed expedite and overtime cost works out to 250 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where share of output truly lost sits at 80% and the headline result is 3,850 $, this scenario comes in 25.71% below the baseline at 2,860 $.
  • Use it when building a business case for end-of-line capacity, comparing the cost of a constraint against the price of fixing it, or ranking which line choke point to attack first. 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

  • Total bottleneck cost: 2,860 $ (headline result)
  • Bottleneck cost per case: 28.6 $ / case
  • Variable bottleneck cost: 2,610 $
  • Fixed expedite and overtime cost: 250 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live End-of-Line Bottleneck calculator, set share of output truly lost to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.