Analysis and Improvement of Processes in the Jewelry Industry

Abstract

In an increasingly competitive and flexible market, the continuous improvement of processes is essential to the enhancement of effectiveness and efficiency. This approach has proved to be indispensable in generating change in the world of business so that companies can grow in size and scale, and are able to succeed in a global context. This study was developed at a company in the jewelry industry, more specifically in the area of production control. The objective was that of analyzing and improving both the management process, as well as production control. By adopting tools from the Lean Thinking philosophy and a beta version of MES software (manufacturing-execution-system), the company was able to implement new strategies with a view to minimizing waste and ensuring continuous improvement, thus contributing to greater customer satisfaction. By resorting to these tools, one saw marked improvements in the process studied, namely: better productive organization; workers endowed with good organizational practices, and a more thorough control of the entire production process.