Setup-Time-Reduction-A-Comprehensive-Playbook - Level 1

Setup Time Reduction: Comprehensive Playbook – Level 1 (Summary)

This playbook is a practical guide to cutting setup times in manufacturing—often by 50–90%—to boost flexibility, capacity, and quality while reducing costs and inventory. It focuses on SMED (Single Minute Exchange of Dies), a proven Toyota method for converting internal setup tasks (machine stopped) to external tasks (machine running).

Why it matters:

• Capacity: Lead times cut up to 43%
• Cost: Manufacturing costs down over 20%
• Quality: Defects down 68%
• Inventory: WIP cut by 91%

Core concepts:

Tools & Techniques:

Implementation Roadmap:

Results from case studies:

• 60% setup time reduction (28.7 → 11.4 min)
• 25% more production capacity
• 37.5% less WIP inventory
• 12% OEE improvement

Sustainment strategies:

Goal: Faster changeovers, more flexible production, and lasting operational excellence without major capital spend.