| Senior managers contemplating using the Lean tool | | | | in downstream process changeover time after only 2 |
| SMED / Quick Changeover often ask "What's the | | | | days. The streamlining of the process steps would |
| payoff? After all, the operating guys will be doing | | | | generate additional savings. These are "drop thru" |
| almost the same amount of work." To say that is | | | | savings that go right to the bottom line much to the joy |
| skepticism over the benefits of SMED / Quick | | | | of accountants and managers. |
| Changeover is akin to saying an iceberg is just an | | | | An example in the non-manufacturing environment, |
| oversized ice cube. | | | | Healthcare, is in the MRI operations within a hospital. |
| The act of learning, applying, and retaining the SMED / | | | | Most administrations are struggling with how to reduce |
| Quick Changeover methodology causes a change in | | | | wait times (and of course costs) for MRI patients. The |
| the way a changeover is viewed. This change is an | | | | first solution they jump to is, to buy more equipment |
| essential building block of making Lean Management | | | | which includes expensive MRI's. This solution, on the |
| part of the culture of the enterprise. In effect, Lean | | | | surface, seems to be appropriate and it is certainly the |
| becomes part of the company DNA. | | | | easiest and fastest - or is it? As you investigate |
| By having a cross-functional team methodically review | | | | further and begin planning for new equipment you |
| a changeover and separate work elements into | | | | realize that you need more space, more trained people |
| internal and external work elements, the understanding | | | | to operate the equipment and more supplies - the |
| of what is really being done in the changeover comes | | | | result is that the initial cost of buying the equipment |
| to light. The team members "learn to see" the | | | | was only the tip of the iceberg. The real solution should |
| changeover from a new perspective. A streamlining of | | | | have been to analyze the entire process from the |
| the separated work elements aimed at eliminating | | | | time the patient arrives for their MRI to the point they |
| non-required steps ensures non-value added waste is | | | | leave and determine how much time and activities are |
| removed. | | | | 'waste'. When this is done, we find much of the time is |
| When the remaining elements are arranged in a new | | | | classified as waste and one of the wastes is the time |
| logical sequence, the resulting time, when the operation | | | | to set up in between each patient. |
| is shut down for changeover, is typically 50% of the | | | | With the use of SMED, the change over time is |
| pre- SMED time. Technicians don't work harder. They | | | | drastically reduced and there is an opportunity to put |
| carry out the external elements either before or after | | | | more patients through the process without adding |
| the process is stopped for the changeover. The | | | | staff, space or equipment and it didn't cost hundreds of |
| internal elements become the time the process is | | | | thousands of dollars. |
| actually not producing. The reduced changeover from | | | | The answer to the question "what's the payoff?" is a |
| the last good piece of the old part to the first good | | | | healthier bottom line, increased flexibility to meet |
| piece of the new part is a fraction of the pre - SMED | | | | customers ever changing needs, empowered workers |
| time. | | | | doing world class changeovers, less inventory and its |
| A recent SMED Quick Changeover workshop resulted | | | | associated problems, less floor space due to less |
| in the elimination of an hour of machine downtime per | | | | product or equipment on the floor, and "found" capacity |
| shift for multiple changeovers for the highly automated | | | | resulting from a process operating instead of being |
| silk screening of CD labels. The savings were | | | | down for non-value added changeovers. |
| annualized as "millions in the first year". During the | | | | In today's world, the pressure is on organizations and |
| Enterprise Value Stream MappingTM (EVSM)TM of | | | | businesses to provide products and services (such as |
| their "order entry to product shipped" process, the | | | | healthcare) faster and better but at the same cost or |
| client recognized a need to reduce changeover time in | | | | lower. In order to meet the clients and customers |
| order to provide more machine capacity with reduced | | | | challenging expectations and desire for more, faster |
| inventories to meet customer demand. The SMED | | | | and better, you must consider proper implementation |
| workshop was a Kaizen event which addressed that | | | | of every tool that can improve your processes and |
| competitive requirement by utilizing Lean techniques. | | | | give you an advantage over your competitors. SMED |
| Similarly a SMED / Quick Changeover workshop | | | | Quick Changeover is one of those tools that can give |
| involving a plastic extrusion process resulted in a 66% | | | | you and your group a much needed advantage and |
| reduction in die changeover time and a 27% reduction | | | | the results of implementing it are immediate. |