Many manufacturers see reducing changeover time as a golden opportunity to improve operational efficiency and reduce waste. For good reason, a simple reduction in changeover time can increase output, reduce inventory, reduce work in progress, and improve responsiveness to customer demand.

Yet, the most effective method for standardizing and reducing changeover time is often overlooked—standardized work instructions.

The benefits of reducing changeover time

Say, for example, that your current changeover takes an hour. Assuming you’re running five to seven days per week, that’s nearly one day a week spent running changeovers. At a minimum you could be wasting 32 days on changeover time per year.

Imagine what you could do if you got even half of that time back?

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