Buyer's guide
Best SMED and changeover software
Short answer: SMED software does one of three jobs: it studies a changeover, runs it, or measures it. To study one from video and move steps from internal to external, look at AVIX or LeanSuite, whose Vision AI does the split for you (priced separately). To run every changeover the same way as a timed checklist, look at ProChangeover ($49 a month per department) or LeanSuite, which also tags missing tools mid-changeover and turns step times into kaizen projects with the savings worked out. To measure changeovers from machine signals, look at Shoplogix, Vorne XL (a one-time appliance price) or Fabrico. Redzone suits plants that want changeover timing inside a whole-plant frontline program, and Tulip suits teams that build their own changeover apps.
Who wrote this: LeanSuite publishes this guide, and LeanSuite is one of the eight products on it. It is listed first because it is our product; the others follow in alphabetical order, which is not a ranking. Every other product is described only from its own public pages, and each entry says where that product fits better than ours.
Last reviewed September 2026. Based on each vendor's public information; tell us if something has changed at info@theleansuite.com.
At a glance
LeanSuite's whole platform next to each product, capability by capability. A question mark means the vendor does not publish it or we could not verify it, not that the product lacks it; the detailed table below has the specifics.
- Yes, on the vendor's own site
- Partial, limited or a paid add-on
- No, outside the product's published scope
- Not published, or we couldn't verify it
Swipe sideways to see every product.
| Capability | LeanSuite | AVIX | Fabrico | ProChangeover | Redzone | Shoplogix | Tulip | Vorne XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI | ||||||||
| AI root cause analysis | Yes:RCA Agent | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| AI time and motion study from video | Partial:Vision AI, priced separately | Not published: Manual video analysis | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Video to SOP | Yes:SOP from one video | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| AI one-point lessons (OPLs) | Yes:OPL from before-and-after photos | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| AI drafts checklists and forms | Yes:Lean Creator AI drafts | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Yes: AI Composer | Not published |
| AI sorts and triages ideas | Yes:Lean AI | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Continuous improvement | ||||||||
| Any method: DMAIC, PDCA, A3, 8D or your own | Yes: Incl. your own | Not published | Not published | Not published | Partial: 5 Whys, CAPA | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Engineering and CapEx projects with stage-gates | Yes:Four stage-gates | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Non-manufacturing teams and projects | Yes: Any project type | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Ideas and suggestions with configurable approvals | Yes:Approvals per idea type | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Savings verified before they count | Yes:Finance signs off | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Share what worked across sites (yokoten) | Yes:Best Practice Management | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Frontline operations | ||||||||
| Daily issue management with tier escalation | Yes:F-Tags, escalation | Not published | Not published | Not published | Yes | Not published | Partial: Built as apps | Not published |
| Tiered meetings and huddle boards | Yes:Lean Studio | Not published | Not published | Not published | Yes: Huddles | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Audits and checklists (5S, LPA, CILR), scheduled | Yes:Daily Standard Work scheduling | Not published | Not published | Not published | Yes | Not published | Partial: Inspection apps | Not published |
| Breakdown reporting and maintenance work orders | Yes:EWO; works alongside a CMMS | Not published | Yes: CMMS built in | Not published | Yes | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Skills and training | ||||||||
| Live skills matrix | Yes:Competency Management | Not published | Not published | Not published | Yes | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Job cover matrix: who can cover each job | Yes:Job Cover Matrix | Not published | Not published | Not published | Partial: By job | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Training (LMS): courses, quizzes, learning plans | Yes:Trainings (LMS) | Not published | Not published | Not published | Yes | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| SOP and OPL sign-off per person | Yes:Signed on a tablet | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Data and platform | ||||||||
| KPI dashboards | Yes:KPI Dashboards | Not published | Yes | Not published | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SSO and a security certification | Yes:SOC 2 Type 1; Entra ID, Okta | Not published | Partial: ISO 27001; SSO not stated | Not published | Yes: SOC 2 Type II | Partial: Enterprise SSO; certification not stated | Yes: Professional plan up | Not published |
| Operator sign-in with an employee ID, no email | Yes:Employee ID | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan or published prices | Yes:Free plan for ideas | Not published | Yes: From €15 per user a month | Yes: $49 a month per department | No: Quote only | Not published | Yes: Per interface | Yes: One-time price |
| Mobile app (iOS and Android) | Yes:iOS and Android | Not published | Yes | Not published | Yes | Not published | Not published | Yes: XL Sidekick |
| Video-based time, motion and ergonomic studies | Partial:Priced separately | Yes: Analyst-driven video studies | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| OEE and downtime dashboards | Yes | Not published | Yes | Not published | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Based on each vendor's public website, reviewed September 26, 2026; tell us if something has changed at info@theleansuite.com.
How we chose these tools
SMED (single-minute exchange of die) software helps cut changeover time: it records how long each changeover and each step takes, separates the work that needs the machine stopped (internal) from the work that can be done while it runs (external), and keeps the shorter standard in use. Each product on this list meets all of these:
Changeover is named
The vendor's own product pages name SMED, changeover reduction or changeover tracking as something the product does. Where a detail appears only in an article on the vendor's site, the entry says so.
Built for manufacturing
Manufacturers are a main market for the product.
Still sold in 2026
A live product page with a way to buy, trial or book a demo. Where we found no dated 2026 release, our sources log says so.
Public information
Enough on the vendor's own pages to describe how it captures and improves changeovers. Where pricing or security is not published, the table says so.
Eight SMED and changeover tools: LeanSuite first, then alphabetical
1. LeanSuite
Lean manufacturing software that runs SMED across three modules. Operators follow a visual changeover checklist on a tablet, built with photos and video on each step or converted by Lean AI from your PDF or Excel sheet, and each step's time is logged. Prep tasks can be assigned automatically 30 minutes before the line stops, and Daily Standard Work can schedule a checklist to a machine. A missing die or wrench is tagged from the same screen and routed by rule to the tooling, maintenance or materials team, and unresolved issues flow into the Kaizen backlog. The Kaizen module shows which steps make the changeover long, has a spaghetti diagram builder, and turns machine cost per hour and minutes saved into annual savings, with before-and-after reports. Vision AI splits a filmed changeover into tasks, marks each internal or external, flags tasks that can run in parallel and proposes a shorter sequence that becomes the new checklist; Vision AI is priced separately. Changeover start and end times feed the KPI dashboards. One flat price per facility with unlimited users; a 90-day pilot costs $3,000 per facility.
Best for: Plants that want changeovers studied from video, run as a timed checklist and improved through kaizen projects with the savings worked out, in one system.
2. AVIX
Desktop software for analyzing manual work from Solme AB in Gothenburg, Sweden, founded in 1998. Its AVIX SMED module analyzes a recorded changeover from video, lets you drag setup operations between internal and external, handles several operators working in parallel, shows the planned process as a Gantt chart of operators and machines, and simulates proposed improvements against standard times. It can then generate changeover work instructions for each operator, shown on the floor through its web-based Shop Floor Viewer. Time study, line balancing, ergonomics, FMEA and an ERP, MES and PLM connector are other modules. It studies changeovers rather than tracking them live. Pricing and security certifications are not published.
Best for: Industrial engineers running formal, video-based SMED studies of long, multi-operator changeovers who want to simulate the new sequence before changing anything.
3. Fabrico
A cloud MES and OEE platform with maintenance management built in, from a company founded in 2018. Its product pages offer digital checklists and guided workflows to standardize machine setups and line changeovers, list changeover time as an SMED metric, capture downtime from machine signals with operator input, and use cameras to detect cycles and changeovers. An article on its site describes a changeover clock that starts when the machine stops for setup, internal and external tasks, and fast and slow shifts compared. It has iOS and Android apps and AI add-ons. It publishes pricing per user per plant: Light €15 a month and Full €39 a month, with Enterprise quoted. Its home page says the company holds ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 20000-1 and ISO 9001 certifications.
Best for: Small and mid-sized plants that want OEE, changeover checklists and maintenance in one low-priced subscription.
4. ProChangeover
A single-purpose web app for running changeovers in high-mix plants. You set up a task list for each product pair, and when a run starts the right list is picked from the from and to products. Operators follow the live checklist in order, each task showing the spec to hit, and every task gets a timestamped sign-off with the role. A live board shows every active changeover and flags delays as they happen, and each run produces a Gantt timeline against the standard, filterable by line and shift; after the first run, later runs are compared step by step. Classifying steps as internal or external is left to you, using the run data. It runs in a browser on tablets and desktops, with no ERP or MES integration yet. It publishes pricing: $49 a month per department with unlimited lines and changeovers, with a 7-day free trial. Security is not published.
Best for: A plant that wants a cheap, self-serve changeover checklist with timing on one line this week, without an MES or OEE rollout.
5. Redzone
A connected workforce platform for manufacturing plants, sold as Productivity (OEE and downtime), Compliance, Reliability and Learning modules, with ChampionAI agents as a premium add-on. For changeovers, its plastics and packaging page lists digital SMED timing and step-by-step purging, format change and label changeover instructions, compared with the target in real time. A September 2026 article on its site says production monitoring captures every changeover so teams see actual against standard times. It is SOC 2 Type II certified with SAML single sign-on, and runs on iOS, Android and the browser. Pricing is a custom quote based on sites and modules.
Best for: Multi-line plants that want changeover timing inside a coached, whole-plant frontline program rather than a separate tool.
6. Shoplogix
A machine monitoring and OEE platform from Oakville, Canada, founded in 2002 and part of Constellation Software since 2017. Machine signals record time spent running, down or in setup, and its plans list Advanced Changeover Insights, which track last good part to first good part during job changeovers, and Advanced Multi-stage Setup Insights, which show the steps slowing a multi-step setup. Operators add reason codes in two clicks, KPI trends cover machines, lines and job orders, and Pulse AI answers questions about live production data. Internal and external steps appear only in its articles. Its Enterprise plan includes enterprise SSO; certifications and pricing are not published.
Best for: Machine-heavy plants, such as molding and packaging, that want changeovers measured automatically from machine signals.
7. Tulip
A no-code frontline operations platform where changeovers run as apps you configure. Its library has a line changeover template that standardizes changeovers for different products and records data for electronic batch records, plus primary and secondary packaging changeover apps. Its lean page cites a 29% cut in average changeover time on one AstraZeneca line, and an article on its site describes a guided SMED app with visual cues and timers that records delays where they happen; live dashboards are built by the customer. It maintains a SOC 2 Type II report and is ISO 9001 certified, with single sign-on from the Professional plan. It publishes pricing per interface (device), billed annually with a 10-interface minimum: Essentials $100 and Professional $250 a month per interface.
Best for: Regulated or highly custom operations that want to build their own changeover app with batch record capture.
8. Vorne XL
A plug-in production monitoring appliance from Vorne Industries, in business since 1970, with a built-in database, browser reports and a plant-floor scoreboard. Machine sensors show when a line is in changeover, the scoreboard counts down a target time for each changeover and flashes red when it runs over, and operators can mark each changeover element with a barcode scan so each element shows actual against target. A built-in changeover report and history show which elements meet their targets, and an SMED overview is included among its improvement techniques. The free XL Sidekick app runs on iOS and Android. It publishes one-time prices with no recurring costs: XL Touch $4,990, XL HD+ $4,690 and XL810-1 $4,490, with a 90-day trial. Security is not published, and we found no dated 2026 release.
Best for: Plants that want a fixed-price scoreboard showing changeover time against target on the floor, with no subscription.
The eight tools side by side
From each vendor's public pages. Article means the detail is in an article on the vendor's own site, not a product page. "Not published" means we could not find it publicly, not that the product lacks it.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Capability | LeanSuite | AVIX | Fabrico | ProChangeover | Redzone | Shoplogix | Tulip | Vorne XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Changeovers | ||||||||
| Main focus | Lean modules: checklists, issues, kaizen, Vision AI | Video analysis of manual work | MES, OEE and maintenance | Changeover checklists only | Frontline platform: OEE, quality, maintenance, training | Machine monitoring and OEE | No-code frontline apps | Production monitoring appliance |
| How a changeover is captured | Step times from the checklist; phone video for Vision AI | Recorded video, analyzed afterwards | Machine signals, operator input, cameras | Timestamped sign-off on each task | Digital SMED timing | Machine signals: last good part to first good part | Operator input in the app | Machine sensors; barcode scan per element |
| Internal and external split | Vision AI marks each task (priced separately) | Drag steps between internal and external | Article only | You classify steps from the run data | Article only | Article only | Article only | SMED overview only |
| Checklist for operators | Visual checklist with photo and video per step; prep tasks 30 min early | Work instructions per operator, generated | Checklists for setups and changeovers | Ordered checklist per product pair | Purging, format and label change instructions | Not published | Changeover template apps | Not published |
| Live tracking | Start and end times to KPI dashboards; missing tools tagged mid-changeover | Not published; planning Gantt | Changeover time KPI | Live board flags delays | Real-time comparison against target | Real-time setup state and changeover insights | Built by the customer | Scoreboard countdown against target |
| Improving the changeover | Slowest steps to kaizen; annual savings from machine cost per hour | Simulates the improved sequence | Shift comparison (article) | Each run compared with the baseline, step by step | Not published as a feature | KPI trends and action plans | Not published as a feature | Changeover report and element history |
| Buying | ||||||||
| Pricing | Per facility, quote; 90-day pilot $3,000; Vision AI priced separately | Not published | Published: €15 or €39 per user per plant a month | Published: $49 a month per department | Not published; custom quote | Not published | Published: $100 or $250 a month per interface | Published: one-time, from $4,490 per device |
| Security | SOC 2 Type 1 report; secure cloud hosting | Not published | ISO 27001, ISO 20000-1 and ISO 9001 (home page) | Not published | SOC 2 Type II; SAML SSO | Enterprise SSO; certifications not published | SOC 2 Type II report; ISO 9001; SSO | Not published; on-site appliance |
| Apps | Web, iOS and Android | Desktop; web Shop Floor Viewer | iOS and Android | Browser on tablets and desktops | iOS, Android and browser | Not published | Mobile, desktop and touchscreens | XL Sidekick for iOS and Android |
Where LeanSuite is different
This part is about our own product, so read it as LeanSuite's pitch; the entries above describe every other tool from its own pages. Each point links to the LeanSuite page that shows it.
AI sorts a filmed changeover
Film one changeover on a phone. Vision AI splits it into tasks, marks each internal or external with the clip behind every call, flags tasks that can run in parallel and proposes a shorter sequence. Vision AI is priced separately.
AI SMED analysisA timed changeover checklist with a tag for the missing tool
Operators run the changeover as a visual checklist that logs how long each step took, and tag a missing die or wrench from the same screen. Prep tasks can be assigned 30 minutes before the line stops, and the Kaizen module turns machine cost per hour into annual savings.
Changeover checklistsImprovement next to the daily work
Issues, audits, tiered meetings, skills and training sit in the same platform. A failed audit question can become a new kaizen, and when you launch a kaizen or engineering project you see who has the skills it needs.
How the modules connectA 90-day pilot at a published price
$3,000 per facility for 90 days, with the first module live in under a week. Pricing is per facility with unlimited users.
The pilot
Which one fits
- Changeovers studied from video, run as a timed checklist and improved through kaizen, in one systemLeanSuite
- A formal video SMED study with simulation before you change anythingAVIX
- A self-serve changeover checklist with timing this week, at a published priceProChangeover
- Changeovers measured from machine signals, last good part to first good partShoplogix
- A scoreboard with a changeover countdown and no subscriptionVorne XL
- OEE, changeover checklists and maintenance at a low monthly priceFabrico
- Changeover timing inside a whole-plant frontline programRedzone
- Your own changeover app with batch record captureTulip
- One machine and a stopwatchA free SMED worksheet and changeover checklist
Win back changeover hours every week
Try LeanSuite in your browser with sample data, or run it on your own lines for 90 days with the setup done by our team. If you are not ready for software, start with the free SMED worksheet, changeover checklist or calculator.
What customers say
“Great user-friendly software! It's covering everything that WCM or similar Lean Programs are asking to do, in a very effective way.”
Elena M.Global Head of Marelli Manufacturing System Automotive, Marelli“The Project Tracking System generates significant savings while ensuring seamless delivery... The Global Kaizen Power Pitch completely transformed our ability to share best practices.”
Ramsey AljahmiSr. Director of NAR Operations Excellence, Whirlpool Corporation
FAQ
Best SMED Software: common questions
Sources
- AVIX SMED
- AVIX software
- AVIX about
- Fabrico home page
- Fabrico availability tracking
- Fabrico machine connectivity
- Fabrico pricing
- Fabrico: best SMED software (article)
- ProChangeover home page
- ProChangeover FAQ
- ProChangeover pricing
- Redzone plastics and packaging
- Redzone pricing
- Redzone security and compliance
- Shoplogix plans
- Shoplogix about
- Tulip line changeover template
- Tulip plans
- Tulip compliance
- Vorne: reduce changeover times
- Vorne XL models
- Vorne XL Sidekick
- LeanSuite facts come from our own pages: Daily Issue Management, Tiered meetings, Idea Management, Continuous improvement, Engineering and CapEx projects, CI portfolio, Competency Management, Job Cover Matrix, Audit Management, KPI Dashboards, Micro-stops, AI Video Analysis, Pilot, Pricing, Security.
Last reviewed September 2026. Based on each vendor's public information; tell us if something has changed at info@theleansuite.com.
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