Business case

• Large retailer has a number of fruit and vegetable packing facilities that receive product in bulk from producers and re-packages it into retail packs and trays.
• The site has 21 bagging and tray-packing lines
• After inspection, sorting, and weighing, the product is seal packed and readied for final shipment
• The final packs are packed into plastic trays for distribution to the depots

Initial Condition

• Minimum of 5 changeovers per shift
• Changeovers and set-up average 31 minutes each

Target Condition

• Reduce number of changeovers and stoppages per shift
• Reduce changeovers and set-up times by at least 50%

Planned Activities / Intervention

• During 10-day workshop the team observed and measured 24 separate changeovers on the lines
• Identified what was limiting the current changeover cycles
• Team began to trial potential improvement ideas. After measurement, trials were then analyzed to determine impact on activity and non-activity periods for the various parts of the changeover cycles.
• Optimal changeover teams (based upon trial performance) were assembled, and additional training given to other operators (based upon skills gap)
• A skills matrix was produced to aid in knowledge transfer, to establish and maintain standards for future changeover teams

Achieved Metrics

• Consistent changeover time of 12 minutes achieved
• Annualized savings of $108,0000 for initial site
• Additional savings of $248,000 achieved by other manufacturing sites using the same changeover process