The Situation
Batch movement masked idle time and delayed defect visibility. Work piled between stations and looked like a capacity ceiling.
One station waited while another overloaded, and quality surfaced late after batches had advanced.
The apparent capex need was actually queue behavior.
What We Did
We redesigned around flow so work moved continuously and problems surfaced where they occurred.
- Converted batch production to one-piece flow.
- Balanced stations against takt rather than local pace.
- Standardized work to remove shift dependence.
- Embedded 5S and QRQC for immediate quality response.
The Results
Productivity increased 269%, throughput time dropped 40%, and output rose 24% using the same plant, machines, and people.
A working quality management system now sustains flow and floor discipline.
Strategic Takeaway
- Flow does not create capacity; it releases trapped capacity.
- When machines are not the bottleneck, inspect the queue between them.
Contact Gemba Concepts
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