Idle Time

It is the time spent waiting, caused by unforeseen causes that lead to work stoppages like waiting for new equipment or the non-productive time of the worker, who are unable to run or set up the production due to lack of raw material or delays caused by the manufacturing executives. 

A production unit may produce several projects but sometimes, a unit is shut due to reasons like natural calamity, power cuts, or flooding. 

Alternatively, the term equipment downtime is used when the equipment is unavailable at the unit due to delays caused by management’s financial services.

Such a time can be made to good use by the firm to enhance employee market value and the best way is to perform preventive maintenance.

There can be multiple reasons for Idle time during a commodities production cycle, caused by human errors, unexpected personal events, natural storms or disasters, system failure, equipment breakdown, and human ignorance. 

To improve productivity during such a period, the company can offer training to the employees and provide a changed procedure or alternative to the previous method of production to keep the work going.  The firm can set up a preventive maintenance program to restrict losses.

The firm should take care of the employees to decrease downtime and monitor the activities to lower human errors.