Abstract: A method of determining a tailback characteristic factor &dgr; at operating stations for processing individually moving units having alternating hold-back and release phases and having a detector upstream of the respective operating station icludes measuring the filling time between the hold-back start or a time instant tied to the hold-back start and continuous occupancy of the detector and subsequent comparison with a reference filling time. A first value is assigned to the tailback characteristic factor &dgr; if the reference filling time is exceeded and a second value is assigned if the reference filling time is not exceeded.