Routing and Work Centre Setup for Realistic Capacity Planning
Implementing routing and work centre data that reflects real work — so scheduling becomes a practical tool instead of a constant negotiation.
Client
Manufacturing businesses needing realistic capacity planning and better labour utilisation
Focus
Routing, work centres, run times, setup times, capacity planning
The challenge: unrealistic schedules and unreliable delivery promises
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: implement routing and work centre data that reflected real work
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:
This maintained one-piece flow while allowing higher-skilled workers to focus their energy where it created the most value.
Results: higher output, less overtime, reduced bottlenecks
Realistic routing data enabled better scheduling, reducing the need for overtime to meet commitments.
Labour allocation matched the true constraint, reducing bottlenecks caused by misallocated resources.
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.
Facing similar challenges?
If your schedules are optimistic and delivery promises keep slipping, the data behind your capacity plan might be the problem. Let's talk.
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