Increasing Productivity in a Manufacturing Setting using Daily Process Walks
A ten-minute daily walk with a posted goal and score can lift factory output the same day.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The authors walked the factory floor for ten minutes every morning.
They set a daily casting goal and posted the score where every worker could see it.
They used an ABAB design: walks on, walks off, walks on again.
What they found
Casting output went up when the walks and public feedback were in place.
When the walks stopped, output slipped back down.
Bringing the walks back lifted output again.
How this fits with other research
Hassin-Herman et al. (1992) ran a similar ABAB study in a very different place: a psychiatric ward. Their public feedback also boosted adult behavior, showing the tactic works across settings.
Luke et al. (2024) give a how-to guide for mapping workflows in human-service agencies. Their paper pairs well with Matey et al. (2021): map the process first, then walk it daily.
Frampton et al. (2024) used video plus feedback to teach college students note-taking skills. Both studies show that short feedback loops create fast, large gains in adult learners.
Why it matters
You can copy this in any service setting. Pick one key metric, set a daily goal, and post results where staff can see them. Ten minutes of face-to-face feedback beats long emails or monthly reports. Try it next week and watch the numbers move.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
In manufacturing, daily productivity is critical because as production increases, the capacity to accept orders increases. Organizational Behavior Management strategies and Lean Manufacturing approaches are compatible and produce positive changes in performance. The current study took place at a metal manufacturer and evaluated whether process walks with embedded goal-setting and feedback could increase productivity. Following baseline, we evaluated the effect of a process walk where the superintendent and supervisor discussed the previous performance and set goals for the next shift’s productivity. After a partial withdrawal phase, we added two components to the process walk. Supervisors communicated the goal set during the walk to front-line workers, and performance feedback was publicly posted in the office. Casting productivity improved following the intervention, and superintendents reported having a better understanding of process issues following the intervention.
Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 2021 · doi:10.1080/01608061.2021.1897058