IET used sequential work sampling to document the performance of machining cells, sub assembly and final assembly. The IET engineers made minute by minute observations of the operators and categorized machine status including run time, blocked, starved and downtime by reason. The conclusion was that the workload was imbalanced and ineffective air decay test equipment was blocking the flow through the cell and causing unnecessary rework.

With the information gained during the data collection phase IET was challenged to redesign the processes to reduce the downtime in the current process. IET conducted time studies on each task in order to provide a logical line balance.

Cell rearrangement layouts including improved test equipment and redesigned assembly stations were proposed that would improve production output and quality. The IET engineers recommended changes in fixture and component location in order to eliminate wasteful motions and to improve ergonomics. Capability studies of the new processes were completed to assure the client and their customers that the new processes installed had actually improved the quality levels.

The result was an increase of production output by over 50% allowing production to be reduced by one shift.