A new integrated ergonomic, economic, environment VSM approach - an application to auto part manufacturing industry

Abstract

Today's production industries are struggling hard towards continuous improvement to sustain in the global market. Value stream mapping is an effective enterprise improvement tool that visualises both intra and intercompany processes apprehending material and information flows with the time line that helps in elimination of waste. Sometimes, the reduction of non-value added activities in a production line results in work intensification and thus the workers are more subjected to musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). Green manufacturing deals with the integration of VSM with energy related metrics that focuses on the efficient usage of natural and non-renewable resources for sustainable production. The aim of this study is therefore to develop a methodological framework that gives synergistic interaction between ergonomic, environment and economic considerations in VSM. Hence, the elimination of non-value added activities is done not only by considering the economic aspect but also the ergonomic and environment aspects. Also, the three factors are ranked based on the multiple criteria decision making-analytical hierarchy process (MCDM-AHP). This approach is validated through a case study carried out in an Indian automotive industry with the increase in production rate by 7.4%, decrease in energy consumption by 0.34% and total cost by 3.92% successfully.