Manufacturing
Find The Work Hidden Between Production Steps
Production performance depends on more than the production line. Scheduling, materials, quality, maintenance and customer changes all affect the flow of work. Errors, delays and incomplete handoffs create unnecessary work that consumes capacity. We call this Noise.
At Bevington Partners, we use XeP3, our research-backed methodology and proprietary software platform, to help manufacturing leaders quantify that Noise, engage the people managing those handoffs, identify its causes and prioritise process improvements that recover capacity and improve end-to-end production performance.
Actual Work
Capture Actual Work And Exceptions
Standard operating procedures describe how work ‘should happen’. The people coordinating schedules, materials, quality and maintenance understand the additional work required when production plans change or processes break down.
XeP3 captures how work actually happens, including expediting, rescheduling and manual corrections that rarely appear in production reports. Staff insight helps quantify Noise and identify opportunities to recover lost capacity.
Root Causes
Identify Upstream Causes Of Production Delays
Production delays can originate upstream through late order changes, missing specifications, supplier issues or incomplete maintenance handoffs.
XeP3 maps the connections between these activities and quantifies the additional effort they create. This helps teams identify the underlying causes and prioritise improvements that reduce recurring delays and rework.
Case Study
Recovering Capacity Between Production Runs
Across 19 manufacturing projects in the University of Melbourne research, a median of 33.0% of staff effort was lost to Noise. It rarely sits on the production line itself. It builds up between steps – where planning, maintenance, quality assurance and scheduling aren’t aligned, where specifications arrive late and where exceptions are fixed by hand rather than at their source.
One manufacturer was ready to invest in more production lines, yet the lines it already had were losing capacity between runs. Using XeP3, it aligned production planning, maintenance and quality assurance to the same schedule, eliminating the Noise between runs and making the most of existing operations before building the case for further investment.
- 33.0% Median Noise across 19 manufacturing projects (University of Melbourne research)
Measurement
Measure The Value Of Process Change
Using XeP3, we establish a baseline before changes are implemented and assess improvements against agreed performance measures and track progress over time through Behavioural Change Indicators (BCIs). This helps manufacturing leaders evaluate the impact on production flow, rework and recovered capacity.
Flow
Track delays, waiting time and disruption across planning, production and dispatch.
Rework
Measure the effort consumed by quality corrections, repeated checks and avoidable rework.
Capacity
Quantify the staff time recovered for production, continuous improvement and customer requirements.
Results And Insights
The Evidence Behind XeP3
University of Melbourne Research
Explore peer-reviewed research into why many improvement programs fall short and how XeP3 addresses these challenges.
The Untapped Capacity
Explore how hidden inefficiencies consume organisational capacity and contribute to productivity loss in sectors including manufacturing.
Research And Case Studies
Explore articles, white papers and results from XeP3 programs across manufacturing and other industries.
Related Industries
Explore Related Sectors
Find The Capacity Hidden Between Production Steps