Early Stage Proposal of a Multi-tool Lean Manufacturing Methodology to Improve the Productivity of a Textile Company

Abstract

When a company does not take advantage of the resources at its disposal, its efficiency and the quality of its products are affected. This is what Lean Manufacturing is all about, a work philosophy applied to project management that aims to reduce waste, understood as anything that does not add value and increase productivity. One of the keys to success is its human dimension since people are the company’s most important capital. A lean corporate culture implies collaboration and communication at all company levels. However, this is not always fulfilled, significantly affecting the company’s productivity and even stakeholders’ physical and mental health. This article gives way to the initial stage of a Lean multi-tool methodology focused on optimizing waste in a textile factory in Ambato-Ecuador. The results show that there are five primary wastes that dramatically affect the company’s productivity, for which five lean manufacturing tools have been proposed. Noticing that there are several tools that can be used for the same purpose, a weighting method has been used, obtaining the following outcomes: 5S, TMP (Total Productive Maintenance), Kaizen, Andon, and Jidoka.