SMED is one of lean mfg. tool kits that has evolved out of Toyota production system (TPS). It is a technique to deliver a quick changeover in less than 10 minutes. It will take a changeover that normally will take a few hours or even more and reduce it to one that will take single minutes. Through the use of these simple quick changeover techniques companies have reduced setup times from sometimes days to less than 10 minutes, often at little or no cost to the companies involved.

Typical benefits of SMED:

• Increased capacity – less time on setups means more available working time
• Reduced batch sizes – Shorter setup times mean you can run smaller batches more often
• Improved production flow – Vital for Just in Time (JIT) production as part of Lean manufacturing.
• Reduced stock and WIP (Work in Progress) – See below regarding stock reduction
• Increased flexibility – much easier to slot in that urgent order or to service multiple customers or part numbers
• Lead times reduced – often lead times of weeks can be slashed to a day or two
• Improved quality – if there are problems you will quickly know and quantities will be reduced
• Waste reduction – less scrap and rework associated with setups as well as quality improvements
• Less space and handling equipment – less stock so reduced need to store and move
• Costs reduced and Profits increased