How many parts and how much contribution margin higher productivity brings, with the same staff and shift length.
Enter good parts, shift length and employees per shift to calculate productivity.
Calculate productivity in 3 steps
The calculator divides the good parts of one shift by the hours used. Here is how:
Enter output
Enter the good parts of a typical shift plus shift length, employees and machines. Count only parts that are sold without rework.
Set a reference
Choose target or last year and enter the value in good parts per labor hour. With the contribution margin per part, the calculator converts the gap into money.
Read the result
Labor and machine productivity appear right away, along with the deviation in percent, the shortfall per shift and the loss per year.
Worked example: assembly line with 6 employees
An assembly line with 3 machines and 6 employees makes 1,840 good parts in an 8-hour shift. The target is 42 good parts per labor hour, and each part brings €3.50 contribution margin.
| Metric | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Labor productivity | 1,840 ÷ (6 × 8) | 38.3 parts per labor hour |
| Machine productivity | 1,840 ÷ (3 × 8) | 76.7 parts per machine hour |
| Deviation from target | 38.3 ÷ 42 − 1 | −8.7% |
| Shortfall per shift | (42 − 38.3) × 48 | 176 parts |
| Loss per shift | 176 × €3.50 | €616 |
At 500 shifts per year, that is €308,000 in contribution margin, provided customers would have bought the missing parts. These values are preset when the calculator loads.
What the calculator does not cover
- Product mix: Part counts are only comparable for similar parts. With a changing mix, calculate per product group or use standard times instead of parts.
- Indirect staff: Maintenance, logistics and quality are included only if you count them as employees.
- Loss in money: Contribution margin is lost only if customers would have bought the missing parts. Without demand, the gap is free capacity.
- Causes: The calculator shows how big the gap is. Whether it comes from downtime, slow cycles or scrap is what OEE shows.
Productivity: frequently asked questions
Terms, formulas and practical questions about productivity in manufacturing.