Increasing overall equipment effectiveness by changeover time reduction: a pharmaceutical case carried through DMAIC cycle

This study aims to enhance the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) of a blister packaging line in a pharmaceutical firm located in a developing nation in Asia. The case study employed the DMAIC cycle (define, measure, analyse, improve, and control) to investigate and address the issue comprehensively. Utilising various data analysis methods, the root causes of the problem were identified, and changeover-time reduction emerged as a quick win among several factors. The single-minute exchange of die (SMED) approach was employed, leading to the development of effective solutions. The successful elimination of the root cause brought about continuous enhancements in the processing department, ultimately resulting in increased OEE. Furthermore, changeover time reduction was identified as the major contributing factor to this improvement. The novelty of this research lies in exploring different lean manufacturing and six sigma methodologies for enhancing OEE within the pharmaceutical sector.