They Just Don't Get It!

operation should be simple: hand off a running machine. If one crew ramps down early and the next ramps up slowly, the chart will show a visible dip in production at every shift change. Truthfully, we see it everywhere we go. But if you can't measure it... 3. Micro-stops: frequent, short interruptions. Micro-stops are a massive hidden beast. These frequent but very short interruptions don't show up on anyone's radar individually, but cumulatively they eat capacity, generate scrap, and drive operators and crews crazy. Imagine running a line that goes down every 10 minutes. At one site, a handful of issues were creating repetitive short stops on a critical asset. It was a known problem for a long time but brushed aside as an everyday nuisance until we installed a shop floor system. Once the team could finally measure the true impact, those "nuisances" turned out to be massive drains on performance. By focusing on the biggest offenders, the plant doubled its run uptime and slashed the scrap that was associated with each stop. The lesson was simple: you don't really know which problems matter most until you can see their cost in hard numbers.

56