Project · Engineering & Methods

Industrial Methods &
Production Performance

Deployed and structured the manufacturing engineering framework on a production line — from SAP routing setup to MES performance analysis — delivering measurable gains in STD time accuracy and labor cost optimization.

SAP Routing MES / MEPOD STD Time Analysis Continuous Improvement Labor Cost Optimization Operator Training

Impact at a glance

Key Numbers

40+
SAP routings configured & validated
600+
Operations created (avg. 15 per routing)
87%
STD time accuracy achieved (from 60%)
+27pt
Accuracy improvement in under 12 months
30
Operators trained on MES / MEPOD
5
High-runner products fully analysed
<10%
IDLE time stable all year

Financial Impact

Labor Cost Saving

4h
Saved per unit on high-runner product
×20
Units produced per month (peak)
€20K+
Monthly saving potential
(4h × 20 units × €250/h)

Context

Challenges

Challenge 01

SAP introduced in 2022 — routings, operations and STD times needed to be built from scratch with no baseline

Challenge 02

Low STD time accuracy (60%) causing unreliable standard costs and poor production performance visibility

Challenge 03

Operators unfamiliar with MES time tracking — incorrect or missed clock-in/out impacting Run time data quality

Challenge 04

MES bugs generating false Run time data — requiring systematic identification and escalation to dev team

Challenge 05

STD time directly feeds standard product cost — inaccurate times impacting financial reporting and cost control

What I did

Actions Taken

1
SAP Configuration

Routing Setup & Operation Definition in SAP

Configured 40+ manufacturing routings in SAP — creating an average of 15 operations per routing with full parameter definition.

SETUP TIME, MACHINE TIME, RUN TIME, WAIT TIME per operationQuality inspection characteristics (MIC) per operationComponent assignment (Part Number) per consumption pointControl key configuration & operation descriptions
2

Operator Training on MES / MEPOD

Trained 30 operators on MES time tracking and MEPOD — covering STD time concepts, Run time vs STD time logic, correct clock-in/out procedures and time reporting accuracy.

3
Performance Analysis

STD Time vs Run Time Analysis — 5 High-Runner Products

Conducted systematic analysis of STD time vs actual Run time across 5 high-runner product lines — identifying the least accurate operations and root causes of deviations.

Gap analysis per operation — STD vs actual Run timeIDLE time monitoring — maintained below 10% year-roundDirect vs indirect time ratio analysisMES utilization rate measurement per operator
4
Action Plan

Field Investigation & Root Cause Resolution

Deployed terrain action plans based on analysis findings — distinguishing between STD time misconfiguration, MES bugs, and operator behavior issues.

On-site observation when STD time didn’t reflect realityMES bug identification & escalation to development teamTargeted retraining for incorrect or missed time entriesSAP STD time corrections after validated field observations
5
Cost Impact

Standard Cost Optimization via STD Time Accuracy

Aligned STD times with operational reality — directly improving standard product cost accuracy. Achieved 4h saving per unit on key high-runner products, generating €20K+ monthly saving potential at peak production (20 units/month × €250/h labor rate).

6

MES Improvement Feedback Loop

Consolidated and escalated MES bugs and enhancement requests to the development team — contributing to continuous system improvement and better data reliability for future analyses.

Outcomes

Results

STD accuracy 60% → 87%

+27 percentage points in under 12 months post SAP go-live

€20K+ monthly saving potential

4h saved per unit × 20 units × €250/h on high-runner product

40+ routings fully configured

600+ operations with times, MIC, components and control keys

30 operators MES-certified

Trained on MEPOD, time tracking and STD time culture

IDLE time <10% all year

Stable utilization rate maintained through continuous monitoring

MES bugs escalated & resolved

Structured feedback loop with dev team improving system reliability

“Built the manufacturing engineering foundation from the ground up — structuring SAP routings, aligning STD times with operational reality, and developing operator MES culture to deliver a 27-point accuracy gain and significant standard cost savings in under one year.”