Wire Harness, Cable & Electromechanical Assembly worked example

Harness Rework Cost at 11% defect occurrence rate: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop defect occurrence rate to 11%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Estimate harness rework cost from repair labor, the defect occurrence rate and material scrapped during the repair loop.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Harnesses reworked this run: 120 units (held at the documented default)
  • Rework touch labor per harness: 28 $/unit (held at the documented default)
  • Defect occurrence rate: 11 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 15)
  • Scrapped wire and connector material: 350 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Total = harnesses x rework labor rate x defect occurrence% + scrapped material.
  • Total harness rework cost works out to 720 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Harness rework cost per unit works out to 6 $ / piece at these inputs.
  • Variable harness rework cost works out to 370 $ at these inputs.
  • Fixed harness rework cost adder works out to 350 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where defect occurrence rate sits at 15% and the headline result is 854 $, this scenario comes in 15.74% below the baseline at 720 $.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to defect occurrence rate, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It treats defect occurrence and labor as flat averages; it understates cost where one defect forces a full re-harness instead of a spot repair, and it excludes retest fixture time and expedite freight.

Results at a glance

  • Total harness rework cost: 720 $ (headline result)
  • Harness rework cost per unit: 6 $ / piece
  • Variable harness rework cost: 370 $
  • Fixed harness rework cost adder: 350 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Harness Rework Cost calculator, set defect occurrence rate to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.