Free template
Updated
Changeover checklist
A changeover checklist is the list a team works through every time a machine changes from one product to the next, so nothing is missing when the machine stops and nothing is forgotten when it restarts. Its first job is to get the external work ready while the machine still runs: tools, parts, material, documents and people, so the stop lasts only as long as the internal work. This one has 25 checks in four groups: before the stop, during the changeover, first-off and restart, and after. It complements the SMED changeover worksheet: the worksheet is for studying one changeover and redesigning it, the checklist is for running every changeover the agreed way and recording how it went. Page 1 is the checklist, with who did each check and when, and the times of the last and first good parts. Page 2 is the changeover record: planned against actual times for each part of the change, the problems, and the ideas to take to the SMED worksheet. The Excel version has the checklist with completion by group and a changeover log that compares each changeover time with your target, with a summary and a chart of the last 20 changeovers.
Free to use: print it, copy it and edit it for your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.
When to use it
When to use a changeover checklist
- For every changeover on a machine where changeovers run long or vary from shift to shift.
- After a SMED project, to hold the new sequence: the checklist becomes the standard.
- When changeovers stall because a tool, a part or a document is missing.
- To build a history of changeover times before setting a target.
How to fill it in
- 1
Adapt the checks
Cross out what does not apply and add the machine's own: its tools, its settings sheet, its first-off checks.
- 2
Start before the stop
Work through the first group while the machine still runs. Start it at a set time before the planned stop.
- 3
Record the last good part
Write the time of the last good part of the old run. The changeover time starts here.
- 4
Run the change
Follow the checks in order, including lockout where your procedure requires it, and note who did each one and when.
- 5
Approve first-off and record the first good part
The changeover ends at the first good part of the new run. Write the time and the changeover minutes.
- 6
Reset and record
Put the tooling away, restock the cart, and fill in the record on page 2 with the problems and ideas. Log the time in the Excel version.
What's on the checklist
The 25 checks on the changeover checklist
Four groups, from the prep done while the machine still runs to the reset after the restart. On the sheet each check has a done box, who did it and the time; cross out what does not apply and add the machine's own tools, settings and first-off checks.
Before the stop
External prep, done while the machine still runs
- 1Next job confirmed: product, quantity, drawing or recipe revision
- 2Tools for the change staged at the machine and checked complete
- 3Next die, mold, fixture or change parts at the machine, clean and checked
- 4Material, components and packaging for the next job at the line
- 5Settings sheet, setup instructions and first-off check sheet at the machine
- 6Gauges and measuring equipment at the machine and in calibration
- 7Everyone on the change told the stop time and their part in it
- 8Carts, lifting gear and a place for the outgoing tooling ready
During the changeover
Internal work, machine stopped
- 9Last good part of the old run recorded, with the time
- 10Machine stopped and locked out where the procedure requires it
- 11Old material, parts and paperwork cleared from the machine
- 12Old tooling removed and put on its cart or rack
- 13New tooling fitted and clamped to the setup instructions
- 14Settings entered from the settings sheet, not from memory
- 15Guards and safety devices back in place and checked
- 16Lockout removed by the person who applied it, area clear before the start
First-off and restart
Until the first good part
- 17First-off parts checked against the check sheet
- 18Adjustments written down, with the number of trial parts they took
- 19First-off approved by the person authorized to approve it
- 20First good part of the new run recorded, with the time
After the changeover
Reset, done while the machine runs
- 21Old tooling cleaned, checked and returned to its marked place
- 22Damaged or worn tooling tagged for repair
- 23Leftover material from the old job labeled and returned
- 24Area cleaned and the changeover cart restocked
- 25Changeover time and problems written on the changeover record
A filled-in example
Illustrative, not a benchmarkAn example: four changeovers on one press against a 30-minute target (illustrative).
- First changeover: 35 minutes, 5 over the target. Two checks were missed: the clamps were not at the machine and the first-off sheet was an old revision.
- Second: 28 minutes, on target, with the tools staged before the stop.
- Third: 25 minutes against a tighter 20-minute target set for an easier product change, so 5 over.
- Fourth: 30 minutes, on target.
Over the four, the average changeover was (35 + 28 + 25 + 30) ÷ 4 = 29.5 minutes and two of the four met their target. The missing clamps went to the SMED worksheet as an idea: a dedicated clamp set on the changeover cart.
Common mistakes
Starting the prep when the machine stops
Every check in the first group done after the stop adds to the changeover time.
Ticking without checking
A ticked box with the wrong die at the machine is worse than no checklist. Check, then tick.
Skipping the record
Without the times and the problems, nobody knows whether changeovers are getting better.
Never updating the checklist
When a SMED idea changes the sequence, change the checklist the same week.
Download the template
Free to use: print it, copy it and edit it for your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.
Run this template in LeanSuite
In LeanSuite operators run each changeover as a digital checklist, prep tasks can be assigned automatically 30 minutes before the line stops, a missing tool is tagged from the same screen, and every checklist logs how long each step took.
In the lean glossary
FAQ
Changeover checklist: common questions
More free templates
All templates- 5S audit checklist template25 checks, five per S, scored 1 to 5, with a score summary and a chart of the five S's.
- Gemba walk checklistA walk plan and route, 30 prompts in six groups and a findings table with owners and due dates.
- Leader standard work templateA team leader's daily, weekly and monthly routine with a box per day, follow-ups and a weekly review.
- Autonomous maintenance (CILR) checklist20 clean, inspect, lubricate and retighten checks with a box per day, an abnormality log and sign-off.
- A3 problem solving templateThe standard seven-box A3 from background to follow-up, with a filled-in worked example. PDF and Excel.
- PDCA templateOne improvement cycle on one page: plan, do, check against the goal, then standardize or adjust. PDF and Excel.
- 5 Whys templateA problem statement, five why rows with evidence, the root cause and the countermeasure.
- 5W1H templateSix questions with prompts and evidence, turned into a problem statement before the root cause analysis.
- 8D report templateD0 to D8 on three pages: team, is/is not, containment, occurrence and escape causes, actions and closure.
- Poka-yoke worksheetEach step's possible errors, prevention or detection, the method, a device idea and a verified box.
- Skills matrix templatePeople by skills, a 0 to 4 scale, a training column and a coverage row that shows the gaps.
- Standard work sheet templateTakt time, each element's manual, machine and walk time on a time chart, key points and standard WIP.
- One point lesson (OPL) templateOne topic on one page: wrong way and right way pictures, key points, why it matters and a sign-off record.
- SMED changeover worksheetChangeover steps with times, internal or external, what can move, ideas and before/after totals.
- Kaizen event charter templateScope, team and roles, baseline and target metrics, a five-day schedule, risks and sign-off.
- RACI matrix template17 kaizen project tasks by 10 roles, with R, A, C, I drop-downs and a check for one accountable per task.
- Layered process audit (LPA) checklist20 yes, no or N/A checks at the station, a fixed-on-the-spot box, scores by group and a findings table.
- PFMEA template (process FMEA)Failure modes, effects and causes rated for severity, occurrence and detection, with RPN before and after action.
- 5S red tag log and red tagsA log of every red-tagged item with its decision, and six printable red tags to cut out.
- Shift handover templateProduction against plan, safety, quality, equipment, materials and people, and the open issues the next shift takes over.
- Kanban card templateSix production and six withdrawal kanban cards to print and cut out, with loop sizing and a card register.
- Pareto chart templateA tally sheet, the categories sorted largest first with cumulative %, and the chart. Excel does the sorting and drawing.
- Control plan templateWhat is checked at each step, against which limits, how, how often, and what to do when a result is out.
- Corrective action request (CAPA) formProblem, containment, root cause, corrective and preventive action, and proof the fix worked, on two pages.
- Idea suggestion formA one-page idea form with the supervisor's answer and points, and an idea log that tracks days to answer.
- Just Do It (JDI) card templateSix Just Do It cards per sheet for quick fixes, with the rules for what counts and a log of every card.
- Quick kaizen templateOne page for a small improvement: before and after, the cause, the countermeasure, the results and whether the standard changed.
- Time study sheetTime each element over 10 cycles and work out the average, lowest repeatable and standard time. Excel does the sums.
- Spaghetti diagram templateSquared paper to trace every trip, a tally of trips and distance, and a before and after comparison.
- OEE tracking sheetOne row per shift for a week. The Excel version works out availability, performance, quality and OEE and charts the week.
- Near miss report formA two-page near miss report from the first report to closure, and an Excel log with status and days open.
- Safety observation card templateFour behavior-based safety cards per sheet, with safe and at-risk checks, the conversation and a tally sheet.
- Job safety analysis (JSA) templateJob steps, hazards, risk scored before and after the controls, the hierarchy of controls, PPE and sign-off.
- Risk assessment matrix template (5×5)A color-coded 5 × 5 severity and likelihood matrix, a scoring guide and a risk register.
- Incident investigation report templateWhat happened, people, evidence and timeline, root cause with 5 Whys and contributing factors, actions and sign-off.
- Toolbox talk templateA record of a short safety talk: topic, key points, questions raised, actions and an attendee sign-in sheet.
- Lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedure templateA machine-specific LOTO procedure: energy sources and isolation points, the steps from shutdown to restart, and the annual review.
- Forklift inspection checklist23 pre-shift checks for a week on one page, a do-not-operate rule, and a defect and repair log.
- Non-conformance report (NCR) formA two-page NCR from the requirement against what was found to disposition and closure, and an Excel NCR log.
- CAPA log templateAn Excel CAPA tracker with status, days open, late flags and counts by source, plus a printable log and monthly review.
- Supplier corrective action request (SCAR) formA SCAR from the problem and containment asked for to the supplier's 8D-style response, verification and closure.
- First article inspection (FAI) report templatePart information, a ballooned characteristic table with tolerances and results, material and process certificates, and sign-off.
- Preventive maintenance checklist templateA PM checklist per machine with readings and sign-off, and a PM schedule that works out the next due date.
- Equipment downtime log (MTTR and MTBF)A breakdown and downtime log, with MTTR, MTBF and downtime by machine and cause worked out in Excel.
- Environmental aspects and impacts registerAn ISO 14001-style register of aspects and impacts, with significance scoring, legal requirements, controls and owners.
- Manufacturing process instruction (MPI) templateOperation steps with parameters, tools, quality checks, safety and a photo each, plus revision history and approval.
- Engineering process instruction (EPI) templateScope, parameters and limits, equipment and materials, validation steps, acceptance criteria, change history and approvals.
- Training sign-off sheetAn attendance and sign-off record where each person signs they understood, with a competence check and an Excel log.
- On-the-job training (OJT) checklistA job breakdown and the four TWI Job Instruction steps with sign-offs, the tries and the date the trainee qualified.
- New hire onboarding checklist (manufacturing)29 onboarding items from before day 1 to the 90-day review, with owners, dates and review notes.
- Competency assessment formEach task rated 0 to 4 on the skills matrix scale with the evidence seen, then the gaps and a training plan.
- Cross-training plan templateWho is learning which task, from and to which level, by when, and how many are qualified on each task.
- Absenteeism tracker templateA monthly attendance grid with codes, absence rate by person and team, and an optional Bradford factor.
- Engineering change request (ECR) formAn ECR form with the change, what it touches, risk and approvals, and an Excel log that tracks each change to done.
- Design FMEA (DFMEA) templateA design FMEA worksheet with S, O, D and RPN before and after action, a class column and a design rating guide.
- Process flow diagram templateA squared sheet to draw the flow with a symbol key, and a step table that counts operations, moves, checks, waits and storage.
- PPAP checklistThe 18 PPAP elements with owner, due date and status, the five submission levels and a readiness count.
- Process capability (Cpk) study sheet25 subgroups of readings with Cp, Cpk, Pp and Ppk worked out, control limits to check stability, and a histogram.
- Office 5S audit checklist25 checks written for offices and shared areas, five per S, scored 1 to 5, with a score summary and actions.
- Floor marking color guideA floor marking color standard with swatches, marks and line widths to fill in, and a floor marking check with a layout sketch.
- Shadow board plannerPlan a shadow board: the tool list with how often each is used, a squared layout, labels, and a month of daily checks.
- Lubrication schedule templateEvery lube point with lubricant, method, amount, frequency and who, with next due dates and a monthly sign-off record.
- TPM tag logEvery abnormality tag with type, who fixes it, priority and dates, with days open and counts by type and week.
- Autonomous maintenance step auditCriteria for each of the seven autonomous maintenance steps, scored 0 to 2, with the step result and the decision to move on.
- Inventory cycle count sheetA blind count sheet with variance and tolerance, an ABC count schedule and record accuracy, worked out in Excel.
- Hour-by-hour production boardHourly plan against actual with running totals and the reason for each miss, plus a shift summary by reason.
- Cost savings trackerA savings log with hard and soft savings, payback and Finance's sign-off, plus a glide path against the year's target.
- CapEx request formA capital request with options, costs, benefits, payback and NPV, and the approval levels the amount needs.
- Cost-benefit analysis templateUp to three options side by side with costs, hard and soft benefits, payback, NPV and the benefit-cost ratio.
- Cost of poor quality (COPQ) worksheetCost of quality by prevention, appraisal, internal and external failure, with COPQ as a share of sales.
- Incoming inspection checklistReceiving inspection checks from paperwork to sample, the sampling plan, the decision, and an Excel log by supplier.
- Supplier audit checklistA supplier process audit of 32 questions scored 0 to 3, with section scores, a rating and the findings.
- Supplier scorecardMonthly PPM, on-time delivery and SCAR measures turned into points, a weighted score and a rating per supplier.
- Receiving logA dock receiving log with quantities, damage, QC holds and putaway, plus a discrepancy report and dock-to-stock time.
- Warehouse safety inspection checklistThirty warehouse safety checks from aisles to fire exits, marked OK or Not OK, with an action for every finding.
- Pallet racking inspection checklistRack checks per aisle with a green, amber and red damage rating, and a damage log with repair dates.
- Pre-shipment inspection checklistThe last check before shipping: part, quantity, labels, packaging, paperwork and photos, then release.
- Material shortage logEvery part short with its need date, line impact, ETA and escalation, and counts by reason and supplier.
- Safety audit checklistThirty-four plant-wide safety checks answered Yes, No or N/A, scored by area, with a risk rating and an action for every No.
- Ergonomic risk assessment checklistScreen a task for 21 ergonomic risk factors, score how long each lasts, and rank tasks so the worst get controls first.
- Maintenance work order formOne form per maintenance job from request to handback, and a log that tracks response, completion and backlog by priority.
- Six big losses worksheetWhere a machine's planned time goes: the six big losses in minutes, ranked, with A, P, Q and OEE worked out.
- Andon response logEvery andon call with response and fix times, flags against your targets, and counts by type and station.
- Kanban sizing calculatorHow many kanban cards each loop needs, per part, with the change from today's cards and what the loop holds in days.
- X-bar and R control chart template25 subgroups with means and ranges, control limits from A2, D3 and D4, signal flags, both charts and a reaction log.
- Gage R&R study sheet10 parts, 2 or 3 appraisers, 2 or 3 trials: EV, AV, GRR, PV, %GRR and ndc by the average and range method.
- Root cause analysis templateOne report from problem statement to proof: containment, evidence, analysis, verified causes, actions and the effectiveness check.
Can't find the template you need?
Tell us what you're looking for. We'll make it and send it to your inbox, free.
A shift handover sheet, a red tag log, a changeover checklist for one machine: if your team uses it on the floor, ask.