How do you calculate good capacity from a control plan?

Multiply output per cycle by available cycles for gross capacity, then multiply by uptime and first-pass yield. Here, 4 per cycle times 480 cycles is 1,920 gross, and at 90% uptime and 97% yield that gives about 1,676 good units.

What is the difference between gross and good capacity here?

Gross is the theoretical 1,920 units if nothing stopped and nothing failed. Good capacity, 1,676 units, subtracts 192 units lost to downtime and about 51.8 units lost to yield fallout.

What is a good first-pass yield for a control plan?

It depends on the process, but mature, capable processes often run 97-99%+ first-pass yield. The 97% default costs roughly 51.8 units on this run; every point of yield you recover is real conforming output.

Why does uptime matter for control plan capacity?

Because inspection and control steps consume time. The 90% uptime assumption removes 192 units of the gross 1,920 — if the control plan's checks cause more stoppage than assumed, real good output drops further.

How do I use this to check a control plan against demand?

Compare the good capacity output to your required good units for the period. If good capacity (1,676 here) is below demand, either the control plan's frequency is too costly, uptime must improve, or you need more cycles.

Does this account for rework?

No — it uses first-pass yield, so units that fail the first time are counted as loss even if they can be reworked. Treat the result as conforming-first-time output, which is the honest planning number.

QMS, CAPA & Quality System Management calculator

Control Plan Completeness Calculator

Control Plan Completeness estimates how much good, in-control output a control plan actually delivers once uptime and first-pass yield are taken into account. Quality and process engineers use it to sanity-check whether the characteristics and inspection frequency in a control plan can keep pace with production demand without generating scrap or holds. It matters because a control plan that looks thorough on paper can starve throughput or, worse, let yield loss slip through. Enter the output per cycle, the cycles available, and your expected uptime and yield, and it returns the realistic good-capacity number.

What this calculator does

Estimate control plan completeness for qms, capa and quality system management using production-ready inputs so teams can confirm whether capacity can cover demand before committing the schedule.
Use it when control plan completeness in qms, capa and quality system management is being asked to take on more work and you need to know if there is room.
It computes good, in-control capacity by discounting gross capacity (output per cycle times cycles) for expected uptime and first-pass yield.

Formula used

Gross control plan completeness capacity = control plan completeness output per cycle × available control plan completeness cycles
Good control plan completeness capacity = gross capacity × expected control plan completeness uptime × expected control plan completeness first-pass yield

Inputs explained

Characteristics controlled per production cycle:
Production cycles available in the period:
Expected process uptime under the control plan:
Expected first-pass yield under the control plan:

How to use the result

Use it when validating a control plan against production demand or estimating conforming output for a run.
Uptime and first-pass yield are planning estimates; a special-cause event or a drifting characteristic can push actual good output well below the calculated figure.

Current U.S. benchmarks

U.S. manufacturing runs at 75.6% of capacity (Federal Reserve, May 2026). New factory orders are up 2.3% year over year (Census).

Common questions

How do you calculate good capacity from a control plan? Multiply output per cycle by available cycles for gross capacity, then multiply by uptime and first-pass yield. Here, 4 per cycle times 480 cycles is 1,920 gross, and at 90% uptime and 97% yield that gives about 1,676 good units.
What is the difference between gross and good capacity here? Gross is the theoretical 1,920 units if nothing stopped and nothing failed. Good capacity, 1,676 units, subtracts 192 units lost to downtime and about 51.8 units lost to yield fallout.
What is a good first-pass yield for a control plan? It depends on the process, but mature, capable processes often run 97-99%+ first-pass yield. The 97% default costs roughly 51.8 units on this run; every point of yield you recover is real conforming output.
Why does uptime matter for control plan capacity? Because inspection and control steps consume time. The 90% uptime assumption removes 192 units of the gross 1,920 — if the control plan's checks cause more stoppage than assumed, real good output drops further.
How do I use this to check a control plan against demand? Compare the good capacity output to your required good units for the period. If good capacity (1,676 here) is below demand, either the control plan's frequency is too costly, uptime must improve, or you need more cycles.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.