Templates for Lean and Daily Management

How to use this template

SMED (Single Minute Exchange of Die) is a method for reducing changeover times to under 10 minutes — not by working faster, but by moving preparation to while the machine is still running. Developed by Shigeo Shingo at Toyota, it is today a standard in lean production.

Observe

Record and time every step of the current changeover — use video if possible

Classify

Separate internal (IE) and external (EE) activities — what requires a machine stop?

Convert

Move IE to EE — prepare tools and materials while the machine runs

Reduce

Reduce the remaining IE time with standardisation, fixtures and parallel work

IEInternal Element — the machine MUST be stopped (e.g. fit new tooling)

EEExternal Element — can be done while the machine runs (e.g. fetch and prepare the next tool)

Watch out

Classify activities correctly — misclassifying something as IE gives an artificially high IE time.
Start by converting (phase 3) before you try to reduce (phase 4) — it gives the biggest effect.
SMED is teamwork; operator, maintenance and production planning must all take part.

Example

Current changeover 47 min (40 min IE + 7 min EE). After converting: 15 min IE + 25 min EE. Machine stop time reduced from 47 to 15 min — a saving of 32 min per changeover.

Method: Shigeo Shingo, “A Revolution in Manufacturing: The SMED System” (1985).

#	Activity / Step	Time (min)	IE / EE	Improvement opportunity
1			IE EE
2			IE EE
3			IE EE
4			IE EE
5			IE EE
6			IE EE
7			IE EE
8			IE EE
9			IE EE
10			IE EE
11			IE EE
12			IE EE
13			IE EE
14			IE EE
Total			IE: __ EE: __

Improvement	Type	Time saved	Investment/effort	Owner	Deadline
	IE→EE/Reduce/Standardise
	IE→EE/Reduce/Standardise
	IE→EE/Reduce/Standardise
	IE→EE/Reduce/Standardise
	IE→EE/Reduce/Standardise
	IE→EE/Reduce/Standardise

SMED changeover analysis

How to use this template

Current state — time study

Improvements and future state