Quick Changeovers

Take 3 minutes and name what it would do for your customers, your company and the people if changeover times could be reduced by 50%, or more.

Make operators/set-ups job easier to perform a changeover

Make changeover safer for all involved

Reduce changeover time

Reduce number of tools needed to complete a changeover

Reduce clutter around work area

Increase scheduling flexibility

Improve delivery time to customer

Improve quality

Reduce cost to the customer

1.	Eliminate non-value added tasks

2.	Question why all actions are taken.

3.	Eliminate or reduce non-value added motion in machinery and people (Shorten path)

4.	Move as much "During Changeover" to "Before Changeover" as possible.

5.	After moving "During to Before", move as much "During Changeover" activity to "After Machinery Starts" as possible

6.	Institute "Pre-flight Checklists" to insure everything is ready and working for the changeover

7.	Move more people to line during a changeover

8.	Make a plan for who will do what, when

9.	Eliminate need of adjustments through visual or numeric control	.

Before	Changeover	During Changeover	After Machinery Starts	End of Changeover

(Last part starts through line)	(Machinery starts new product run)	(All adjustments are finished)

QUICK CHANGEOVER VIDEO

_____	Obtain a video camera and have someone capture the full changeover process. Be sure to turn on the clock so it is always displayed on the screen. This will allow you to fast forward through processes which are time consuming and still know how much time it took. "Narration" of the changeover is most helpful.

_____	Gather all team members together and note on paper every step that everyone did to perform the changeover. These steps must be completed in detail. (Your team might want to use the "Changeover Cheat Sheet" provided on the next page). It is likely that every step is not captured on tape; therefore, it is important that all team members are present and are involved in discussing all changeover steps each one completes during a changeover. Be sure to include all activity which takes place during a changeover which may include things such as movement of material, communication made by any team member, documentattion completed, etc.

_____	Total how much time it took to perform Changeover (Start time is determined when the last part starts through the line. End time of a changeover is determined when ALL minor adjustments are completed - even if the line is back up and running)

_____	Determine your goal to shoot for in reducing changeover time and when you plan on hitting the goal (Most operations can obtain at least a 50% reduction).

_____	Begin discussion with your team on the activities which are non-value added and may simply be able to be eliminated. Be sure that you clearly understand that a task is truly non-value added before eliminating it. (A task might be done for a safety, quality or cost reason which may not be understood, it is important to gather this type of information).

_____	Discuss how movement of people and machinery can be cut to a minimum. Shorten paths through use of tool or machinery relocation.

_____	Discuss with your team on how you will move "During" activities to "Before" and if not possible moving them to "Before" how you will move them to "After". Note what will get done and by who, on paper, in correct order.

_____	Discuss how you might eliminate or reduce the tools needed to perform a changeover. Consider how they might be placed and stored in a neat, orderly fashion.

_____	Discuss how you might move other personnel around to provide additional support during a changeover to save precious time.

_____	Develop a "Pre-flight Checklist" which includes all the items which should be checked before the changeover begins.

_____	Determine what additional "visual controls" your team may need to assist in the changeover process. Use of shadow boards for tools, baseline marks, lexan guarding, etc.

_____	Using a copy of the "Changeover Cheat Sheet" write your new changeover process down which has been agreed upon by all team members.

Step	Action taken	Who	Start	End	Task	Before,
No.	Time	Time	Time	During or
After
1
Comments - Include type of Changeover, Total time of changeover, Goal for changeover time and when goal can be accomplished, etc.