Workflow Optimization

Setup vs Execution Time: Eliminate the Hidden Productivity Killer

You schedule a 4-hour production session. You spend 45 minutes gathering materials, organizing tools, and prepping your workspace. Then you produce for 2.5 hours. Then 45 minutes cleaning up, putting tools away, and resetting for next time. You billed for "4 hours of work," but only 2.5 hours created value. The other 1.5 hours (37.5% of your time) was pure overhead—setup and teardown that generates zero revenue. If you work 40 hours per week, 15 hours are wasted on non-productive setup. That's $30,000 annually at $40/hour. Gone.

19 min read

The Setup Time Tax: How Makers Lose 30-50% of Productive Hours

Research on artisan workshops reveals a brutal truth:

  • Average setup time per session: 35-60 minutes
  • Average teardown time per session: 25-45 minutes
  • Total non-productive time: 1-1.75 hours per work session (25-40% overhead)
  • Annual cost: $15,000-$35,000 in lost productive time for full-time makers

The core problem: Makers optimize production (the visible work) but ignore setup/teardown (the invisible work). They invest in better tools but not better organization. They batch production but not workspace preparation.

Understanding Setup vs. Execution Time

Every work session has three distinct time categories, but most makers only track one:

Setup Time (Non-Value-Add)

Everything you do before the first unit of production begins:

  • • Gathering materials and tools from storage
  • • Configuring equipment (adjusting settings, calibrating, testing)
  • • Organizing workspace layout
  • • Preparing raw materials (cutting to size, mixing, pre-treating)
  • • Finding missing tools or supplies
  • • Setting up photography/documentation area

Critical insight: Setup time generates zero revenue. It's pure overhead. Every minute reduced is a minute that can create profit.

Execution Time (Value-Add)

Direct production work—hands transforming materials into finished products:

  • • Cutting, shaping, assembling, painting, finishing
  • • Active manipulation of materials
  • • Quality control and inspection
  • • Photography of finished work

Critical insight: This is the ONLY time that creates value. Maximize this. Minimize everything else.

Teardown Time (Non-Value-Add)

Everything you do after production ends to reset the workspace:

  • • Cleaning tools and equipment
  • • Returning materials to storage
  • • Workspace cleanup (sweeping, wiping surfaces)
  • • Organizing scraps and waste
  • • Putting away finished products

Critical insight: Like setup, teardown creates zero value. But it's often forgotten when pricing, leading to chronic underpricing.

The Ideal Ratio

World-class manufacturers aim for 80%+ execution time. Makers typically run 50-60% execution time. The gap represents pure waste.

Current state (typical maker):

  • Setup: 50 min (21%)
  • Execution: 140 min (58%)
  • Teardown: 50 min (21%)
  • Total: 240 min (4 hours)

Optimized state (lean maker):

  • Setup: 15 min (6%)
  • Execution: 200 min (83%)
  • Teardown: 25 min (10%)
  • Total: 240 min (4 hours)

Result: 43% more productive time (200 min vs. 140 min execution) in the same total hours. That's like adding 17 hours per week without working more.

SMED Methodology for Makers: Single-Minute Exchange of Die

SMED is a lean manufacturing technique developed by Toyota to reduce setup time from hours to minutes. The principles apply perfectly to maker workshops.

The SMED Framework: 4 Steps to Eliminate Setup Waste

Step 1: Separate Internal from External Setup

Internal setup: Tasks that can ONLY be done when production is stopped (adjusting equipment, loading materials).

External setup: Tasks that can be done WHILE production is running or before/after (gathering materials, organizing tools, pre-cutting stock).

Example: Potter preparing for a wheel session

  • ❌ Internal (must stop work): Wedging clay, adjusting wheel speed, changing bats
  • ✅ External (do before session): Gathering tools, filling water bucket, preparing glaze area, cutting wire lengths

Optimization: Do all external setup the night before or during the previous session's teardown. Start each day with pure execution time.

Step 2: Convert Internal to External

Find ways to do "internal" tasks externally (before production stops or without stopping it).

Example: Jewelry maker soldering multiple pieces

  • Old way: Heat torch → solder piece → cool torch → repeat for each piece (internal, repetitive)
  • New way: Pre-position ALL pieces on soldering board → heat torch once → solder all pieces in one session → cool once (converted to batch, minimized internal time)

Time saved: 5 min per piece × 10 pieces = 50 min saved per session.

Step 3: Streamline Internal Setup Operations

For tasks that MUST be internal, make them as fast as possible through jigs, templates, and standardization.

Example: Woodworker cutting repeated shapes

  • Old way: Measure and mark each cut individually (12 min per piece)
  • New way: Create a template jig that positions wood automatically (2 min per piece)

Time saved: 10 min × 20 pieces = 200 min (3.3 hours) per batch. One-time jig investment pays for itself in a single production run.

Step 4: Eliminate Adjustments

Remove the need for calibration, testing, and adjustment through standardized settings and pre-configured equipment.

Example: Screen printer switching between designs

  • Old way: Adjust screen tension, realign registration, test print, adjust again (25 min per changeover)
  • New way: Pre-stretched screens with marked registration points, color-coded tension settings (5 min per changeover)

Time saved: 20 min × 3 changeovers per day = 60 min daily = 5 hours weekly = $10,400 annually at $40/hour.

Real Case Study: How a Leatherworker Cut Setup Time by 73%

The Problem

Marcus makes leather bags. Every production session started the same way: 50 minutes searching for tools, cutting leather to rough sizes, organizing hardware, and setting up his work table. By the time he actually started assembling bags, he was already mentally drained.

Baseline time audit (4-hour session):

  • Setup: 50 min (finding tools, organizing materials, cutting leather stock)
  • Execution: 155 min (assembling 3 bags)
  • Teardown: 35 min (cleaning, putting away tools, organizing scraps)
  • Total: 240 min (execution = 65% of time)

The Optimizations (SMED Applied)

  1. 1. Shadow board for tools (Step 1: External setup): Created a pegboard with outlined tool positions. Every tool has a designated spot. Eliminated 15 min of searching per session.
  2. 2. Pre-cut leather kits (Step 2: Convert internal to external): Batch-cut all leather pieces for 20 bags on Sunday night. Store in labeled bins. Eliminated 25 min of cutting setup per daily session.
  3. 3. Hardware pre-kits (Step 2: Convert internal to external): Pre-counted hardware (rivets, buckles, D-rings) into small bags labeled by product. No more counting/searching mid-production. Eliminated 8 min per session.
  4. 4. Stitching templates (Step 3: Streamline internal): Acrylic templates with pre-marked stitch holes. Eliminated measuring and marking. Reduced per-bag assembly time from 52 min to 38 min.
  5. 5. Rolling tool cart (Step 3: Streamline internal): Everything stays on cart between sessions. No more putting tools away and re-gathering. Cart rolls to work table, ready to go. Eliminated 12 min teardown and 10 min setup.

Results (same 4-hour session):

  • Setup: 13 min (73% reduction!)
  • Execution: 202 min (assembling 5 bags, not 3)
  • Teardown: 25 min (29% reduction)
  • Total: 240 min (execution = 84% of time)

Business impact: Output increased from 3 bags to 5 bags per session (67% more). Weekly production went from 15 bags to 25 bags. Monthly revenue increased by $2,400 (10 extra bags × $240 profit per bag).

Marcus's reaction: "I thought I was already efficient. Turns out I was wasting nearly 90 minutes every day on setup I could eliminate. Now I start producing the moment I sit down. Game-changer."

The Top 10 Setup Time Killers (and How to Fix Them)

1. Tool Hunting (avg loss: 10-15 min/session)

Problem: Tools scattered across workspace, in drawers, or "wherever I used them last."

Fix: Shadow board with outlined tool positions. If it's not in its spot, you know instantly. Everything visible, nothing hidden.

2. Material Disorganization (avg loss: 8-12 min/session)

Problem: Materials in bins, boxes, or piles. Can't find the right size/color quickly.

Fix: Clear labeled containers organized by type, size, and color. Vertical storage with labels facing forward.

3. Equipment Calibration Every Session (avg loss: 5-10 min/session)

Problem: Re-adjusting saw blade height, kiln temperature, press alignment every time you use it.

Fix: Create preset position markers (tape marks, stop blocks, digital presets). "Setting A" for product X, "Setting B" for product Y.

4. Workbench Clearing/Resetting (avg loss: 8-15 min/session)

Problem: Work surface covered with scraps, tools, and leftover materials from last session.

Fix: 5-minute end-of-session reset protocol. Clear surface, return tools, sweep workspace. Start every session with a clean slate.

5. Incomplete Material Prep (avg loss: 10-20 min/session)

Problem: Cutting materials to size, measuring, and prepping during production time.

Fix: Batch all material prep on dedicated prep days. Store pre-cut, pre-measured kits ready for assembly. Never measure during production.

6. Multi-Step Tool Retrieval (avg loss: 5-8 min/session)

Problem: Tools stored by category in different locations. Walk across workshop 15 times to gather what you need.

Fix: Organize tools by workflow/process, not by type. Keep all cutting tools together at the cutting station, not in separate "saw drawer" and "knife drawer."

7. Missing Supplies Discovery (avg loss: 10-30 min/session + trip to store)

Problem: Realize mid-session you're out of a critical supply. Have to stop, go to the store, lose momentum.

Fix: Visual inventory system with reorder triggers. When you grab the last spare spool of thread, add it to the shopping list immediately.

8. Lighting Adjustment (avg loss: 3-5 min/session)

Problem: Adjusting task lights, repositioning lamps, straining to see detail work.

Fix: Permanent overhead and task lighting positioned correctly. No adjustments needed—just flip switch and start.

9. Template/Jig Searching (avg loss: 5-10 min/session)

Problem: Templates and jigs stored randomly. Can't find the right one when needed.

Fix: Dedicated template rack with labeled slots. Hanging vertical storage with clear visibility.

10. Photography Setup (avg loss: 5-10 min/session)

Problem: Setting up lightbox, backdrop, camera every time you need to photograph finished work.

Fix: Permanent photography station always set up. Shoot products immediately after finishing—no setup required.

How TrueCraft Helps You Measure Setup vs. Execution Time

TrueCraft's time tracking with activity tagging lets you:

  • Categorize time by activity: Tag time as "setup," "execution," or "teardown" to see real ratios
  • Track optimization improvements: See setup time decrease week-over-week as you implement changes
  • Identify worst offenders: Which products have the highest setup:execution ratio? Focus optimization there.
  • Calculate opportunity cost: Dashboard shows "If you reduced setup by 50%, you'd gain X hours monthly worth $Y"
  • Benchmark against goals: Set target ratio (e.g., 80% execution time) and track progress toward it

Example: A ceramic artist discovered her average session was 35% setup, 50% execution, 15% teardown. After implementing shadow boards and pre-batched materials, she hit 12% setup, 78% execution, 10% teardown. TrueCraft tracked the improvement and calculated she recovered 14 hours per month—worth $560.

Your 30-Day Setup Optimization Challenge

Week 1: Measure Your Baseline

  • • Time every work session, categorizing minutes as setup, execution, or teardown
  • • Calculate your execution time percentage (target: 70%+)
  • • Identify the top 3 most time-consuming setup tasks

Week 2: External Setup Conversion

  • • Move all possible setup tasks to "before session" or "between sessions"
  • • Create a pre-session checklist (materials gathered, tools ready, workspace clean)
  • • Batch material prep on dedicated prep days

Week 3: Eliminate Tool/Material Searching

  • • Build shadow board for 20 most-used tools
  • • Organize materials in clear labeled containers
  • • Implement visual inventory system

Week 4: Measure Improvement

  • • Re-time sessions using the same methodology as Week 1
  • • Calculate new execution time percentage (goal: 75-85%)
  • • Quantify time saved: hours per month × hourly rate = monthly value recovered

Setup optimization isn't glamorous. There's no shiny new tool to buy. But it's the highest-ROI improvement you can make. Cutting setup time by 50% is equivalent to working 20% more hours—without actually working more. You just reclaim wasted time and convert it to productive, revenue-generating execution time. That's the definition of working smarter, not harder.

Maximize Your Productive Hours

TrueCraft tracks setup vs. execution time automatically, helping you identify waste and measure improvements. See exactly where your time goes and optimize ruthlessly for maximum productivity.

Join makers who've reclaimed 10-15 hours per week by eliminating setup waste.

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