In manufacturing, efficiency is everything. A lean manufacturing operation results in greater productivity, output, and profitability. Even a two-point increase in efficiency can lead to significant savings, with some companies reporting monthly gains of over $125,000.
One critical metric influencing overall efficiency is changeover time, which, when optimized saves valuable hours but also translates directly into cost savings, enhancing productivity and boosting profitability.
The bad news is that changeover time can’t be eliminated entirely - it’s part and parcel of the manufacturing process. Every operation faces this challenge, whether due to equipment adjustments, tooling changes, or production line reconfigurations. The good news? That it can be optimized. How, you ask? By first optimizing your workforce.
The human element plays a major role in the changeover process, and your manufacturing team may reduce changeover time by developing and adhering to standardized procedures, perfecting pre-changeover preparation, and optimizing communication during changeovers.
Like what you hear? Then keep reading to learn effective strategies for optimizing your workers and reducing changeover time.
Quick Navigation:
1. What is changeover time?
2. Internal vs external setup
3. What impacts changeover time?
4. The advantages of reducing changeover time
5. Strategies for reducing changeover time
Changeover time is the duration required to switch a manufacturing process from producing one product to another. This includes all necessary activities such as equipment adjustments, tool changes, and material preparations.
Changeover is not to be confused with setup time, which is the duration required to prepare equipment for new production processes. In contrast, changeover time encompasses the entire transition, including cleanup, setup, and startup activities.
Other terms related to the changeover process include:
Understanding these concepts is vital for optimizing production processes.
In manufacturing, internal setup refers to tasks that must be performed while the machine is stopped, such as changing tools or adjusting settings. These activities directly affect production downtime. In contrast, external setup includes tasks that can be completed while the machine is still running, like gathering tools or preparing materials.
Optimizing external setup reduces internal setup, as preparations are completed while the machine is running, minimizing the internal setup required during downtime. This reduces overall changeover time and enhances production efficiency.
It’s a rule of life: the more complex something is, the longer it takes. Complex manufacturing processes can severely hinder changeover time, resulting in increased training costs, longer setups, and more downtime, ultimately impacting productivity and profitability.
We understand that some processes require complexity. The nature of your operation may require multi-stage assembly, custom fabrications, or collaboration between several departments. This naturally means a longer changeover time. However, many of you may also identify opportunities to streamline certain processes.
Effective communication is vital in every industry, and can improve productivity by up to 25% when optimized.
In manufacturing, poor communication and coordination can significantly prolong changeover times. When teams are not aligned, delays in tool preparation and setup often occur, with ineffective handovers contributing to extended changeovers.
Clear communication is crucial for streamlining operations and enhancing efficiency.
A lack of standardized training means a lack of consistency among your workforce. This inconsistency can result in longer changeover times, as employees may take extra time to figure things out, ultimately slowing down the entire production process—unclear procedures can lead to a 25%-50% increase in downtime.
A major reason for inconsistent training is accessibility. A manufacturing workforce presents training challenges—they work a variety of shift patterns in a fast-paced environment where there’s often little time to pause production for training sessions. But there are ways to tailor your training to fit the needs of your staff (more on this later!).
Faster changeover times directly lead to increased output and reduced financial losses by minimizing machine downtime.
When production lines can switch between products swiftly, they maximize operational time, enabling manufacturers to produce more items within the same timeframe. This efficiency not only boosts overall production capacity but also reduces costs associated with idle machinery and labor.
For example, shaving just 30 minutes off changeover time can lead to big savings. This lets companies free up resources to focus on more profitable activities, boosting both productivity and profitability in the process.
Faster changeover times give manufacturers more flexibility, helping them respond quickly to shifts in market demand.
When production lines can easily switch between different products, manufacturers can keep up with changing consumer preferences without long delays. This kind of agility allows companies to jump on new trends and fulfill orders faster, minimizing the risk of running out of stock or having too much inventory.
Businesses can boost customer satisfaction and stay ahead of the competition by aligning production with real-time market needs—give the people what they want when they want it.
Create reference materials on setup procedures to streamline processes, reduce errors, and enable easy access to in-the-moment training. Doing so can drastically reduce external setup time.
We recommend optimizing your reference materials for frontline consumption. Instead of using paper-based materials, opt for short step-by-step visual breakdowns that empower employees to learn at their own pace. Imagine TikTok-style tutorials where you just tap the screen to move on to the next step.
We’re naturally visual learners, and 83% of us find it easier to recall information learned by video. It’s also more in tune with the way we consume information on a day-to-day basis—look around and no doubt you’ll find people glued to their phones watching short, engaging videos on Instagram or TikTok. That’s why we advocate for visual training over paper-based materials. There’s also the fact that paper is perishable and permanent—you’ll need to print completely new material whenever information changes.
Smartphones are a widespread technology and are perfect for training a manufacturing workforce as they allow workers to access information in their moment of need. For example, you can attach QR codes to equipment that pull up video tutorials when scanned.
Training employees is crucial for cutting down changeover time. When workers have the right skills and knowledge, they can handle tasks more efficiently. Well-trained staff can set things up quickly, make fewer mistakes, and adapt to new processes, which all leads to faster transitions, less downtime, and better productivity on the production line.
Continuous training plays a role in any effective training program and is key to cutting down changeover time because it keeps employees in the loop about the latest processes and tools. Companies that invest in continuous learning see an increase in both productivity (17%) and profit (21%).
But wait, there’s more. To truly get the most out of your training, we recommend blending digital and in-person learning – it’s not an either/or, both have their strengths while making up for the other’s weaknesses. Digital training is accessible round-the-clock at the point of need and acts as a vital touchpoint for reinforcement in between in-person sessions.
In-person demonstrations, on the other hand, are essential for hands-on learning, allowing employees to see techniques in action and ask questions. No training program is complete without both, and this combination ensures comprehensive understanding, boosting confidence and minimizing errors during changeovers.
SMED is a system that’s all about cutting down changeover time by breaking down tasks into two categories: internal and external.
The idea is to shift as many internal tasks to external ones as possible, so the machine stays operational longer, and to streamline the remaining internal tasks to maximize efficiency.
The ultimate goal is to get setup time down from hours to under 10 minutes—ideally 9 minutes or less, hence the "single minute" idea. While not every setup will fit into that time frame, aiming for it can be achieved in a lot of cases.
Below are some practical tips for applying SMED in manufacturing:
We understand that, when it comes to reducing changeover time, there are a lot of moving parts. From optimizing training to improving communication and applying SMED principles— there’s plenty to think about.
That’s why we recommend fostering a culture of continuous improvement, where striving to be better influences everything within the organization, from recruitment to workforce productivity. By doing this, you’ll have less to think about because continuous improvement becomes as natural as breathing.
So, how do you build such a culture? It starts with a top-down approach. Your investment in optimizing your workforce and workplace processes demonstrates that you care about your team and their performance. You’re doing what you can to put them in the best possible position to succeed. Your leading by example makes it easier for everyone else to invest in the culture.
Once your employees have bought in, put them front and center. Not only does this lighten the load of content creation for your internal training owners, but it rewards frontline workers. Let them lead the way on best practice for their peers –. After all, they’re the ones who operate the machinery, who know the processes, who truly understand the day-to-day operations. You’re optimized training makes them perfect leaders.
And, giving them a voice leads to greater levels of employee engagement (79%) productivity (x4.6), and retention (59%).
An efficient manufacturing operation is key to success, and optimizing changeover time is essential for that efficiency. We hope we've shown you that employee training and standardizing processes are crucial factors in improving your changeover times.
Machines are undoubtedly important for the success of your operation, but it's your workers who handle much of the changeover process. Whether they're readjusting machine settings, gathering tools, or teaching others the right procedures, your team plays a crucial role in optimizing operations. That’s why it’s essential to invest in comprehensive training for your workforce.
How about a real-world example that shows how training can optimize workforce efficiency?
APC Overnight, a large independent delivery network, relied on traditional, in-person methods to train their employees. Frontline workers on the operational side (making up 80% of the workforce) attended toolbox talks where trainers would walk around and deliver training on a particular topic.
By delivering this information digitally via mobile, their teams were provided with round-the-clock access to information on process optimization. The result? An improvement in driver productivity, where drivers went from delivering 39 parcels per person, per hour, to 41 parcels per person, per hour.
This 2-point productivity increase results in 94500 hours saved per year, a productivity-related cost saving that translates financially to around $125k per month for the company.
eduMe is a digital training solution for your frontline workforce.. By offering training that’s accessible, engaging, customizable, and invisibly embedded across multiple channels, we empower workers to take control of their own learning.
Get in touch today to find out how we can help with your business needs.