Lean production model to increase the level of service in a rubber industry SME

Abstract

Companies in the rubber sector face a high rate of non-delivery of complete and on-time orders, even earlier, which intensified with the pandemic. This research aims to propose a model that applies Lean tools to increase the fulfillment of the delivery of complete orders on time in a company in the rubber sector. The need for more resources such as rubber, kaolin, or sulfur, which are essential for the production process, leads to a supply of raw materials with inadequate inventory and production management. Given the high rate of non-delivery of complete and on-time orders and the increasing competition in the plastics and rubber sector, companies must improve their service level to meet customers' expectations. This research proposes the application of Lean tools such as Autonomous Maintenance, Standardized Work, Kanban, and Heijunka in a case study to achieve this objective. The implementation of the proposed model resulted in a 16.94% increase in the availability of the extruders, an EPEC of less than three days, and an inventory index of raw material on hand of more than six days. As a crucial result, the OTIF increased by 20.51%.