Site Review Checklist – Excel XLS

BENEFITS OF THIS DOWNLOADABLE EXCEL DOCUMENT

1. Understand the current state of your organisation

MANUFACTURING EXCEL DESCRIPTION

Editor Summary An Excel-based site review checklist (XLS) with a supplemental ZIP of 41 Lean documents, developed by OpEx Academy NZ and led by a Lean pioneer and certified LSS Master Black Belt who has trained 5,000+ students and is endorsed by CMI Consortium, NZTE, HERA, NZPICS, and CBAFF. Read more The checklist is divided into 7 sections: General Information, Plant Profile, Human Resources, Operations, Supply Chain, Capacity/Equipment/IT, and Strategy/Innovation/Performance. Used for benchmarking current-state practices and setting improvement goals; sold as a digital download on Flevy with immediate digital download.

Use this checklist when you need a structured baseline assessment of operational practices — as a first step before Lean projects, continuous improvement initiatives, or periodic operational benchmarking.

  Plant managers assessing machine availability, production volume, and overall equipment effectiveness to identify equipment gaps.
  Continuous improvement/Lean leads conducting a baseline diagnostic and gap identification across operations and supply chain.
  HR or safety managers auditing training, corporate policies, and safety measures at site level.
  Supply chain managers reviewing supplier/customer relationships, cost structures, and inventory management.

The section-by-section current-state assessment reflects Lean and Six Sigma diagnostic practice used in operational improvement work.

This checklist is designed as a first step to understand where an organisation is with respect to best practices. Once you understand the current state you can set some goals to go forward.
This check-list is divided in to the following sections:
1. General Information about the organisation
2. Plant Profile
3. Human Resources
4. Operations
5. Supply Chain
6. Capacity / Equipment / IT
7. Strategy, Innovation & Performance

Also included with this document is a bonus zip of 41 Lean documents (includes templates, case studies, articles, posters, charts, and more).

This comprehensive Site Review Checklist is an invaluable tool for any organization aiming to benchmark its current practices against industry standards. It meticulously covers every critical aspect of your operations, from general organizational information to specific areas like human resources, supply chain, and IT infrastructure. The checklist prompts you to evaluate the alignment of your vision and mission with your operational activities, ensuring that strategic goals are effectively communicated and executed at all levels.

The Excel template delves into the specifics of your plant profile, assessing key metrics such as production volume, machine availability, and overall equipment effectiveness. It also scrutinizes your supply chain dynamics, including supplier and customer relationships, cost structures, and inventory management. This level of detail allows you to pinpoint inefficiencies and areas for improvement, facilitating a more streamlined and cost-effective operation.

Human resources are another focal point, with sections dedicated to evaluating employee training, corporate policies, and safety measures. The checklist encourages a thorough review of your workforce's engagement and productivity, providing insights into how well your human capital is being utilized. This holistic approach ensures that all facets of your organization are aligned towards achieving optimal performance and growth.

TOPIC FAQ

What core areas should a manufacturing site review cover?

A site review should capture organizational context and operational detail across 7 areas: General Information, Plant Profile, Human Resources, Operations, Supply Chain, Capacity/Equipment/IT, and Strategy/Innovation/Performance, matching the section structure used in the Site Review Checklist and totaling 7 sections.

How can I use OEE as part of a site review to find problems?

Use overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) alongside production volume and machine availability to quantify equipment performance and highlight bottlenecks; the Excel template in Flevy's Site Review Checklist includes plant-profile metrics such as production volume, machine availability, and OEE.

Which HR topics are important to include in a site-level operational review?

Key HR topics are employee training, corporate policies, safety measures, workforce engagement, and productivity; the checklist prompts evaluation of training and safety to assess how human capital is being utilized, focusing on training, policies, and safety measures.

What should I look for when choosing a site review checklist template for operations benchmarking?

Choose a template that covers organizational context, plant metrics (production volume, machine availability, OEE), HR, operations, supply chain, equipment/IT, and strategy, and that includes practical supporting materials such as templates or case studies; Flevy's Site Review Checklist includes these elements and a supplemental ZIP.

How should I staff a site review effort using a checklist across a medium-sized plant?

Staffing depends on plant size,, but the checklist is structured to be completed by operational and functional leads—plant/operations, HR, and supply chain—to gather required inputs across the 7 sections and establish a current-state baseline for goal setting, aligned to the 7 sections.

I need to benchmark my supply chain — what specific elements should a site review evaluate?

A supply-chain-focused site review should evaluate supplier and customer relationships, cost structures, and inventory management to understand dynamics and inefficiencies; these supply chain dynamics are explicitly covered in the checklist under the Supply Chain section.

How does a site review help with setting improvement goals for a plant?

The checklist is intended as a first step to document the current state against best practices; once current performance is understood across areas like plant profile, HR, operations, and supply chain, the organization can define measurable improvement targets based on that current-state assessment.

What supplemental materials are useful to accompany a site review checklist for Lean work?

Practical supporting materials include templates, case studies, articles, posters, and charts that illustrate methods and examples; Flevy's Site Review Checklist is supplied with a bonus ZIP containing 41 Lean documents that include templates, case studies, articles, posters, and charts.

Source: Best Practices in Manufacturing Excel: Site Review Checklist Excel (XLS) Spreadsheet, OpEx Academy NZ