Enablers in the production system design process impacting operational performance

This paper explores how the design process of the production system could be utilized to improve the operational performance during the production ramp-up and operation phases. A qualitative case study was carried out in a large process-type manufacturing company, focusing on three new production line launching projects. Different actions taken in the design process of the production lines were linked to their impact during the running operation phase and operational performance, which is measured by the metric of Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) within lean manufacturing. The empirical findings provides a concrete example that activities in the design process impact on the OEE. A set of enablers in the production system design process at different systems-level, especially concerning the acquisition of new production equipment have been demonstrated that has potential to achieve the target operational performance. Finally, the concept of operational performance driven production system design process is proposed.