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Lean playbook · Packaging, printing and converting

Lean playbook for packaging manufacturing, printing and converting

Short answer

Start lean in a packaging, print or converting plant on the machine that sets your output: usually a press, a corrugator or a folder-gluer. Begin with the losses you can count: makeready time, makeready and running waste, short stops and breakdowns. SMED and a changeover matrix shorten job changes. A daily operator care routine and a stop tally lift OEE, and first-off approval with a line clearance check stops wrong-copy complaints. Measure for two weeks, fix the top two losses, write the new method down, then copy it to the next machine.

Last updated:

7 problems on the floor, and the lean methods for each

Each problem says what it looks like, which methods address it, the first moves to make and the number to watch. Pick the one or two that cost your plant most; you do not need all of them at once.

Where a packaging, print and converting line loses time and quality

  1. Print: flexo, offset or digital

  2. Laminate and coat

  3. Convert: corrugate, die-cut, fold-glue

  4. Pack and palletize

  5. Ship

A simplified line, not a plant layout. Select a number to jump to that problem.

  1. Long makereadies on short runs

    The press or folder-gluer stands while plates, anilox, inks, dies and settings are changed, and the time depends on which crew is on. The next job's plates, dies and board are often fetched after the machine has stopped, and color is chased on the running machine.

    Lean methods

    In LeanSuite

    Lean Creator runs the changeover checklist, Issue Management flags missing items, and Kaizen & Projects turns step times into improvement projects.

    First moves

    1. Film one makeready on the pacing machine and list every step, marking which ones need the machine stopped.
    2. Stage the next job's plates, dies, ink, board and the approved sample at the machine before the current job ends.
    3. Sequence jobs on a changeover matrix, light to dark colors and similar sizes together, so each change is smaller.
    4. Write the new sequence as a checklist and time every makeready against it.

    Number to watch: Makeready time, from the last good unit of one job to the first good unit of the next, by machine and job type.

    SMED changeover worksheetChangeover checklistChangeover matrix templateSMED changeover calculator

  2. Makeready and running waste nobody can trace

    Sheets and metres go to the bin while color, register, glue and fold are set, and more at every splice, web break and restart. Waste is weighed once a month for the whole plant, so no job, machine or crew owns it.

    Lean methods

    In LeanSuite

    LeanSuite gives you one structure for downtime, cost of poor quality and waste, costs each loss and ranks them so you know where to start.

    First moves

    1. Count or weigh waste per job on the pacing machine for two weeks, split into makeready waste and running waste.
    2. Give each bin a cause code (color, register, splice, jam, board, glue) and chart the causes as a Pareto.
    3. Attack the biggest cause first, and set a makeready waste allowance per job type from your own best runs.

    Number to watch: Waste %: material in minus good output, divided by material in, split into makeready and running waste.

    Six big losses worksheetLoss tree worksheetPareto chart templateScrap rate calculator

  3. Short stops on feeders, glue units and stackers

    Feeders double-feed, sheets skew, glue guns spit, counters miss and stackers jam. Each stop takes a minute to clear, too short for the downtime log, but together they decide how much the machine makes.

    Lean methods

    In LeanSuite

    Operators log each stop in one tap in Issue Management, Cost Management adds the lost time up and puts a cost on it, and the biggest losses become Kaizen projects.

    First moves

    1. Tally every short stop by cause for one week on the pacing machine, with a short list of reason codes.
    2. Pick the top two causes and fix them with the operators and a technician.
    3. Work out OEE every shift from the same data, so the gain shows.

    Number to watch: Short stops per shift and the performance part of OEE on the pacing machine.

    OEE tracking sheetDowntime reason codes templateEquipment downtime log (MTTR and MTBF)OEE calculatorDowntime cost calculator

  4. Breakdowns on corrugators and folder-gluers

    Worn belts, bearings, knives, vacuum leaks and dirty glue systems run until they fail. Maintenance spends the day on breakdowns, and planned work slips to the weekend that never comes.

    Lean methods

    In LeanSuite

    In LeanSuite, operators run visual CILR checklists on a tablet and every abnormality they tag is routed to maintenance. Professional maintenance tags in LeanSuite turn radio calls and firefighting into work orders every technician can see, own and close out.

    First moves

    1. Write a one-page clean, inspect, lubricate and retighten standard for the pacing machine with the operators, with photos of the good condition.
    2. Tag every abnormality found on the rounds and review the open tags at the daily meeting.
    3. Analyze every breakdown longer than an agreed time with a short breakdown report and a 5 Whys.
    4. Move the repeat failures into planned maintenance, with the parts on the shelf before the job.

    Number to watch: MTBF and MTTR on the pacing machine, and breakdowns per week.

    Autonomous maintenance (CILR) checklistBreakdown analysis reportLubrication schedule templateProfessional maintenance (PM) 90-day model area planMTBF and MTTR calculator

  5. Wrong copy, mixed jobs and line clearance

    An old artwork version, two jobs in one case or a missing lot code reaches the customer. These errors happen at job changes, when the last job's cartons, labels or plates are still around the machine.

    Lean methods

    In LeanSuite

    Audit management in LeanSuite lets you build, schedule and run any shop floor audit or inspection, from layered process audits to gemba walks, and turn every finding into a tracked action.

    First moves

    1. Clear the machine, the delivery end and the pallets of the last job before the next one starts, and sign the clearance with a photo.
    2. Check the artwork version, barcode and lot code on the first-off against the job ticket, every job.
    3. Where you can, make the mix-up impossible, for example with a barcode scan of the job at the feeder, instead of adding another check.
    4. Audit a sample of clearances each week on the floor, across shifts.

    Number to watch: Wrong-copy and mixed-print complaints per million units shipped.

    Changeover checklistLayered process audit (LPA) checklistQuality alert formNon-conformance report (NCR) formCost of poor quality (COPQ) calculator

  6. Nip points, blade changes and forklift traffic

    Rollers, unwinds, die-cutters, guillotines and balers have nip and shear points, and jams are cleared and blades changed in a hurry. Reel clamps and forklifts share aisles with people on foot.

    Lean methods

    In LeanSuite

    LOTO procedures are tied to the Skills Matrix: the form won't open unless the user holds a valid 'Authorized Employee' certification for that machine. Operators scan a QR code and log a hazard with a photo instantly, with no app download and no login.

    First moves

    1. Write a machine-specific lockout procedure with photos of every isolation point, starting with jam clearing and blade changes.
    2. Inspect guards and interlocks on a set schedule, and treat a bypassed guard as a stop-the-job finding.
    3. Mark walkways and forklift routes, and make reporting a near miss take less than a minute.

    Number to watch: Near misses reported and closed per month, and TRIR.

    Lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedure templateMachine guarding inspection sheetForklift inspection checklistNear miss report form

More small fixes in the production, maintenance and quality sections of the kaizen idea bank.

A 90-day starting plan

One line or product family, two problems, measured before and after. The point of the first 90 days is a result the plant believes and a method it can repeat, not a plant-wide program.

The 90 days, with the gate that ends each stage

  1. Days 1 to 30See the losses on the pacing machineDone when: You have baseline numbers on the board and two problems with an owner each.
  2. Days 31 to 60Fix the top two lossesDone when: Each fix has a written standard and a before-and-after number.
  3. Days 61 to 90Make it stick, then spread itDone when: The gains have held for a month and the next machine has its baseline.
Move to the next stage only when the gate is met, even if a stage runs past its 30 days. The cards below say what to do inside each stage.

  1. Days 1 to 30

    See the losses on the pacing machine

    Pick the machine that sets the plant's output and get a true baseline before changing anything.

    • Choose the press, corrugator or folder-gluer with the most makereadies or lost time, and name a lead and a sponsor.
    • Measure for two weeks: OEE, makeready time per job, waste per job split into makeready and running, short stops by cause and breakdowns.
    • Start a 15-minute meeting at a board by the machine at the start of each shift.
    • Walk the machine with the crew and maintenance, and list what slows them down.
    • Choose the two biggest losses to work on first.

  2. Days 31 to 60

    Fix the top two losses

    Run focused improvements on the two problems and check them against the baseline.

    • Run a SMED workshop on the most frequent makeready, with the crews from every shift.
    • Start the daily operator care routine and the short-stop tally on the pacing machine.
    • Put first-off approval and line clearance on a signed checklist at every job change.
    • Write each new method down as standard work or a one-point lesson as soon as it works.

  3. Days 61 to 90

    Make it stick, then spread it

    Check the new standards hold on every shift, then copy them to the next machine.

    • Audit the new standards on every shift with short layered audits.
    • Sequence the week's jobs with the changeover matrix and the scheduler.
    • Compare the machine's numbers with the baseline and share the result with the plant.
    • Pick the next machine, copy what worked and start again at day one.

The KPIs to track

Track them per line and shift, on a board the team sees every day. Set targets from your own baseline, not from someone else's plant.

KPIs for packaging, printing and converting plants: what each tells you and how to measure it
KPIWhat it tells youHow to measure itFree help
OEEHow much of the planned time made good product at full speed, and whether availability, performance or quality loses most.Availability (run time divided by planned time) times performance (output divided by run time times rated speed for the job) times quality (good units divided by output), per shift on the pacing machine.OEE calculator
Makeready timeHow long the machine is down between jobs, and whether the new standard is followed.Last good unit of one job to first good unit of the next, for every makeready, averaged by job type.SMED changeover calculatorChangeover checklist
Waste %How much board, film or paper goes to the bin, and whether it is made at makeready or during the run.Material in minus good output, divided by material in, by job, split into makeready and running waste.Scrap rate calculator
Short stops per shiftThe stops too short for the downtime log that drag down performance.Tally by cause on a check sheet or from the machine counter, on the pacing machine.Downtime reason codes template
MTBF and MTTRHow often the machine breaks down, and how long each repair takes.MTBF is run time divided by the number of breakdowns; MTTR is total repair time divided by the number of repairs, per month.MTBF and MTTR calculator
On-time in fullWhether customers get the right quantity on the promised day.Orders delivered on the promised date in the full quantity, divided by orders delivered.-
Complaints per millionHow often a quality problem reaches the customer, including wrong copy and mixed jobs.Customer complaints divided by units shipped, times 1,000,000, per month.Non-conformance report (NCR) form

Worked example: what four makereadies cost a folder-gluer

A made-up folding carton plant. One shift on the folder-gluer has 450 planned minutes, four job changes of 35 minutes each and 20 minutes of breakdowns. The rated speed is 300 cartons a minute; the shift counts 72,000 cartons, of which 2,880 are rejected, startup waste included.

The calculation, step by step

Example numbers

  1. Availability = run time ÷ planned time

    1. Run time =450 − (4 × 35) − 20= 290 minutes
    2. Availability =290 ÷ 450= 64.4%

  2. Performance = output ÷ (run time × rated speed)

    1. Performance =72,000 ÷ (290 × 300) = 72,000 ÷ 87,000= 82.8%

  3. Quality = good units ÷ output

    1. Quality =(72,000 − 2,880) ÷ 72,000 = 69,120 ÷ 72,000= 96.0%

  4. OEE = availability × performance × quality

    Check: good units ÷ (planned time × rated speed) gives the same answer.

    1. OEE =64.4% × 82.8% × 96.0%= 51.2%
    2. Check =69,120 ÷ (450 × 300) = 69,120 ÷ 135,000= 51.2%
    OEE before51.2%

  5. After SMED: each makeready drops from 35 to 20 minutes

    Same speed and same quality, so only availability changes.

    1. Run time =450 − (4 × 20) − 20= 350 minutes
    2. Availability =350 ÷ 450= 77.8%
    3. OEE =77.8% × 82.8% × 96.0%= 61.8%
    OEE after61.8%
Fifteen minutes saved on each of four makereadies adds 60 minutes of run time a shift. That lifts OEE by more than ten points, with no change in speed or quality. Work it out with your own machine's numbers before you pick where to start.

By the numbers

Public figures for this industry or for the wider sector it belongs to, each linked to the report or government table it comes from and checked against it on October 9, 2026. More in our lean manufacturing statistics and benchmark charts.

Injury and illness rate by industry, 2024

  1. Motor vehicles5.6
  2. Beverage and tobacco3.7
  3. Furniture3.5
  4. Food3.3
  5. Primary metals3.3
  6. Nonmetallic mineral products, incl. glass3.3
  7. Fabricated metal products3.2
  8. Transportation equipment3.2
  9. Motor vehicle parts2.9
  10. Plastics and rubber products2.8
  11. HVAC and refrigeration2.4
  12. Paper2.4
  13. Machinery2.3
  14. All private industry2.3
  15. Electrical equipment and appliances2.0
  16. Printing1.6This industry
  17. Chemicals1.6

Total recordable cases per 100 full-time workers, 2024: Motor vehicles 5.6, Beverage and tobacco 3.7, Furniture 3.5, Food 3.3, Primary metals 3.3, Nonmetallic mineral products, incl. glass 3.3, Fabricated metal products 3.2, Transportation equipment 3.2, Motor vehicle parts 2.9, Plastics and rubber products 2.8, All manufacturing 2.7, HVAC and refrigeration 2.4, Paper 2.4, Machinery 2.3, All private industry 2.3, Electrical equipment and appliances 2, Printing 1.6, Chemicals 1.6.

Total recordable cases per 100 full-time workers, U.S., 2024 data, from the BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses. This industry's rows are in yellow; the dark mark on each bar is all manufacturing, at 2.7.

Free templates, calculators and buyer's guides

Templates (23)

Calculators (7)

Buyer's guides

LeanSuite pages for these problems

How LeanSuite handles each of these is on the page for packaging, printing and converting plants.

Whirlpool tackled project visibility and continuous improvement across 14 manufacturing plants with LeanSuite. Read the Whirlpool case study.

FAQ

Lean in packaging, printing and converting plants: common questions

  1. With SMED. Film one makeready, list every step and mark which ones need the machine stopped. Then move the rest outside the stop: stage plates, dies, ink, board and the approved sample before the current job ends, preset what you can and use a checklist so every crew runs it the same way. A changeover matrix that sequences similar jobs together makes each change smaller.

  2. There is no single number to aim for. Waste depends on the substrate, the process and above all the run length, because makeready waste is spread over fewer units on short runs. Measure your own waste per job, split it into makeready and running waste, and set targets from your best runs on each machine.

  3. Match the tool to the loss. SMED and a changeover matrix for makereadies. Autonomous maintenance and a short-stop tally for OEE. First-off approval against an approved sample, boundary samples and defect catalogues for print quality. Line clearance and error-proofing for wrong copy, and 5S around plates, dies and ink so the next job's tools are found in seconds.

  4. Treat every job change as a risk point. Clear the machine and the delivery end of the last job, check artwork version, barcode and lot code on the first-off against the job ticket, and sign the clearance with a photo. Where you can, use a scan or a physical stop so the wrong material cannot be run, and audit a sample of clearances every week.

  5. OEE on the pacing machine, makeready time by job type, waste split into makeready and running waste, and short stops per shift. Add MTBF and MTTR, on-time in full and complaints per million once those are in place.

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