Line balancing analysis worksheet (interactive)

{ "Title": "Line balancing analysis worksheet", "IntroductionHtml": "

Use this worksheet during bottleneck analysis or line rebalancing events. Enter basic production inputs to establish takt, paste or type task standards, capture observations about the constraint, propose task reassignments and buffer placement, and record an action plan with owners and due dates. Save a submission for later comparison, handoff, and follow-up.

", "SubmitLabel": "Save analysis", "SuccessMessage": "Line balancing analysis saved. Use the data to run experiments, share with the team, and track follow-up actions.", "DataType": "LineBalancingAnalysis", "SchemaVersion": "1.0", "Fields": [ { "Key": "work_area", "FieldType": "text", "Label": "Plant / Line / Cell", "HelpText": "Identify the specific line, cell, or part family this analysis covers (e.g., Line 2 - Widget Assembly).", "Required": true }, { "Key": "analysis_date", "FieldType": "text", "Label": "Date (YYYY-MM-DD)", "HelpText": "Date of the analysis or rebalancing event.", "Required": true }, { "Key": "analyst", "FieldType": "text", "Label": "Analyst / Facilitator", "HelpText": "Person running the analysis or event.", "Required": false }, { "Key": "target_demand_per_shift", "FieldType": "number", "Label": "Planned output (pieces) per shift", "HelpText": "Customer demand or planned production quantity for the shift.", "Required": true }, { "Key": "shifts_per_day", "FieldType": "number", "Label": "Shifts per day", "HelpText": "Number of production shifts operating per day (enter 0 if not applicable).", "Required": true }, { "Key": "available_minutes_per_shift", "FieldType": "number", "Label": "Available work minutes per shift", "HelpText": "Total scheduled minutes in a shift (e.g., 450 for a 7.5-hour shift).", "Required": true }, { "Key": "planned_downtime_minutes", "FieldType": "number", "Label": "Planned downtime / breaks (minutes)", "HelpText": "Sum of planned breaks, meetings, and known non-productive minutes in the shift.", "Required": true }, { "Key": "calculated_takt_minutes", "FieldType": "number", "Label": "Calculated takt time (minutes)", "HelpText": "Recommended: takt = (available minutes per shift - planned downtime) / planned output per shift. Enter the result here. (This form does not auto-calculate — to prevent errors, paste the computed value.)", "Required": true }, { "Key": "operators_on_cell", "FieldType": "number", "Label": "Number of operators on the cell/station", "HelpText": "Count of operators assigned during the evaluated shift.", "Required": true }, { "Key": "task_list_csv", "FieldType": "textarea", "Label": "Task list (CSV or pasted table)", "HelpText": "Paste task rows as CSV or a simple table. Required columns: TaskName; StandardTime_sec; VariabilityNotes; CurrentOperator. Example row: 'Assemble widget A; 45; low; Op1'", "Required": true }, { "Key": "measured_cycle_times_summary", "FieldType": "textarea", "Label": "Observed cycle time notes", "HelpText": "Summarize observed cycle times, typical peaks, and variability at each station. Include ranges, frequent delays, or common work stoppages.", "Required": false }, { "Key": "constraint_identification", "FieldType": "radio", "Label": "Does this analysis identify a clear constraint (bottleneck)?", "HelpText": "Choose the best option based on your observation and flow metrics.", "Required": true, "Options": [ {"Value": "yes", "Label": "Yes - single constraint identified"}, {"Value": "multiple", "Label": "Multiple potential constraints / unclear"}, {"Value": "no", "Label": "No - flow appears balanced currently"} ] }, { "Key": "constraint_location", "FieldType": "text", "Label": "If yes or multiple: where is the constraint?", "HelpText": "Station name, machine id, or operation step. Leave blank if not applicable.", "Required": false }, { "Key": "key_observations", "FieldType": "textarea", "Label": "Key observations", "HelpText": "Describe what operators and observers saw: starved/blocked flow, frequent quality checks, long setups, material shortages, repeat rework, etc.", "Required": false }, { "Key": "proposed_reassignments", "FieldType": "textarea", "Label": "Proposed task reassignments (concrete)", "HelpText": "List proposed task moves, approximate time shifts, and expected cycle impact. Example: 'Move task X (20s) from Op3 to Op2 to reduce Op3 load by 20s.'", "Required": false }, { "Key": "buffer_recommendations", "FieldType": "textarea", "Label": "Buffer placement suggestions", "HelpText": "Where to place short WIP buffers, how large, and why (protect constraint, decouple variability).", "Required": false }, { "Key": "priority_rules", "FieldType": "select", "Label": "Recommended priority rule at constraint", "HelpText": "Choose a suggested priority policy to protect the constraint during execution.", "Required": false, "Options": [ {"Value": "fifo", "Label": "First-in, first-out (FIFO)"}, {"Value": "protect_constraint", "Label": "Always protect the constraint (give priority)"}, {"Value": "shortest_processing", "Label": "Shortest processing time first"}, {"Value": "earliest_due", "Label": "Earliest due date first"}, {"Value": "custom", "Label": "Custom rule (explain below)"} ] }, { "Key": "quality_gates_needed", "FieldType": "yesno", "Label": "Add a quality gate before/after constraint?", "HelpText": "A short quality check to prevent rework from reaching the constraint." }, { "Key": "preventive_maintenance_needed", "FieldType": "yesno", "Label": "Is immediate preventive maintenance or quick-change improvement needed?", "HelpText": "Helps protect the constraint from unexpected breakdowns." }, { "Key": "visual_swimlane_ascii", "FieldType": "textarea", "Label": "Simple swimlane sketch or link (optional)", "HelpText": "Paste a simple ASCII swimlane, a link to an image, or a short text layout showing operator tasks over time. This helps visualize load balance when no drawing tool is at hand.", "Required": false }, { "Key": "recommended_experiments", "FieldType": "textarea", "Label": "Recommended experiments to test rebalancing", "HelpText": "List small, time-boxed experiments to test proposed changes (who, what, duration, expected outcome, measurement). Example: 'Trial reassignment A for 2 shifts; measure throughput and WIP.'", "Required": false }, { "Key": "action_plan", "FieldType": "textarea", "Label": "Action plan (owner; action; due date)", "HelpText": "Use a simple list format: Owner - Action - Due date - Success criteria. This becomes the CI follow-up register.", "Required": false }, { "Key": "confidence_scale", "FieldType": "scale", "Label": "Confidence in the proposed changes", "HelpText": "Rate how confident the team is that the proposed changes will improve throughput (1 = low, 5 = high).", "Required": false, "Min": 1, "Max": 5 }, { "Key": "notes_and_followup", "FieldType": "textarea", "Label": "Additional notes / next steps", "HelpText": "Anything else the team should remember or follow up on.", "Required": false } ] }