In my time in the industry, some general themes are prominent. One that comes to mind is the number and frequency of decisions that a lab technician/machine operator needs to make from order entry to packaged lens. Yes, really. It matters because more decisions introduce errors and wasted time and materials. Less time and fewer decisions in the manufacturing process = more usable lenses per technician/day = more profit.
Lean Six Sigma
Time, Errors, Productivity, & Profit: Decisions, Decisions!