The challenge
A mid-sized UK manufacturer was struggling with below-target production throughput despite having invested in modern equipment. Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) across the primary production line sat at 62 per cent — significantly below the 85 per cent industry benchmark. The gap was costing the business in lost output, overtime, and missed delivery commitments.
Previous improvement efforts had focused on equipment upgrades and maintenance scheduling, but OEE had plateaued. The root causes lay not in the machines but in how the production process was managed day to day.
Our approach
Starting at Gemba, we observed the production line across multiple shifts and product changeovers. Three root causes quickly became apparent: changeover times were excessive (averaging 48 minutes against a 15-minute target), visual management was either absent or not maintained, and team leaders lacked the skills and routines to manage daily performance proactively.
We designed a three-strand intervention. First, a SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Die) programme targeting the five highest-frequency changeovers, involving the operators and setters who performed them. Second, a visual management system that made hourly production status, quality alerts, and maintenance needs visible to everyone on the line. Third, a coaching programme for team leaders covering daily management meetings, Gemba observation, and short-interval performance review.
The results
Over twelve weeks, OEE improved from 62 per cent to 81 per cent. The SMED programme reduced average changeover time from 48 to 26 minutes, with the top two changeovers reduced below 15 minutes. The visual management system enabled faster response to stoppages and quality issues. And the team leader coaching programme created a management cadence where performance was actively managed every hour rather than reviewed at the end of each shift.
The manufacturer gained the equivalent of an additional shift's worth of capacity from existing equipment — without capital expenditure or additional headcount. More significantly, the team leader capability developed during the programme created a foundation for ongoing improvement that continues independently.