A production concept is the strategic foundation of your manufacturing system and defines how value is created on the shop floor. It connects assembly planning with your company's capacity and variant strategy (strategy-to-shop floor). Using methods such as line balancing and value stream mapping, it creates stable cycle times, reduces throughput, and enables scalable production through ROI-driven automation.
Whether in a greenfield or brownfield environment, we develop production concepts as resilient systems that not only eliminate waste but also adapt flexibly to future requirements.
The impact is measurable:
A well-designed production concept reduces rework by up to 30% and increases overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) by 10–15 %.
A production concept defines the ideal production structure based on product characteristics and capacity requirements. The goal is to align processes, production areas, and technologies to maximize value creation per cycle and establish a reliable, stable production system.
Changing market demands, increasing product variety, and the introduction of new technologies are placing growing pressure on existing assembly systems.
When production systems are not designed to handle this level of complexity, teams are forced into reactive planning and constant adjustments. Bottlenecks continue to occur because the existing structure no longer supports the required output. The result is increased changeover effort, more complex material supply, and inconsistent cycle times.
The challenge is that strategic process management becomes difficult when operations teams are focused on addressing daily challenges instead of advancing continuous improvement initiatives.
Operational disruptions on the shop floor are a clear sign that existing production processes can no longer support changing requirements. Many outdated assembly systems were designed for fixed production volumes and limited product variety. When these conditions change, the existing structures often cannot be adjusted efficiently or cost-effectively.
A lack of process development can become a major risk factor for production operations. As companies work to improve OEE in production and integrate new manufacturing technologies, unnecessary waste can no longer be sustained. Rigid assembly systems tie up capital (CAPEX) and increase operating costs (OPEX), significantly delaying the ROI of new projects.
Investment security for future ramp-ups is also compromised when production systems are not optimized and aligned.
Transparency creates investment certainty. Our approach connects strategic objectives with detailed operational planning to develop assembly concepts that are both practical and economically viable. The result is assembly systems that operate more efficiently and provide the flexibility needed for scalable growth.
Our “strategy-to-shopfloor” approach ensures that every capital expenditure (CAPEX) supports your strategic capacity goals and variety strategy.
Successful production processes follow clear specifications. We follow an inside-out approach. The optimal value creation process determines the production layout and required technologies, not the other way around.
Our four-stage phase model provides a structured approach for implementing complex projects in greenfield and brownfield environments:
We define clear premises regarding quantities and variants. A 360° assessment of the existing production system identifies improvement areas and optimization opportunities.
We develop an ideal layout and define suitable target layouts based on your specific environment, including the evaluation of CAPEX and OPEX.
This is where the final details are defined, from establishing time standards and line balancing, as well as specifying equipment and operating resources.
We support you during on-site implementation and ensure tracking of key launch milestones.
To ensure that performance goals are achieved, we use advanced simulation tools and time measurement methods to validate the performance of your production concept and the overall production process before implementation.
Our approach to process optimization focuses on unlocking hidden potential within your production system and achieving a rapid return on investment (CAPEX).
Our phase model creates measurable improvements across key performance indicators. Through structured OEE optimization and waste reduction, we deliver results that strengthen your competitiveness in the long term:
+10–25 % due to cycle time stabilization
+10–15 % OEE increase
–15% to –25%
–10–20 % optimized utilized space in the layout
–10–30% due to increased stable processes
+20–25 % (economically sensibly scaled)
–5–15 % through IE / MTM / EMA optimization
Delays during production start-up (SOP) can result in significant opportunity costs. We use structured ramp-up management to identify risks early and support on-time completion:
To unlock this potential, we develop a tailored strategy for each situation, whether designing new processes from the ground up or optimizing existing ones.
Whether developing a new greenfield facility or transforming an existing brownfield operation, our experience in factory planning and industrialization supports the development of high-performing production concepts tailored to process optimization.
The following business cases outline how strategic goals can translate into successful production concepts:
Automation is effective only if the material flow is also strategically considered—from the AGV layout to the handoff between process stations.
When robots take over monotonous and ergonomically taxing tasks, it changes the way workplaces need to be designed.
How automation is increasingly determining the future viability of manufacturing companies, and how you can solve key challenges in your production and intralogistics.
How strategic goals are transformed into sustainable, high-performance production processes.
Whether automation is implemented in a brownfield or greenfield setting, every decision is made within the context of the overarching factory concept.
Ingenics Consulting supports you from production concept development to a stable ramp-up. Take advantage of our no-obligation quick assessment to identify valuable opportunities and evaluate practical measures for a ROI-driven production system.
We rely on modular assembly systems and detailed scenario planning. This enables companies to respond to “fluctuating markets” without taking on massive CAPEX risks. The goal is a system that grows with the company through simple scaling steps (e.g. additional stations or shift models).
The first step is to eliminate waste from the process. When a layout is built around an inefficient value stream, it reinforces inefficiencies and creates unnecessary logistics costs. An optimized material flow provides the foundation for an efficient and space-conscious production layout.
2D layouts quickly optimize material flow and space utilization. 3D planning is essential for collision-free integration into the building structure (MEP, steel construction), detailed ergonomic assessment of workstations, and precise planning of robotics and automated guided vehicles (AGVs).
The decision to automate is always based on a case-by-case assessment using a structured evaluation model. Key factors include production volumes, product variety, workforce availability, and expected return on investment. In many cases, automation becomes economically viable when the investment can achieve payback within two to three years.
Learn more about automation and production technologies.
Through our structured phase model and by utilizing digital twins, we reduce risks before implementation begins. Before the first physical conversion occurs, we simulate the transformation digitally. Parallel structures, production decoupling, and precise ramp-up planning help maintain delivery capability throughout the entire transformation phase
Learn more here about brownfield transformation without stopping production.
