Line Balancing

The first step is to capture a detailed cycle time study of each process and operator using Time & Motion Study or Videography. This helps establish a clear understanding of how long each task takes under actual working conditions. 

By observing and evaluating how tasks are performed on the shop floor or in service environments, we help businesses unlock hidden potential in their day-to-day operations.

TAKT Time defines the maximum time allowed to produce one unit in order to meet customer demand.

TAKT Time = Available Production Time / Customer Demand. This becomes the benchmark against which each workstation’s workload is measured. It helps:

• Align production speed with customer demand
• Plan the number of operators required
• Avoid overproduction or late deliveries

Create a Line Balance Chart that plots the duration of each process step against TAKT Time. This visual tool helps to:

• Identify bottlenecks (stations exceeding TAKT Time)
• Spot underutilized stations or excess capacity
• Understand flow disruptions and imbalance
• This step is critical before any redesign, as it establishes a baseline for improvement.

To determine the optimal number of operators, target manpower is calculated as:

Target Manpower = Total Work Content / TAKT Time

Total Work Content is the sum of manual task durations required to complete one cycle of production. Only manual cycle times are included; machine automatic times should be excluded.

This figure provides a theoretical benchmark for how many operators are ideally needed in a fully balanced line, forming the foundation for resource planning and cost optimization.

The next step is to redistribute tasks or eliminate Non-Value-Adding (NVA) activities to bring each workstation’s load as close to TAKT Time as possible. This may include:

• Combining or splitting tasks
• Reducing walking or waiting time
• Simplifying motion
• Improving layout or material availability 

The objective is to achieve uniform workload distribution and eliminate inefficiencies that cause delays, waiting, or overburdening.