Long lines kill face painting sales. People in line times minutes per face divided by painters is the wait for the last person.
25 people at 4 minutes with 3 painters wait 34 minutes.
The example
Three events with different lines and painter counts.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Case | In line | Min/face | Painters | Wait min | Faces/hr |
| 2 | Slow afternoon | 6 | 5.0 | 1 | 30 | 12.0 |
| 3 | Festival rush | 25 | 4.0 | 3 | 34 | 45.0 |
| 4 | School fair | 40 | 6.0 | 4 | 60 | 40.0 |
The formula
Total painting minutes divided across painters:
How it works
Here is the logic, one piece at a time:
B2*C2is total painting minutes.- Dividing by
D2splits it across painters. ROUNDUProunds up.- The second formula gives hourly throughput.
Use simple designs when the line is long.
Try it: interactive demo
Enter the line length, minutes per face and painters.
Variations
Painters needed
For a target wait of 20 minutes.
Quick designs
Cut minutes per face.
Pitfalls & errors
Cleanup between faces adds minutes.
Do not divide by painters before multiplying.
Post the wait time on a sign.
Practice workbook
Frequently asked questions
Is this the average wait?
Handle kids with parents?
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