In every manufacturing operation, there are operators who perform changeovers faster, more consistently and with fewer errors than their colleagues. These are your best-practice performersâthe ones who have optimised their sequences, know the shortcuts and avoid common mistakes.
The challenge is capturing what they know and making it available to everyone. AR SOPs offer a practical way to capture best-practice changeover sequences, standardise them and deploy them to every operator, on every shift.
Why best-practice capture matters for changeovers
Changeover performance varies significantly between operators. Studies suggest:
- Time variability: Changeover times for the same task can vary by 50â100% between operators
- Error rates: Less experienced operators are 2â3x more likely to make errors during changeover
- Startup issues: Changeovers performed by less skilled operators often result in startup defects
If you can capture what your best operators do differently and make it the standard, you can raise everyone's performance to that level.
The traditional challenge: tacit knowledge
Best-practice knowledge is often tacitâheld in the heads of expert operators rather than written down. Experts may not even be aware of what they do differently. When asked, they describe the same steps as everyone else, but their execution differs in subtle ways.
Traditional documentation methods struggle to capture this:
- Paper SOPs: Describe the official procedure, not the optimised version
- Video recordings: Show what happened, but are hard to search or update
- Shadowing: Depends on expert availability and teaching ability
AR SOPs offer a different approach.
How AR SOPs capture best-practice sequences
AR SOPs capture best-practice changeover sequences through a combination of expert recording, structured content and visual delivery:
1. Expert recording in the real environment
Equip your best operator with an AR device (smart glasses or tablet). As they perform the changeover, the system records:
- The sequence of steps, in order
- Time spent on each step
- Images and video at key points
- Voice notes, tips and explanations
This captures not just what they do, but how and why.
2. Structuring into reusable content
AI-powered tools help structure the captured recording into clear, sequential steps. Gaps and inconsistencies are flagged for review. The expert validates and enriches the content, adding warnings, tips and best practices.
3. Visual delivery to all operators
The resulting AR SOP is published to all operators. When performing the changeover, they see the same visual guidance the expert usedâstep by step, overlaid on the actual equipment.
4. Continuous improvement
As operators use the AR SOP, data is collected on step times, errors and feedback. This data identifies opportunities to further optimise the sequenceâand the AR SOP is updated accordingly.
A practical example: packaging line changeover
A food manufacturer had significant variability in changeover times on a packaging line. The fastest operators completed changeovers in 25 minutes; the slowest took over 45 minutes.
By capturing the best-practice sequence with AR SOPs:
- The fastest operator performed a changeover while wearing smart glasses
- The system recorded the sequence, timing and visual guidance
- The content was structured, validated and published
Results after deployment:
- Average changeover time dropped from 38 minutes to 28 minutes
- Variability (standard deviation) fell by 60%
- Startup errors decreased by 40%
The AR SOP made the best operator's approach the new standard for everyone.
Keys to success
Capturing best-practice changeover sequences with AR SOPs requires attention to a few key factors:
- Choose the right expert: Select operators with consistently fast, error-free changeoversânot just seniority.
- Capture in the real environment: Record during actual production, not staged demonstrations.
- Validate with others: Have other operators review the AR SOP to ensure it works for them.
- Update regularly: Best practices evolve. Keep AR SOPs current as you discover further improvements.
Getting started
If changeover variability is a problem in your operation, capturing best-practice sequences with AR SOPs is a proven solution. Identify your best performers, capture what they do and make it the standard.
Learn more about AR-guided changeover to reduce downtime or contact ActARion to discuss your changeover optimisation goals.