the bags take longer to prepare than to pack

The transfer saves time, the preparation loses more, and I haven't even counted changing the guides yet.

Then stop spending until you know what problem is left to solve.

I've paused the next guide order, thanks Kai; hard to admit when I've shown everyone the good video.

The good video still shows work you learned to do. It does not oblige production to adopt the process. Would the setup be useful for teaching, separately from the packing target?

Teaching value is real, just don't book it as a packing saving.

Both, Emma, and some orders are tiny; the bags come from different departments so I don't have one person who can standardise the lot.

That makes my suggestion less attractive. Could one department's consistent bags give you enough use, or would switching the station for them become another job?

How much bench space does it tie up while waiting for those bags?

Also ask who will set it up when you are teaching elsewhere. A narrow production use can work, but only if it does not depend on you leaving another class to arrange bags.

It uses the shared packing bench, so even a good bag type means clearing somebody else's job first; I'm leaning towards taking it off the production schedule and keeping a small teaching exercise.

I'd call that a useful result. You've found where the surrounding work costs more than the transfer saves. Will you keep the comparison with the exercise so students see that bit too?

Yes, keeping the hand-packing times and the preparation footage with it; thanks Elena for the teaching suggestion, that's a use I can defend without pretending the packing trial paid off.

Use the awkward bag as well as the easy one in that exercise. Students tend to remember the successful transfer and forget the person quietly arranging everything before it.

Does removing it from production give the packing team their whole bench back?