Downtime

Downtime is any period when equipment, a system or a process that should be working is not, whether through a breakdown, a fault or waiting for maintenance. Every minute of downtime is time the business could be producing or serving customers but cannot.

It is like a delivery van off the road with a flat tyre: still owned and paid for, but earning nothing until it is fixed. Downtime matters because it quietly eats into output and profit, and tracking it reveals whether the cause is worn equipment, poor planning or avoidable interruptions.