Cut changeover times (SMED)
Cut the time a line stands still between one product and the next, by separating what can be prepared while the machine runs.
The task in figures
- Gives you back
- It does not recur every month
- Elmira today
- Helps
- Frequency
- Per project
- Who does it today
- Senior
- Version
- Elmira Senior
What hurts today.
The changeover is done differently on each shift.
Nobody measures the changeovers, so nobody knows if they improved.
Long changeovers lead to big batches.
Each changeover stops the line, and long changeovers lead to big batches that fill the warehouse. SMED means filming a full changeover, separating the tasks that need the machine stopped from those that can be done before or after, moving outside every one that can be, simplifying the rest and standardizing the new changeover. Someone experienced leads it, with the line’s team, and done well it cuts the changeover by half or more.
Done today with
- Expert
- In-person meeting
- On the floor
- Paper and whiteboard
- Spreadsheet
Each step, today and with Elmira.
Elmira sets down each improvement to the changeover as an action with its owner, and the technician sends her on WhatsApp how long each changeover took: she records it and compares before and after. Filming and redesigning it are still yours.
| Step | Today | With Elmira |
|---|---|---|
| Film a full changeover on the line | On the floor | Your call |
| Separate the internal tasks from the external ones | Spreadsheet, Expert1 h – 3 h | Still by hand |
| Move outside what can be and simplify the rest, with the team | In-person meeting, On the floor2 h – 8 h | Still by hand |
| Turn each improvement into an action with an owner | Spreadsheet15 min – 30 min | |
| Measure each changeover afterwards, and compare it with before | On the floor, Spreadsheet15 min – 45 min | |
| Standardize the new changeover | Paper and whiteboard30 min – 1.5 h | Still by hand |
The conversation
- Jorge, Maintenance technician
Elmira, today’s changeover on line 2 took 38 minutes.
I did this:
Recorded 38 in “Line 2 changeover minutes” for October 20, 2026.
If something is not right, press “Undo” within 24 hours.
- Jorge, Maintenance technician
And how long did they take before the SMED?
In September, line 2’s changeovers averaged 65 minutes. In October they are at 41 so far.
Does this happen to your team?
Book a demo and we will show you Elmira doing this task.
More cases of lean tools on the shop floor
- Track each line’s and shift’s OEEThe OEE arrives when the shift is already over.
- Implement total productive maintenance (TPM)Maintenance lives firefighting.
- Design a kanban or pull systemWhat the schedule says gets made, not what was used.