New Study: Only Half of Manufacturers Successfully Reduce Downtime

New L2L report reveals that preventable downtime costs most manufacturers over $250,000 per year—but few have a handle on the problem.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, October 15, 2025 - New research from L2L, a global leader in manufacturing operations technology, released its newest research report: Beyond Breakdowns: The Impact of Manufacturing Downtime. The study uncovers the hidden financial and operational toll of unplanned line stoppages and reveals how manufacturers can reclaim millions in lost productivity.

Surveying more than 600 manufacturing leaders across 46 U.S. states, the report found that excessive downtime is both pervasive and preventable—costing six in ten companies over $250,000 annually. On average, facilities experience 30 hours of downtime per month, more than half of which is unplanned.

The report also highlights that most companies are already investing in uptime improvement, but with mixed results. While 93% are taking action, only 46% report measurable improvements in reducing downtime.

“Downtime isn’t just a maintenance issue. It’s a visibility issue,” said John Davagian, CEO of L2L. “When manufacturers can’t see root causes in real time, they’re left reacting instead of preventing. Our research shows that tackling downtime requires connected data, connected processes, and connected people.”

Other key findings include:

• 67% of respondents said their organizations take a reactive approach to maintenance.
• 72% reported that undocumented fixes and “hidden factories” contribute to recurring downtime.
• 73% said downtime negatively impacts product quality.
• 52% said it prevents them from meeting production or shipping targets.

The full report is available for free download at https://www.l2l.com/2025-manufacturing-downtime-report. 

For more information about L2L and its transformative connected manufacturing technology, visit www.l2l.com.

Methodology: All findings are from a survey of over 600 respondents that was conducted at 95% confidence, +/- 4% margin of error from July 23, 2025 - August 12, 2025. Each respondent lives in the U.S. and holds a role in site-level manufacturing and/or corporate operations and is employed full-time at a management level or higher.

About L2L: Founded in 2010, L2L is a connected platform enabling workers to collaboratively improve productivity across the full breadth of manufacturing operations. A different kind of solution for the real-world needs of manufacturers, L2L visualizes the most important shop floor data in real time so workers can identify, prioritize, and solve problems faster, making their companies more efficient, resilient, and profitable. Cloud-based and deployed within 60 days, L2L creates unmatched speed to value for more than 500,000 users in 92 countries across the world. For more information, visit http://www.l2l.com.