In 2020 a consumer products assembler had to separate operators by 1.5 metres while still supplying essential customers. Re-laying out and rebalancing lines for six people instead of eight kept output within 3% of plan and raised output per operator hour by 28%.
Key numbers
In early 2020, a consumer products assembler faced a problem with no precedent. Its customers included essential retailers who needed supply maintained. At the same time, operators had to be separated by 1.5 metres. The existing lines were designed for eight operators working shoulder to shoulder. Spacing them out on the same lines would have cut output dramatically.
The situation
There were four assembly lines, each with eight operators. Simply spreading the stations out would have lengthened walking and handling, and leaving stations empty would have created bottlenecks. The business needed to keep output close to plan with fewer people per line.
What the data showed
Weekly output on all four lines, before distancing and after the redesign, stayed within a few percent. The chart shows the outcome; the interesting part is how the lines got there with two fewer people each.
What changed
The team treated the constraint as an improvement opportunity, applying the approaches described in keeping production running through disruption and line balancing:
- Lines re-laid out with stations at 1.5 m spacing, and rebalanced for six operators instead of eight.
- Work content reduced at every station by removing walking, reaching and double handling, so the remaining six operators could complete the work within takt.
- Material presentation redesigned so parts arrived at each station from outside the operator's space, reducing contact and movement.
- Standard work rewritten with clear visual instructions, so new and redeployed staff could learn quickly as absences changed daily.
Results
Output stayed within 3% of the original plan across all four lines. Each line now ran with six operators instead of eight, and output per operator hour rose from 18 to 23 units, an increase of about 28%. Essential customers were supplied throughout.
What lasted
Many of the improvements outlived the distancing requirement. The waste removed from the lines did not return when restrictions ended, and the improved standard work made training faster permanently. The plant kept several lines at six operators, redeploying people to growth areas.
Lessons for your operation
- A hard constraint can force improvements that would otherwise wait years.
- When people are fewer, remove waste first, then rebalance.
- Clear, visual standard work matters most when staff are changing frequently.
- Measure output per operator hour, not just total output, to see productivity.
