Production Planning
Sequenced, you pay one full reset per cycle. Unsequenced, you pay a partial one on nearly every batch.
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Sequenced against unsequenced running
Sequencing freely assumes the batches are actually available to reorder, and they usually are not — delivery dates, dye lot availability and machine-size fit constrain the sequence long before shade does, so the saving here is the theoretical ceiling rather than a plan. The wash-down penalty is also treated as proportional to shade steps, whereas in practice a few specific pigments and dye classes contaminate far worse than their depth suggests and force a full reset regardless of position. Whites and pastels after any deep shade are the usual exception and are best scheduled on dedicated machines rather than sequenced.
Dyehouse Light-to-Dark Sequencing & Wash-down Saving — free, with the formula and a worked example, at Textile School.