I sure let the thread drop on my "How to Get Started" series, didn't I?  Ah, summer!

As I (think) I mentioned, I like to get to quick change early in the agile implementation.  There are several reasons for this:

• As with 5S, quick change is very team oriented.  It requires the involvement of operators, it gets them engaged, and it's a good entre for them into more advanced agile methods.
• As with 5S, no manufacturing operation can fail to benefit from reducing setup and changeover times even if they don't do anything else.
• Nobody doesn't do changeovers.  At least, I've never run into a manufacturing operation where changeover time wasn't important.
• Work place organization and reduced changeover times are fundamental to whatever additional agile practices the plant wants to implement.
• I've heard of companies that drew up great value stream maps, did lots of lean training, etc. but didn't get any benefits.  I've never heard of a plant that didn't benefit from a real effort to reduce changeover times.
• Cells, kanban, etc. are great tools but they may or may not help or be relevant.  Setup time reduction is always relevant and it always helps.

So, is there any downside to reducing changeover times early?  Not really.  Like 5S, it requires commitment, discipline, and follow through.  But, if you can assure those, you'll get benefits from reducing your changeover times even if you don't implement other agile methods.  That said, it's all the more powerful in conjunction with concepts like reducing batch sizes, shorter runs, pull systems, and cellular manufacturing.