Companies have put much focus on production systems to generate and maintain competitiveness which has contributed in less focus to logistics. The material flow is the process after the main processes and has therefore been regarded as “unimportant”. If the material flow fails, there can be consequences such as inventory-build ups or undersupply of material. Lean thinking is one strategy that may be applied to analyze and identify wastes, but the identification of problems has been harder to detect, while the ability to solve them has not improved at the same rate. Following two research questions has been asked to identify how companies should proceed to improve their inventory management but also what factors contribute to the inventory build-ups.  ·        What may cause excess inventory in manufacturing companies? <ul type="disc">How can a manufacturing company reduce WIP´s? The research method is based on a qualitative approach with an interpretivist research methodology to help answer the questions. A case study was done at a manufacturing company to help answer the research questions. The data has been collected by observations trough section B1 and unstructured interviews with both management and operators. The collected data was later compared to the literature according to the inductive reasoning to be able to make suggestions for improvements. The DMAIC tool has been a central point of this research regarding the mapping of the current state and suggestion of a future state. The case study was conducted at Company X AB in the middle of Sweden which is a company that manufactures components and complete solutions. The focus on production has resulted in less focus on the internal logistics. With the low focus on the internal logistics, inventory build-ups have occurred. The results point to the OEE being a contributing factor to the inventory build-up. The availability of both machines was low and therefore caused the OEE to be low. The low availability was caused by long changeovers, staff shortages, and emergency reparations. The conclusions are that Company X must make improvements so that the factors of the low availability decrease in frequency and severity to reduce the work-in-process (WIP). The improvements should be approached with different lean-tools such as SMED, KANBAN, FIFO and 5S.

The focus of this thesis is the optimization of material flow by changing the layout of racking systems and production lines. The theoretical part describes lean management and its use in internal logistics. Gained knowledge along with practical operating experience leads to the elaboration of analytical and design part, which provides a new solution to the presented problem and related savings in warehouse machine equipment and its staff.

During the past decades, there have been an acceleration of customers’ needs of customized products. This have pressured many companies in offering customized products in order to reach customer satisfaction and keep growing and expanding their market share. Nowadays the competitive pressure between companies with the same product segment is increasing and the market requirements are changing rapidly. To handle this competition, many manufacturing companies are focusing on mass customized production. However, mass customization has been a topic of interest for many researchers. The focus has been in studying and understanding the complexity and the constrains that a company encounter when dealing with mass customized production in mostly the automotive industry. One of the constrains that have been less highlighted by researchers were the effects that mass customized production has on the output variation of production lines. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to investigate how to minimize output variations in mass customized production within assembly lines. To do that the researchers focused on studying the output variation in whitegoods industry instead of the automotive industry that captures most of the existing research. The study includes two main research questions. The first question was to identify the factors that affect the output variation in mass customized production. While the second question was to identify applicable solutions that can be used to stabilize the output. To ensure the reliability and validity of the research findings, the researchers used multiple case study combined with literature reviews. To answer the research questions several data collection techniques were used in the multiple case study conducted on two lines. Those data collection techniques were participating observations, document reviews, a semi-structured interview and many conversations with the affected persons. The findings from the case study for research question one showed consistency with the theories described in the theoretical background. This was evident because similar problems when it comes to output variations were defined in the theories. One problem was about the simplification of assembly line balancing problem that was evident in both case studies. This was an effect of the missing product family classification which created a high output variation because of the use of only one line balancing for all product variants. Another problem identified included functionality problems of machines because of performing wrong assembly or the use of the wrong component. There was as well the problem of missing or delayed components which was an effect of the lack of structure in the material picking and the deliveries performed for both lines. A combination of those factors created the experienced output variation on both lines. To deal with those problems and minimize the output variation, a solution approach was defined in the second research question. This approach was created together with the case company with the help of the theoretical background and it presents several steps to follow when attacking and resolving similar problems as presented above. The most important conclusion of this thesis is that, when dealing with output variation in mass customized production where people are performing the assembly, it is essential to provide the right conditions for them to ensure that they have the right knowledge base to perform the requested assembly.

[pt] Em organizações hospitalares há uma grande variedade de produtos e existe o compromisso de não se permitir as perdas e o fracasso operacional (Portela, 2001). Uma maneira de se evitar essas perdas é o emprego racional dos medicamentos através de uma padronização (Klugl et al, 1999). Desse modo é possível criar valor ao paciente de modo que a farmácia consegue administrar os produtos de forma adequada oferecendo serviços de qualidade (Barbieri e Machline, 2006). Nesse cenário, a gestão dos custos das organizações de saúde tem papel estratégico. Medicamentos representam parcela significativa destes custos e a sua logística interna, complexa e com muitas particularidades, deve funcionar da melhor maneira possível. Isso porque os processos, nos quais estão envolvidos, são parte fundamental para a assistência de qualidade tanto prezada pelos hospitais. Este trabalho tem como objetivo investigar e analisar a situação atual de dois processos, unitarização e a dispensação que afetam diretamente a farmácia, observando as práticas, adotadas no segmento hospitalar. Para isto, foi feito uma análise das farmácias hospitalares e dos fluxos de ambos os processos com o objetivo de entendê-los melhor. Em seguida, estudou-se em um caso real, diagnosticando os pontos de melhoria da operação. Assim, pôde-se chegar a algumas soluções, que tiveram como objetivo otimizar os processos estudados, para os pontos de melhoria levantados e comprovar a hipótese de que a centralização do estoque pode ser aplicados, com devidas adaptações respeitando as particularidades, às organizações hospitalares. / [en] In hospital organizations there is a wide variety of products and there is a commitment not to allow the losses and the operational failure (Portela, 2001). One way to avoid these losses is the rational use of medicines through standardization (Klügl et al, 1999). Thus you can create value to the patient so that the pharmacy handling the products properly offering quality services (Barbieri and Machline, 2006). In this scenario, the management of the health costs organizations have strategic role. Medicines represent a significant portion of these costs and their internal logistics, complex and with many details, should work in the best possible way. This is because the processes, in which they are involved, are fundamental parts to the quality of care both prized by hospitals. This study aims to investigate and analyze the current situation of two processes, unitarization and the dispensation that directly affect the pharmacy, observing the practices adopted in the hospital segment. For this, he was made an analysis of hospital pharmacies and flows of both processes in order to understand them better. Then studied in a real case, diagnosing the points of improvement of the operation. Thus, we could come up with some solutions that were designed to optimize the processes studied for improvement points raised and prove the hypothesis that the stock of centralization can be applied, with necessary adaptations respecting the individual, to hospitals.

Traditional value stream mapping (VSM) is used to identify non-value-added (NVA) activities in lean production systems. However, VSM lacks flexibility and responsiveness due to its static nature, which limits its usage in complex and flexible production environments. Furthermore, in a production system, the internal logistics and production value streams are interconnected to each other. Therefore, they face the challenges of same nature such as poor material handling, lack of flexibility and lack of responsiveness. These challenges are disseminated from poor integration of internal logistics and production value streams. The lack of flexibility in VSM is discussed in previous research works to some extent but its lack of responsiveness has not received much attention. Similarly, poor material handling and lack of flexibility of internal logistics system are discussed extensively in previous research works; however, the lack of responsiveness of internal logistics has received very little attention. Furthermore, poor integration of internal logistics and production value streams has not received any attention in the previous research works. To overcome aforementioned challenges, this thesis emphasizes on combining digital technologies (e.g., RFIDs, sensors, barcodes, simulation and intelligent interfaces) with VSM and internal logistics system. However, there is very limited research that addresses improvement potentials in VSM and internal logistics system through digitalization. Therefore, this thesis aims to fill this gap by investigating the improvement potentials of digitalization for both value stream mapping and the internal logistics. In this regard, firstly the core challenges in value stream mapping and internal logistics system are identified. As a second step, possible improvement opportunities are identified in these two areas to increase the productivity of the production system through the adoption of digitalization. A qualitative research approach is performed in data collection methods such as observations and interviews. Furthermore, an empirical study is performed to provide an overview of the current production value streams and internal logistics system at a case company. The study concludes that the combination of VSM with simulation and real time data collection is vital to increase the flexibility and responsiveness of VSM. The improved flexibility and responsiveness of VSM will make it efficient to identify non-value-added activities. It is also discussed and demonstrated that the integration of internal logistics and production value streams can be improved through implementation of digital technologies such as AGVs, RFIDs/barcodes, IoT, data analytics and intelligent algorithms in the context of Industry 4.0. The improved integration of internal logistics and production value streams can improve the productivity of the production system to a large extent.

Aim: The study aims to develop a DES model to evaluate the impacts of implementing packaging and palletizing robotics in the goods-receipts process. Research questions: RQ1: “What are the requirements when developing a Discrete Event Simulation (DES) model of the goods receipt process in the internal logistics section of a manufacturing company?”, RQ2: “What is the impact of implementing a new layout with industrial palletizer robotics in manufacturing companies' internal logistics - specifically the goods receipt process in terms of robot Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), throughput, and WIP?” and, RQ3: “What considerations should companies take into account when implementing industrial palletizer robotics in their internal logistics, in terms of process flow?” Methodology: This study applied an inductive approach, letting the empirical findings guide the themes explored in the theoretical framework while having a constant interplay between empirical data collection and the construction of the simulation model. Empirical data collection was collected via observation, time study, and documentation. Literature was collected via Scopus and restricted to peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. The simulation model building followed the steps presented by Banks (2005). Based on the model building and simulation model results, conclusions could be made. Conclusion: The study concluded and presented nine requirements to develop a DES model for the goods-receipt process in manufacturing companies' internal logistics. The impact of robot OEE was determined to be low, 24-27%, WIP increased, and throughput increased with the implementation of a new layout with an industrial palletizer robot. Lastly, to answer RQ3, the study concluded and presented six considerations for companies to take into account when evaluating the implementation of an industrial palletizer robot / Syfte: Studiens syfte är att utveckla en DES modell för att utvärdera effekterna av att implementera omplocknings- och palleteringsrobotar för avdelningen –ankommande gods.  Frågeställningar: "Vilka krav finns vid utvecklingen av en modell för diskret händelsesimulering (DES) av godsmottagningsprocessen inom den interna logistiken hos ett tillverkningsföretag?", "Vilken är effekten av att implementera en ny layout med industriella palleteringsrobotar i tillverkningsföretags interna logistik - specifikt inom godsmottagningsprocessen - i termer av robot (OEE), produktionskapacitet per timme, och WIP?" och "Vilka överväganden bör företag ta i beaktande vid implementeringen av industriella palleteringsrobotar inom sin interna logistik, med avseende på processflöde?" Metod: Denna studie använde en induktiv metod, där de empiriska resultaten styrde de teman som utforskades inom den teoretiska referensramen, samtidigt som det fanns en konstant samverkan mellan insamling av empiriska data och konstruktionen av simulationsmodellen. Empiriska data samlades in genom observation, tidsstudier och dokumentation. Litteratur samlades in via Scopus och begränsades till expertgranskade artiklar och bokkapitel. Byggandet av simulationsmodellen följde de steg som presenterades av Banks (2005). Baserat på modellbyggandet och resultaten från simulationsmodellen kunde slutsatser dras. Slutsats: Studien presenterade nio krav för att utveckla en DES-modell för godsmottagningsprocessen inom tillverkningsföretags interna logistik. Effekten av robotens OEE bedömdes vara låg, 24–27%. Work in Progress (WIP) ökade och produktionskapaciteten per timme ökade med införandet av en ny layout med en industriell palleteringsrobot. Slutligen, för att svara på den tredje forskningsfrågan, presenterade studien sex överväganden som företag bör ta hänsyn till vid utvärderingen av implementeringen av en industriell palleteringsrobot

ABSTRACT Date:                           02 June 2024 Level:                          Master thesis in Product and Process Development, advanced level, 30                                       credits. Institution:                 School of Innovation, Design and Engineering, Mälardalen University Author:                       Aziz EzzAlden                        Zain Momin    20th November 1998  10th August 1998                                Title:                           Optimizing Logistic Operations: exploring diverse approaches to order                                         point  dynamics  Tutor:                         Ebba Bengtsson, Organisation                                     Yuji Yamamoto, Mälardalen University Keywords:                  RFID, Kanban; Push; Pull; Just In Time; internal logistics; Signals;                                      Material flow; Order point Purpose:                     The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of order points on                                           logistics operations and how smart inventory technologies address the                                                 challenges of order  point management. By utilizing a framework that                                                                  aligns with logistics operations and smart inventory practices.  Research  questions:  1. How does order point affect the logistic operations and their                                              performance?                           2. How can smart inventory address the challenges related to order                           points?  Method:                      This study adopts an abductive approach, facilitating a dynamic                                      interaction between theoretical frameworks and empirical findings.                                       The theoretical framework is based on scientific articles. The study                                      focuses on a singular main case organisation, supplemented by                                                    comparative analyses involving three additional organisations,                                       forming a case study design. Empirical data allocation used multiple                                       semi-structured interviews, unstructured interviews, and observations                                       to gather data.  Conclusion:                The study indicated that efficient order point systems are crucial for                                        ensuring timely material replenishment and optimizing material flow.                                        Additionally, smart inventory technologies offer effective solutions,                                        including real-time monitoring and automated reordering, which                                        minimize errors and enhance efficiency in logistical operations. / SAMMANFATTNING Datum:                        02 juni 2024 Nivå:                            Examensarbete i produkt- och processutveckling avancerad nivå, 30 hp.                                     Institution:                  Akademin för Innovation. Design och Teknik. IDT, Mälardalens                                                 universitet  Författare:                  Aziz EzzAlden                        Zain Momin     20 November 1998   10 Augusti 1998                                Titel:                            Optimering av logistik operationer: utforska olika tillvägagångssätt för                                        order punkts dynamik. Handledare:               Ebba Bengtsson, Organisation                                     Yuji Yamamoto, Mälardalens universitet Nyckelord:                  RFID, Kanban; Push, Pull; Just In Time; instant logistics; Signaler,                                       Materialflöde; Order Punkt Syfte:                          Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur orderpunkter påverkar                                      logistik operationer och hur smarta lager teknologier hanterar                                      utmaningarna med orderpunkt hantering. Detta genom att använda en                                    ram som överensstämmer med logistikoperationer och smarta                                    lagerpraxis. Frågeställningar:       1. Hur påverkar order punkten logistikoperationer och deras prestanda?                                      2. Hur kan smarta lager hantera utmaningarna relaterade till                                                                order punkter? Metod:                          Denna studie antar ett abduktivt tillvägagångssätt som underlättar en                                         dynamisk interaktion mellan teoretiska ramverk och empiriska resultat.                                        Det teoretiska ramverket är baserat på vetenskapliga artiklar. Studien                                           fokuserar på en enda huvudorganisation, kompletterad med jämförande                                          analyser som involverar tre ytterligare organisationer, vilket bildar en                                         fallstudiedesign. Empiriska datainsamlingen använde sig av flera                                          semi-strukturerade intervjuer, ostrukturerade intervjuer och                                                observationer för att samla in data. Slutsats:                       Studien indikerade att effektiva orderpunkt system är avgörande för att                                        säkerställa att material återfylls i rätt tid och för att optimera                                       materialflödet. Dessutom erbjuder smarta lager teknologier effektiva                                       lösningar, inklusive realtidsövervakning och automatisk ombeställning,                                        vilket minimerar fel och ökar effektiviteten i logistikoperationer.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-05T17:04:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 30 / Nenhuma / No contexto de organizações humanas, o processo de avaliação de desempenho tem merecido a atenção de praticantes e pesquisadores, pois, pela avaliação de desempenho, a empresa pode identificar diferenciais que as ajudem a serem mais competitivas. Para tanto, o rápido desenvolvimento de produtos, integração de informações, tecnologias de comunicação avançadas, customização de produtos e coordenação de redes de suprimentos, vêm forçando as empresas à tomada de decisões mais rápidas. O uso de métodos qualitativos de apoio à decisão pode contribuir para reduzir riscos e gerenciar incertezas nesta tomada de decisão mais rápida. O objetivo deste trabalho foi apresentar um estudo de caso no qual foi desenvolvido e testado um método de análise das preferências dos gestores de operações logísticas empresariais internas. O resultado da aplicação do método foi comparado com o resultado de algumas decisões tomadas na empresa. A metodologia de pesquisa contou com um grupo focado, formado pelos gestores da logística in / The context of human organizations, researchers and professionals has considered a lot the process of performance evaluation, once it provides to the company to identify differentials which can help them to be more competitive. Therefore, the fast development of products, information integration, advanced communication technologies, customization of products and coordination of supply nets, is forcing the companies to take faster decisions. The use of qualitative method of support to the decision, may contribute to reduce risks and manage uncertainties in this faster decision taking. The objective of the present work was to present a case study in which was developed and tested an analysis method of the preferences of the internal entrepreneurial logistic operations managers. The result of the method’s application was compared to the result of some decisions taken in the company. The research methodology reckoned with a focus group formed by the company’s internal logistic managers, involving the supply, prod

Syftet: Syftet med denna studie är att kartlägga belastningsergonomiska risker i ett framtida internt logistikflöde, samt att ge förslag på hur dessa risker kan undvikas genom tillämpning av LEAN metodik och en ny logistiklösning. Följande frågeställningar har ställts för att identifiera orsaker till problem och förbättringsmöjligheter: 1)    Vilka arbetsmoment i det studerade logistikflödet leder till ergonomiska risker? 2)    Hur kan fallstudieföretaget införa LEAN metodik för att uppnå bättre ergonomi vid materialhantering? 3)    Hur kan en ny generell och mer ergonomisk logistiklösning för materialhantering se ut på fallstudieföretaget? Metod: Studien har genomförts baserat på en fallstudie på ett industriföretag. Data har samlats in genom intervjuer och observationer på fallstudieföretaget, studiebesök på två andra industriföretag samt genom en litteraturstudie. För att identifiera och bedöma olika ergonomiska risker har verktyget RAMP tillämpats. Studiens resultat: Studien resulterade i en ergonomisk kartläggning för ett utvalt internt logistikflöde med förslag på hur bättre ergonomi kan uppnås i fallstudieföretagets material-hantering. Den ergonomiska kartläggningen påvisade att flera arbetsmoment innebär en ökad risk för att personalen utvecklar belastningsbesvär. Många tunga lyft, skjuta- och dra arbete samt olämpliga arbetsställningar visades ha störst negativ inverkan på ergonomin. För att minska dessa risker utan större förändringar av nuvarande fabrikslayout och befintligt arbetsflöde kan bland annat arbetsrotation, olika hjälpmedel och modifieringar av teknisk utrustning införas. Förslag presenteras också på hur en ny och mer ergonomisk materialhanteringslösning kan se ut på fallstudieföretaget genom införande av en omplockningsstation och en supermarket. Även ett förslaget ramverk presenteras för hur fallstudieföretaget kan arbeta genom LEAN-metodik i syfte att uppnå en bättre ergonomi i materialhanteringen. Slutsats: Den ergonomiska kartläggningen indikerade att förbättringsåtgärder krävs för att personal inte ska riskera att utveckla belastningsbesvär och förslag har tagits fram för hur den ergonomiska situationen kan förbättras. Rekommendationer: Fallstudieföretaget rekommenderas att vidta åtgärder för de ergonomiska risker som har identifierats. Innan de föreslagna förbättringarna fullföljs krävs vidare studier för att utvärdera förbättringsförslagen ur andra än ergonomiska aspekter samt genomförande av RAMP-analys. Fallstudieföretaget rekommenderas även att undersöka möjligheten att införa det föreslagna LEAN-ramverket i syfte att skapa förutsättningar för en god ergonomisk situation. Nyckelord: Belastningsergonomi, RAMP, Omplockningsstation, Arbetsmiljö, Intern logistik, Materialhantering / Purpose: The purpose of this study is firstly to identify risks of ergonomic strain in a future internal logistics flow and secondly propose how to avoid these risks by applying LEAN methodology and a new logistics solution. In order to identify causes for problems and to find improvement opportunities the following issues have been addressed: 1)    What tasks in the studied logistics flow lead to risks of ergonomic strain? 2)    How can the studied company implement the LEAN methodology to improve ergonomics in the material handling? 3)    How can a new general and more ergonomic logistic solution for material handling look like for the studied company? Method: The study has been conducted based on a case at an industrial company. Data has been collected through interviews and observations at the company, visits at two other industries and through a literature survey. To identify and assess various ergonomic risks, the RAMP tool has been applied. Study result: The study resulted in an ergonomic survey for a selected internal logistics flow with suggestions on how to improve ergonomics in the studied company´s material handling. The ergonomic survey showed that several work tasks cause an increased risk for the operators to develop strain injuries and therefore improvements are required. Heavy lifting, pulling and sliding work pieces and incorrect working positions were shown to have the most adverse impact on good ergonomics. To reduce these risks - without major changes to the current factory layout and existing workflow - work rotation, various tools/aids and modifications of technical equip-ment can be implemented. Proposals are presented on how a new and more ergonomic material handling solution can be achieved at the studied company through the introduction of a pickup station and a “supermarket”. A suggested framework is also presented for how the company can use LEAN methodology in order to achieve better ergonomics in the material handling process. Conclusion: The ergonomic survey indicated that improvements are required in order not to risk strain injuries for the operators. Suggestions have been made for how the ergonomic situation can be improved. Recommendations: The studied company is recommended to take measures with respect to the ergonomic risks identified. Before the proposed improvements can be introduced, studies are required to evaluate the improvement proposals from other than ergonomic aspects as well as performing a RAMP analysis. The studied company is also recommended to investigate the possibility of introducing the proposed LEAN framework. Keywords: Strain ergonomics, RAMP, Picking station, Work environment, Internal logistics, Material handling

Cette thèse traite de diverses problématiques liées à la gestion des opérations dans l'industrie automobile. Plus particulièrement, les modèles développés cherchent à améliorer la gestion des stocks et des opérations de logistique interne chez Faurecia, un équipementier automobile. Dans un premier temps, à l’aide d’un modèle de simulation à événements discrets, nous déterminons les niveaux de stocks nominaux optimaux et les dates de lancement de production optimales de produits finis dans les usines d’assemblage, de type longue distance. L'impact de l’utilisation de l'information avancée sur la demande en termes de réduction de coûts de stock et de pénalités de retard est évalué. Ensuite, nous proposons un modèle analytique approximatif pour optimiser les niveaux de stock de sécurité de composants qui minimisent les coûts de stock et des livraisons exceptionnelles.Le modèle proposé est appliqué dans une usine de type courte distance et présente des réductions de coût intéressantes par rapport au modèle de calcul utilisé en pratique. Avant de développer ce nouveau modèle, nous déterminons la loi de probabilité de la demande relative aux composants et nous proposons une méthode générale d'analyse de la demande de composants dans les systèmes d’assemblage à la commande. La dernière partie de la thèse traite de la gestion des opérations de cross-docking interne (dans l’usine) en comparant différentes politiques de cross-docking couramment utilisées en pratique. Ce travail permet de comparer les politiques (en termes de coût de stockage et de main d’œuvre) et d’identifier les contextes dans lesquels il est intéressant d’utiliser chacune d’elles. Plusieurs extensions et perspectives de recherche sont proposées à la fin de la thèse. / This thesis addresses new research questions related to operations management in the automotive industry. More particularly, we aim at improving inventory control and internal logistics operations management in Faurecia, an auto parts maker. First, by using a discrete event simulation model, we calculate the optimal base stocks levels and optimal release lead times of finished goods in long-distance plants. The impact of using advance demand information on inventory holding and backorder penalty costs reduction is evaluated. Then, we propose an approximate analytical model to optimize components safety stock that minimizes inventory holding and rush ordering costs.The proposed model is applied in a short-distance plant and shows interesting cost reductions compared to the currently used calculation model. Before developing this new model, we determine the probability distribution of components demand and propose a general method of components demand analysis in Assemble-to-Order systems. We also study the management of internal (plant) cross-docking operations by comparing different cross-docking policies commonly used in practice. The cost related to each policy is assessed in terms of surface and man-hours. Several extensions and research perspectives are proposed at the end of the manuscript.