Revising standard operating procedures to improve Time Data Management A case study at SKF

Sammanfattning

This thesis investigates how standard operating procedures (SOPs) at SKF can be designedto support reliable Time Data Management (TDM). Reliable time data and efficiencymeasures are essential for production planning, cost calculation, and strategic decision-making. However, manufacturing companies often experience mismatches between actualshop-floor operation times and the time standards stored in databases and systems. At SKF,the implementation of a new manufacturing intelligence system (MIS) has created newopportunities to improve the quality and traceability of production data. However, reliable TDMdepends not only on technological capabilities, but also on clearly defined organizationalprocedures and responsibilities.The study was conducted as a mixed-method case study at SKF’s roller bearing productionfacilities in Gothenburg. Empirical data were collected through internal documentation, semi-structured interviews, workplace discussions, observations, and production related data. Thecollected data was analyzed to identify recurring issues, patterns, and organizationalchallenges connected to the management of time data and efficiency measures. In addition,several identified issues were further examined through quantitative analysis.The findings revealed challenges related to both the design of the existing SOPs, and theadherence to them in practice. Weaknesses were identified regarding unclear responsibilities,inconsistent definitions, insufficient alignment between systems, infrequent updates of timedata and efficiency measures, and reliance on comparison and estimation-based timedetermination methods. Together, these challenges contribute to reduced reliability of dataused in production planning and standard cost calculations.Based on the findings, an updated SOP is proposed to support more reliable TDM. Theproposed approach establishes clearer ownership of tasks, consistent definitions, improvedalignment between systems, and a standardized revision procedure supported by dataenabled by the MIS, thereby improving the reliability of data used in production planning andcost calculations.