Global Fortune 500 Company Reduces Line Changeover Time By 32% With GLSS
Texas
Oil & Gas
Operations
32%
PROJECT SUMMARY
- Business Case: Increased production, reduced overtime, increased customer service levels
- Root Cause Analysis:
- Infrastructure not maintained
- Need has not been previously identified to change logic
- Solutions Implemented:
- Find additional line to utilize
- Project Result: Reduced daily changeover by 33 minutes (32%)
In the volatile Oil & Gas industry, agility drives success. At this Texas operation, one significant challenge was the lengthy and inconsistent changeover times for a critical operation. The excessive changeover times not only slowed down production but also led to increased costs, overtime, and decreased productivity. The goal was clear: reduce the line changeover time by at least 20% to enhance operational efficiency and meet production targets.
A team consisting of skilled professionals from various departments, including production, maintenance, quality control, and logistics, was assembled to meet the challenge. The team was lead by Terry*, an experienced project manager, who is participating in online Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Training & Certification from GLSS. Terry knew that applying the training immediately to an important project is the most effective way to learn, while also getting valuable results.
Following the project steps in training, Terry initiated an assessment of the current, As-Is changeover process, using tools such as Process Mapping to understand all the steps in the process and data collection to analyze the time and effort required throughout the changeover. This assessment revealed a couple of surprises:
- A critical flushing operation took over 40 min much longer than expected, and
- The line control logic would not allow the next process sequence to initiate, thus slowing the changeover process.
The team dug into root cause analysis for the issues using the Fishbone Diagram, 5 Whys, and Hypothesis confirmation. This uncovered more surprises:
- The root cause of the excessive flushing time was a drainage system supporting the line had not been maintained over the years and was no longer working, requiring a manual flushing operation to be used. This manual process had been used for so long that it was assumed it was how it was also done.
- The need for a simple logic change in the process control system had never been identified as a need. It would be easy to correct.
This project highlights the importance of a structured approach to problem-solving that often leads to surprisingly simple, but impactful solutions. For the company, this success sets a benchmark for future projects and reinforces its commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence.
The journey doesn’t end here. The company will continue to refine its processes, invest in its people, and leverage new technologies to maintain its competitive edge. The lessons learned and the success achieved in this project will undoubtedly guide them in future efforts.
*We value our clients’ confidentiality. While we’ve changed their names, the results are real.
