Use an explicit pause interval
Synthetic clock counts active elapsed minutes during this fully staffed morning. It pauses only while waiting for a specifically requested customer sample, from request release to sample receipt. T-231 begins at 09:10; request is released at 09:25, sample arrives 10:05 and review ends 10:20. Staff workload or an internal queue delay does not qualify as a pause in this fixture. The sample request is a recorded event, not an inferred staff note.
| Interval | State | Minutes | Clock treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09:10–09:25 | Active | 15 | Count |
| 09:25–10:05 | Waiting for requested sample | 40 | Allowed pause |
| 10:05–10:20 | Active review | 15 | Count |
Resume when the required input arrives
- Record allowed waiting reason
- Record request release
- Record qualifying input receipt
- Sum active and paused intervals separately
An unusable sample needs a specific documented decision; do not quietly extend the pause after usable input was already received.
What are active and total elapsed minutes?
Show the worked answer
Thirty active minutes and seventy elapsed minutes. The forty-minute documented pause accounts for the difference.
Apply only the agreed pause reasons and retain both endpoints. An internal delay is counted unless the actual measurement policy explicitly excludes it.