Production & Operations Health Check – EN

Production Assessment

1 = not established · 5 = integrated and continuously improved · N/A = not applicable.

Company context

The company operating model describes the business overall. For the additional questions, select one specific product family or order flow. In a hybrid business, you can save another run for a different strategy later.

Production strategy and operating model

1. Production and operations have measurable objectives derived from business strategy, customer commitments and financial priorities.

Example: Plant objectives connect on-time delivery, good output from the constraint and inventory value to explicit targets.

2. The production and site model fits the product portfolio, demand pattern and customer requirements.

Example: Standard items are made to stock, while customer-specific variants start only after an order arrives.

3. Trade-offs between utilization, delivery capability, inventory, quality and cost are assessed transparently and decided by management.

Example: Before accepting a rush order, management decides which order moves and what the change will cost.

4. Suitable control methods and service commitments are defined for the main product families.

Example: Each product family has a defined make-to-stock, make-to-order or project milestone service model.

5. Investments, automation and capacity measures are prioritized using a transparent business case.

Example: An extra shift at the constraint is evaluated against contribution margin, delivery effect and staffing.

Production planning and order control

6. The production plan is based on agreed demand, realistic capacity, material availability and binding priorities.

Example: A weekly plan is confirmed only when demand, material and truly available constraint hours match.

7. Planning horizons and levels are clearly distinguished and connected.

Example: S&OP sets the monthly frame, weekly planning allocates capacity, and the daily board resolves deviations.

8. Orders are released only when material, capacity, equipment, quality and relevant documentation are sufficiently available.

Example: An order starts only when material, tools, qualified people and required approvals are ready.

9. Sequencing and lot-size rules account for the constraint, changeover time, customer priority and inventory consequences.

Example: At the constraint, sequence reflects due dates and changeover losses; batch sizes are deliberately limited.

10. Short-term plan changes and rush orders follow defined decision and escalation rules.

Example: A rush order needs named approval and an explicit decision on the displaced order.

Capacity, constraints and throughput

11. Constraints are identified from actual data by product family and period and reviewed regularly.

Example: Lost minutes by line and product family reveal which process currently limits total throughput.

12. Available capacity reflects the shift pattern, product mix, planned losses, qualifications and technical limits.

Example: Changeovers, maintenance and missing qualifications are deducted from 240 scheduled equipment hours.

13. The constrained resource is protected by material, people, tools, quality release and a deliberately sized buffer.

Example: A defined material buffer sits before the constraint; tools and trained backup staff are secured.

14. Lost constraint time is recorded by cause, prioritized by economic effect and assigned to accountable owners.

Example: Constraint downtime is prioritized by cause, financial effect and accountable owner.

15. Capacity gaps trigger timely, evaluated scenarios and management decisions.

Example: For a foreseeable capacity gap, overtime, subcontracting and reprioritization are compared with their costs.

Material flow, WIP and lead time

16. Material and information flows are visible end to end for relevant product families.

Example: A value-stream view shows material and order status from release to shipment for each product family.

17. WIP targets and buffers are defined for each process stage and managed by quantity, age and due date.

Example: Each stage has a WIP target; aging or imminent orders are tracked separately.

18. Processing, waiting, transport, inspection and release times are measured separately and reduced deliberately.

Example: Of 18 days of lead time, three are processing and 15 are waiting, inspection or release.

19. Material supply and internal logistics support production according to need without unnecessary duplicate stock.

Example: The next shift receives the material it needs without building parallel unofficial stores.

20. Backlogs, blocked orders and aging WIP trigger defined actions and escalation.

Example: A blocked order beyond its dwell-time threshold appears on the daily board with a cause and escalation.

OEE, maintenance and technical stability

21. OEE or alternative equipment performance measures have a documented time base and consistent definitions.

Example: The OEE definition specifies which scheduled production hours and stoppages enter the calculation.

22. Availability, performance and quality are analyzed separately and supported by reliable loss reasons.

Example: An OEE loss is recorded separately as downtime, reduced speed or scrap.

23. Critical equipment is maintained according to risk; preventive and condition-based measures are planned and effective.

Example: Maintenance intervals for a critical machine reflect failure risk and condition data, not only the calendar.

24. Recurring failures are addressed through root-cause analysis, permanent corrective action and effectiveness checks.

Example: After recurring sensor failures, the cause is removed and the effect checked over several weeks.

25. Critical equipment has the necessary spares, technical documentation and maintenance skills available.

Example: Critical spares, current drawings and reachable specialists are available for the constraint machine.

Quality, scrap and process capability

26. Quality requirements and critical process parameters are clear, current and available at the relevant workstations.

Example: Target values, tolerances and inspection intervals for critical parameters are visible at the workstation.

27. First pass yield, scrap, rework and quality losses are attributed to their causes.

Example: Scrap and rework are reported by product family, defect cause and affected equipment.

28. Deviations and recurring defects are analyzed systematically, permanently resolved and lessons transferred.

Example: A recurring defect is handled with 8D and the solution transferred to comparable machines.

29. Quality inspections and releases are risk based and do not create avoidable waiting time or hidden stock.

Example: Inspection and release reflect risk; avoidable inventory waiting between stages is removed.

30. Process changes are introduced under control, with effects, risks and outcomes documented.

Example: Before changing a parameter, risk, approval, trial and outcome are documented.

Shopfloor management, KPIs and problem solving

31. Shopfloor reviews follow a fixed cadence and focus on deviations, decisions, owners and deadlines.

Example: The daily board reviews a delivery deviation with a decision, owner and deadline.

32. The KPI system connects local process measures with throughput, delivery performance, quality, cost and working capital.

Example: The KPI board shows how scrap at the constraint affects throughput, delivery and cost.

33. KPIs have clear definitions, data sources, owners and review frequencies.

Example: OTIF has a confirmed due date, treatment of partial shipments, source, owner and review cadence.

34. Problems are handled with an appropriate method and closed only after effectiveness has been demonstrated.

Example: An A3 action closes only when the defect has not returned during the agreed verification period.

35. Escalations are decided at the level with the required authority and accountability; open actions are followed through.

Example: Prolonged constraint downtime has defined escalation points for shift lead, engineering and plant management.

Organization, skills and continuous improvement

36. Roles, responsibilities and decision rights across production, planning, quality, engineering, logistics and supply chain are clear.

Example: A decision matrix governs who approves sequence changes and informs customers when material is short.

37. Shift and staffing plans account for qualifications, absences, learning curves and critical single-person skills.

Example: A skills matrix shows who can operate the constraint on each shift and where cover is missing.

38. Leaders and employees are trained in standard work, problem solving, data interpretation and improvement.

Example: Shift leaders practise standard work and root-cause analysis using real shopfloor deviations.

39. Improvement initiatives have a baseline, target, owner, deadline, resources and a check of financial impact.

Example: A changeover project has a starting measure, target, owner, deadline and verified financial effect.

40. Successful improvements become binding standards, are audited and are protected against relapse.

Example: An improved changeover sequence is trained, documented and audited after 30 and 90 days.

Deep dive by manufacturing or fulfilment strategy

Answer the eight questions for the selected product family. They produce a separate module score; the core score from 40 questions is unchanged.

Your answers are processed for the immediate result. They are saved as a dated run only if you explicitly choose that option. Self-assessment does not replace operational data or a technical equipment inspection.