Glossary
Changeover
The work to switch a line or machine from making one product to another.
Technical definition
The activity and elapsed time to reconfigure equipment between production runs, often sequence-dependent (the cost depends on what ran before).
Manufacturing example
Switching a packaging line from one carton size to another may require tooling changes and a wash-down.
Common misconception
Changeover is not fixed; smart sequencing can dramatically reduce total changeover time.
Why it matters operationally
Changeovers are often the largest source of lost run time in high-mix operations.
Related ConstraintFlow capability
Related terms
Put changeover to work
See how ConstraintFlow turns operational concepts into optimized decisions.