“Tenali, this CNC machine claims 1,000 units per shift.
Why are we producing only 620?” Maharaj Looked frustrated.
“Operators are working. Machines are healthy. Orders are pending. Still dispatches are getting delayed.
We are planning to buy another machine…”
Tenali walked to the shop floor.
“How many product changeovers happen daily?”
“Five to six.”
“And average setup time?”
“About 70 minutes.”
Tenali smiled.
“Then your problem is not production capacity.
Your problem is setup capacity.”
He investigated further.
12 minutes spent searching tools
10 minutes waiting for QC approval
8 minutes in material shifting
15 minutes in trial adjustments
Only 25 minutes were actual value-adding setup work
The rest was confusion.
Tenali drew a simple line on the board:
“Every hour of setup delay is hidden machine downtime.”
He applied structured SMED approach (Single Minute Exchange of Dies).
So Tenali implemented:
1. Setup checklist
2. Parallel setup activities
3. Pre-setting station
4. Standard parameter sheets
5. Tool organization system
Within 45 days:
– Setup time reduced from 75 minutes to 28 minutes
– Output increased by 22%
– Overtime reduced by 35%
– Delivery adherence improved sharply
Maharaj finally understood that he did not need a new machine.
He had Tenali who told him,
“Businesses often buy new machines to solve problems created by old systems.”