Discover your next big idea in food packaging & processing this Sept.
Experience a breakthrough in food packaging & processing—explore solutions from 2,300 suppliers spanning all industries at PACK EXPO Las Vegas.

Smarter Line Utilization: Getting More from the Lines You Already Have

The path to resilience isn’t always about building new lines, sometimes it’s about finally unleashing the potential of the ones we’ve had all along.

Today’s modern processing plants can benefit from a growing set of tools designed to expose inefficiencies and drive action.
Today’s modern processing plants can benefit from a growing set of tools designed to expose inefficiencies and drive action.
neznamov1984 / Adobe Stock

In today’s unpredictable economic environment, food and beverage manufacturers face increasing pressure to deliver more with less. We need more product, more output, more reliability, but with less budget, less labor, and less room for error. This demand isn’t new, but it has taken on greater urgency as supply chain disruptions, inflationary pressure, and labor shortages stretch operations thin. With capital projects harder to justify and new equipment lead times growing longer, many processors are asking a critical question: Are we truly maximizing the lines we already have?

That question lies at the heart of smarter line utilization. It’s a concept that challenges manufacturers to increase throughput, reduce downtime, and eliminate inefficiencies without adding equipment or headcount. It requires us to think differently about the assets on the floor—not as fixed-capacity machines, but as flexible, optimizable systems capable of more than they’re currently delivering.

The untapped capacity in every line

In most processing facilities, there’s a gap between what the line is doing and what it could be doing. That gap may be caused by inefficiencies in changeovers, unplanned micro-stoppages, inconsistent material flow, operator variability, or lack of real-time visibility. But that gap represents opportunity, and in many cases, a significant one.

In a large milk processing plant, managers discovered that frequent, extended changeovers were quietly eating away at daily production volume. Though each changeover seemed efficient in isolation, the cumulative time lost added up to hours of idle equipment each week.

Dr. Bryan Griffen is the President of Griffen Executive Solutions LLC. He was previously Senior Director of Industry Services for PMMI: The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, and he held a number of roles for Nestlé during his many years there.Dr. Bryan Griffen is the President of Griffen Executive Solutions LLC. He was previously Senior Director of Industry Services for PMMI: The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, and he held a number of roles for Nestlé during his many years there.By engaging the line team and applying lean tools, they began measuring actual changeover durations, identifying sources of variability, and standardizing best practices. Visual tools such as center-lining (which indicates optimal settings directly on the equipment) and laminated changeover guides were developed to assist operators in quickly restoring settings after cleaning or format changes.

Additionally, targeted One Point Lessons (OPLs) were created—not for the full changeover process, but to address particularly tricky or error-prone tasks like aligning a filler valve or resetting a digital controller that often led to extended troubleshooting. These bite-sized, visual SOPs were displayed near the relevant equipment and helped reduce learning curves for newer team members while reinforcing precision for seasoned operators.

The result was a significant reduction in average changeover time and a measurable increase in cases produced per shift, without any capital investment or added labor.

This story illustrates a central truth in smarter utilization: The key isn’t always automation or high-tech upgrades. Sometimes it’s about empowering the people already on the floor, connecting them with clearer processes, better data, and visual tools that help them make the right decisions faster.

Construction strategies for volatile F&B markets
See how leading manufacturers are fast-tracking projects despite economic uncertainty. Get proven tactics for overcoming tariffs, labor shortages, and rising costs.
Read More
Construction strategies for volatile F&B markets
Break out of the ordinary: see what’s new in food packaging & processing
At PACK EXPO Las Vegas you’ll see machinery in action and new tech from 2,300 suppliers, collaborate with experts and explore transformative solutions. Join us this September to experience a breakthrough in food packaging and processing.
REGISTER NOW AND SAVE!
Break out of the ordinary: see what’s new in food packaging & processing