Mixed-Model Scheduling: How to Level Flow and Orchestrate Production When Demand Changes Daily (Lean Line Pro Deep Dive Series)

How do I schedule high-mix production without giant batches, constant expediting, and daily chaos?Mixed-model scheduling is where good lean cells either succeed — or fall apart.You’ve reduced changeover time.You’ve built a flowing cell.Your people know how to run the work.And yet delivery is still unpredictable.Schedules change daily. Expedites dominate. Customers pull you in five directions at once. The cell can flex, but the schedule can’t.This book fixes that.Mixed-Model Scheduling for High-Mix Manufacturing is a practical guide to leveling production in high-mix, low-volume environments where demand changes daily and batching destroys flexibility.This is not theory. It is not academic lean. And it is not software-driven scheduling that ignores reality on the floor.Inside this book, you’ll learn how to:• Design a leveled daily schedule that fits your available time• Calculate EPE and use it to control lead time• Set right-sized batch quantities without slipping back into large-batch habits• Sequence products to reduce changeover pain• Build and run a physical heijunka board operators can follow• Use pitch to monitor execution hour by hour• Respond to breakdowns, shortages, and rush orders without destroying the schedule• Stop batch-size creep before it quietly takes over againThe goal is simple: make scheduling boring, visual, and reliable.Who This Book Is ForThis book is for manufacturing engineers, production supervisors, planners, schedulers, operations leaders, and plant managers who operate cell-based production with repeating products and want shorter lead times, more predictable delivery, and less daily firefighting.This Book Is NOT the Starting PointIf you have not defined product families yet, start with Volume 1.If changeovers still take hours, start with Volume 2.If you do not have a flowing cell yet, start with Volume 3.This book assumes you have a product family and a cell that can run multiple products. Now you need a scheduling system that keeps the flow from collapsing.Where This Book Fits in the Lean Line Pro SystemThe Lean Line Pro Deep Dive Series is a step-by-step implementation system for building real lean flow in high-mix, low-volume manufacturing.Each volume is designed around one bite-sized continuous improvement project — one practical system your team can understand, implement, measure, and improve before moving to the next step.If you are new to the series, start with Volume 1 and work through Volume 6 in order.The 6 Core Steps to Lean Flow in High-Mix ManufacturingVol. 1 — Define Product Families↓Vol. 2 — Reduce Setup Times↓Vol. 3 — Build Flexible Cells↓Vol. 4 — Level the Schedule↓Vol. 5 — Install Pull Systems↓Vol. 6 — Standardize the WorkSpecial Situation GuidesVol. 7 — Manage Shared EquipmentUse this when shared machines, ovens, washers, paint booths, test chambers, or other monument processes disrupt flow across multiple cells.Vol. 8 — Batch Processing Inside a CellUse this when one station inside an otherwise flowing cell must run in batches.Written by a PractitionerBased on 20+ years on real shop floors. No buzzwords. No academic fluff. Just practical scheduling methods, visual controls, examples, and implementation logic you can use on the floor.If your cell works but scheduling is still chaos, this book shows you how to fix it. Read more