When a line goes down, the whole team jumps into action.
Everyone’s focused on solving the problem and getting things moving again. But here’s where most operations slip up: just because the equipment is back online doesn’t mean you’re back to full productivity.
That’s the sluggish restart, the misaligned handoffs, the delays no one clocks because the line technically isn’t down anymore. But your output says otherwise.
If you’re only measuring downtime, you’re missing a big part of the story.
What Is Drag Time, And Why It’s Hurting Your Numbers
Drag time is the slow return to full production after a downtime event ends. It’s not just about the machine running, it’s about how long it takes for output to normalize, crews to sync up, and the process to flow smoothly again.
Here’s what drag time looks like in real life:
- Maintenance wraps up, but no one owns the restart.
- Operators hesitate, should they wait for QA? For a supervisor?
- Parts are flowing, but they're not staged, causing stop-and-go flow.
- The line’s moving, but only producing half its normal rate.
It doesn’t seem like a big deal in the moment, but over a week or a shift, drag time piles up fast.
And it’s not just unplanned breakdowns. Even scheduled maintenance or changeovers suffer from drag time if restart procedures aren’t crystal clear. The cost? Lost throughput, wasted labor hours, and frustration across the board.
The Real Cost of Slow Recoveries
When you think about downtime, it’s tempting to just focus on the timestamp: when the line stopped and when it started again. But if you’re not back at full pace, are you really “up”?
According to a recent study, slow recoveries can add 20–30% more cost to the original outage. That’s time you’re paying teams to do less than they’re capable of. It’s time you can’t get back.
Let’s break it down:
- If your downtime report says 45 minutes, but it takes another 20 to stabilize production, that’s not 45 minutes lost. It’s over an hour.
- If the next shift inherits a “running” line but has to redo half the work, you’ve just created rework and resentment.
- If restart steps depend on tribal knowledge, one person being out can cost you an hour.
Drag time shows up as missed shift targets, extra overtime, and higher scrap, but no one calls it that by name.
Common Drag Time Traps on the Shop Floor
Supervisors know the pain points, they just don’t always call them “drag time.” Here’s how it usually plays out:
- Maintenance signs off, but the team’s still waiting for a restart green light.
- Materials aren’t staged, so the operator has to walk across the floor to find what’s missing.
- No clear checklist, so someone skips a step, and you end up restarting the restart.
- Shift change happened mid-fix, and no one communicated what got done, or what still needs attention.
You’ve probably seen all of these. They don’t show up in reports, but they slow you down all the same.
How DPS Helps Kill Drag Time
DPS was built for more than just tracking downtime. It’s designed to help you speed up everything around the downtime event, especially the part most people overlook: the recovery.
Here’s how DPS tackles drag time head-on:
Smarter Maintenance Scheduling
DPS helps flag signs of wear and performance dips before they cause a breakdown. This gives you time to plan, stage parts, and communicate restarts clearly.
Live Dashboards and Action Logs
No more radio silence. Everyone sees the same status updates and knows what’s happening, whether it's maintenance progress or a restart checklist.
Clear, Repeatable Restart Protocols
DPS builds restart steps into your routine. No more tribal knowledge. Everyone knows exactly what’s needed to go from “up” to “fully productive.”
Better Shift-to-Shift Handoffs
DPS records what happened, what’s pending, and what to watch out for, so each shift walks in informed and ready to move, not retrace steps.
When every team member knows their role in the recovery, time isn’t just saved, it’s multiplied across every shift.
Final Thought: If You Don’t Track It, You Can’t Fix It
It’s easy to assume the job’s done when the lights turn green. But if the line is running slow, if the team’s confused, or if the product’s not right, you’re not out of downtime yet. You’re just in drag time.
And that time? It’s expensive.
The good news: DPS helps your team see it, track it, and fix it. No more waiting, no more guessing, no more slow recoveries that chip away at your numbers.
Need to speed up your restarts? Let’s talk.
POWERS with DPS helps manufacturers reduce not just downtime, but lost time in all its forms.
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From sluggish restarts to slow shift transitions, we help you tighten the gaps and reclaim productivity. Discover how DPS gives your team the clarity and structure to recover stronger, every time.