Lean Tools implementation for scrap reduction in a production line

© 2022 IISE Annual Conference and Expo 2022. All rights reserved.Nowadays, manufacturing companies are constantly competing to provide both the lowest possible cost and the best quality. While the use of Lean manufacturing tools to reduce the eight types of wastes has been successfully used through decades, there is always a way to make a process more efficient by implementing continuous improvement (Kaizen). Scrap has been one of the main wastes in the manufacturing industry and one of the main pillars that lean tools have focused on. One approach for reducing the scrap is the Gemba Walk, which its main purpose is to observe the actual work process and explore opportunities for continuous improvement. Thus, the objectives of this case study are 1) to reduce the scrap on a production line by implementing Small Group Activities (SGA) and 2) to calculate hard savings and soft savings. The Ishikawa and Pareto diagrams were used to identify the process' top offenders alike the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle for continuous improvement. Significant improvements have been achieved after the implementation of the lean tools such as hard savings of $2,060.49 USD and soft savings of $1,837.67 USD per month.

Lean Tools implementation for scrap reduction in a production line - A Case study Academic Article in Scopus