Time Management Through SMED Games

Manufacturing companies understand the importance of time management, especially when it comes to their production process. Since they are dealing with clients that require them a specific deadline for their orders, manufacturing companies strive to maintain proper time management during the whole production process without giving up the quality of the product or increasing the number of their employees.

In order to decrease the time spent on the production process, the SMED game is developed to help organizations shorten their production time, yet still manage to produce quality products for their clients. The SMED (Single Minute Exchange of Dies), also known as the quick changeover, corresponds to the minimum overall time amount needed for a production step to continue with the next. This is defined as the amount of time between the last good steps of production to the next good step of the process.

The SMED game uses a practical approach in dealing with the production’s time management. The game gives both the management and employees the ability to become aware of the importance of fast changeovers, avoiding idle time in between the production process. By conducting a thorough review of the standard production processes, the game can help remove unnecessary production steps that can add to time, but does not really contribute to the overall value of the finished product.

The main reason for conducting a SMED game is to affirm the ideal SMED technique benefits to assess the current time constraints and decrease the overall process of the changeover. The game is basically created in two rounds - both having different methods in producing the same product. The first round will be according to the current production process of the company, while the second round uses the SMED program.

The data gathered after playing the SMED game will identify the causes of time consuming processes during the production. By playing the game, the management can also evaluate the output percentage in accordance with the number of employees. The game can show how to increase production levels even without increasing the number of employees.

By learning the time management aspect of production through the SMED game, the manufacturing company can definitely increase their profit as well as their level of quality and reputation.