Routing and work centre setup for realistic capacity planning
Client
Manufacturing businesses that needed realistic capacity planning and better labour utilisation.
The challenge
When run times, setup times, and work centre capacity are not defined properly, schedules become optimistic and delivery promises become unreliable. Teams compensate with overtime and constant rescheduling.
What we did
We implemented routing and work centre data that reflected real work.
This included:
• Defining run times and setup times
• Using motion studies to validate time assumptions What became visible Once routing data was realistic, it became clear that some tasks could be split into two linked activities:
• A higher-skilled portion of the work
• A lower-skilled portion of the work This maintained one-piece flow while allowing higher-skilled workers to focus their energy where it created the most value.
Results
• Higher output with less overtime
• Reduced bottlenecks because labour allocation matched the true constraint
Why it matters
Capacity planning is only as good as the data behind it. When routing and work centre assumptions match reality, scheduling becomes a practical tool instead of a constant negotiation.
