PlantBench / Why capex proposals stall in committee
Three questions a capex case should answer before committee
This page is a checklist, not a count of how many proposals get tabled. A case that can answer three questions is easier to discuss: where the labor number came from, what happens if the yield gain is cut in half, and whether the new machine costs more to run.
Where did the labor number come from?
Labor dollars are headcount per shift times hours per shift times shifts per day times operating days times the labor-reduction percent times the loaded wage. If headcount is omitted, person-hours per shift are used instead. Labor reduction is capped at 100%.
Write down whether those hours are a headcount you measured or the worksheet default. The PDF marks an untyped prefill.
What if the yield gain is only half?
The sensitivity table multiplies labor reduction and yield points by 0.5, 1, and 1.5. Energy, equipment cost, and the other inputs stay as entered. Yield points are capped at the current loss before that scaling.
Half the yield gain is the conservative column. It is a worksheet scenario, not a forecast that you will get half.
Does the new machine cost more to run?
Energy is the priced change in kilowatt-hours and therms. If the new machine uses more, the line is negative and comes off the total. Maintenance and downtime are separate lines. A blank maintenance dollar amount, once equipment cost is entered, follows the age and condition assumptions described on the methodology page.
Run it on the worksheet
Questions
Does this page say how often proposals are tabled?
No. It lists three questions the worksheet can answer. It is not a survey of committees.
Where is the conservative case?
On the calculator, the range table is labeled Conservative, Base, and Aggressive. Conservative uses half the labor reduction and half the yield points, after the caps.