This study is made because of the increased global competition where companies have to look in to their own business to find opportunities for improvements. The purpose of the study is to gain a deeper knowledge of the waste that occurs in internal material flow and how to improve processes like transports and material handling as part of the internal material flow.  Internal material flows in itself a waste of resources since it does not add value to the product, but the flow is necessary to make a business work. Therefore, companies should review their flows and try to find improvement to become more efficient. Unused transportation, waiting and poor material handling are just three examples of waste that was discovered during the case study. Based on the theories and data from the case study proposals for improvement have been developed.  By solving the defined questions of the study, the purpose has also been attained. More knowledge about the factors that affect the internal material flow negative and the methods you can use to enhance the flow is obtained by the study. Since only one company has studied the study can be considered limited, from a scientific perspective. / Bakgrunden till studien ligger i den ökade globala konkurrenssituationen för medelstora företag som leder till att företag måste ser om sin verksamhet för att hitta förbättringsmöjligheter. Syftet med studien är att få en fördjupad kunskap i vilka slöseri som förekommer i interna materialflöden samt hur man kan effektivisera processerna materialtransporter och materialhanteringen som ingår i det interna materialflödet.  För att kunna bemöta studiens syfte genomfördes en litteraturstudie parallellt med en fallstudie ute på ett producerande företag. Litteraturstudien startade väldigt brett med generella teorier, för att sedan gå över till att bli mer fokuserad på de delar som studien omfattar. Under fallstudien samlades kvantitativ data in genom observationer för att få fram ett resultat av nuläget hos fallföretaget. Därefter analyserades resultatet med den genomförda litteraturstudien för att på så sätt kunna besvara studiens frågeställningar och därmed syfte.  Interna materialflöden är i sig ett slöseri av resurser då det inte höjder värdet för slutprodukterna, dock är flödet nödvändiga för att få en verksamhet att fungera. Därför bör man se över sina sitt flöde och hitta ständiga förbättringar för att bli mer effektiva. Outnyttjade transporter, väntan och långa materialhanteringar var några av de slöseri som upptäcktes under fallstudien. Utifrån teorier och data från fallstudien har förbättringsförslag tagits fram, där bland annat förslag på mer strukturerade och planerade transporter kan lösa problem med outnyttjade transporter.  Genom att svara på frågeställningarna har studiens syfte uppnåtts. Då fördjupad kunskap om vilka faktorer som påverkar det interna materialflödet negativt och vilka metoder man kan använda för att förbättra flödet är erhållits genom studien. Då endast ett företag har studerats kan studien anses som begränsad ur ett vetenskapligt synsätt.  Därför kan det vara intressant att studera liknande företag i framtida studier för att se om resultaten är generaliserbara. Det skulle även vara intressant att se hur en implementering av förbättringsförslagen påverkar fallföretagets interna materialflöde.

The project was performed at Parker Hannifin Cylinder Division at Falköping, where a station in the most critical flow at the production has been studied, which is the hand welding station. Within this report, the purpose is to identify disturbances, in order to eliminate and reduce these by coming up with improvement proposals. Furthermore, the aim is to help improve the company's work with 5S and TPM (Total Productive Maintenance). A combination of tools and concepts are being used in this project when generating improvement proposals to avoid the risk of falling back into old habits and facilitate the work. The combination of concepts, intends to be continued to work with, in order to facilitate for the company to reach even higher results.The methodology of TPM is the basis of the project, although it is not about a complete implementation of TPM, but is limited to chosen parts since it is a time consuming process that can go on for years. The main focus of TPM is about the first pillar, 5S. Action plans for how to solve these problems and how to achieve the desired state has been established.Thereafter, the researchers in cooperation with the company´s staff have implemented a couple of small improvement proposals. Further improvement proposals have also been presented in this report, but due to the limited time no implementations was made.Moreover, this project is divided into a couple of phases. Situational analysis has been made through both interviews with staff and observation studies. Analysis has also been made by some numeric data taken out by researchers and partly through mapping the equipment. The intention of this is to create a status image of the current situation over the hand welding station. The current state has shown the appearance of problems and challenges that exist. Additional wastages and disturbances in the station can come up to the surface and can thus easily be identified. In turn, occurring wastages and disturbances can be eliminated and the amount of wasted time reduced with help of the action plans to reach a future state.Another method that occurs is spaghetti charts. It has been used for mapping up the existing procedures during the process of the orders in the station, and by that identified different types of disturbances. In addition, the creation of a Value Stream Mapping (VSM) has been made. The map is used as a measurement to identify how much time on a working day that is spent as value adding time and non-value adding time of work.

This dissertation reports the investigation and combination of optimization methodologies and the result of implementing them within a production environment. A literature survey was conducted on the optimization methodologies Lean Manufacturing and theory of constraints (TOC). A number of production optimization methodologies were studied and considered for application to the case study organisation. Due to the small size and relative simplicity of the operation, these methodologies had to be simplified and combined into a more relevant form. A refractory manufacturer was used as a case study for the investigation into the optimization of the dry batch plant. Lean Manufacturing and TOC are optimization methodologies that could be employed to optimize the dry batch plant. Tools from these methodologies were used to investigate problems identified within the production process that were causing the batching plant to perform non-optimally. A time and motion study was conducted and a process flow chart was created to understand the production process. Wasteful activities were identified using a value stream map and a flow process chart was used to visualise the movement within the production process. A 5-Why analysis was conducted to determine the root causes. An optimization plan was created to eliminate the wasteful activities and the operational measures, that is throughput, inventory and operating expense, were used as to determine what the effect the optimization plan would have on the wasteful activities (Lean Manufacturing) found within the batching plant and the organisation. The results of the combined effect of the optimization plan are discussed focusing on the improvements in the operational measures and the increase in profit from sales. Future research is suggested to improve the benchmarking of the optimization plan and any future improvements that the organisation might implement. / MSc (Development and Management Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

This dissertation reports the investigation and combination of optimization methodologies and the result of implementing them within a production environment. A literature survey was conducted on the optimization methodologies Lean Manufacturing and theory of constraints (TOC). A number of production optimization methodologies were studied and considered for application to the case study organisation. Due to the small size and relative simplicity of the operation, these methodologies had to be simplified and combined into a more relevant form. A refractory manufacturer was used as a case study for the investigation into the optimization of the dry batch plant. Lean Manufacturing and TOC are optimization methodologies that could be employed to optimize the dry batch plant. Tools from these methodologies were used to investigate problems identified within the production process that were causing the batching plant to perform non-optimally. A time and motion study was conducted and a process flow chart was created to understand the production process. Wasteful activities were identified using a value stream map and a flow process chart was used to visualise the movement within the production process. A 5-Why analysis was conducted to determine the root causes. An optimization plan was created to eliminate the wasteful activities and the operational measures, that is throughput, inventory and operating expense, were used as to determine what the effect the optimization plan would have on the wasteful activities (Lean Manufacturing) found within the batching plant and the organisation. The results of the combined effect of the optimization plan are discussed focusing on the improvements in the operational measures and the increase in profit from sales. Future research is suggested to improve the benchmarking of the optimization plan and any future improvements that the organisation might implement. / MSc (Development and Management Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Diplomová práce se zaměřuje na zefektivnění podnikových procesů ve společnosti Grow3. Obsahuje analýzu procesů, zjištění příčin současných problémů za použití teoretických modelů a návrhovou část vedoucí k zefektivnění těchto procesů. Součástí je také vytvoření standardizovaných modelů pro nejdůležitější procesy. Poslední část obsahuje výsledky a porovnání provedených analýz s přihlédnutím na vytvořená doporučení.

Introduction: In today's competitive environment, manufacturing companies need to find new strategies and tools to improve manufacturing efficiency and minimize waste. This study is about production efficiency in a window manufacturing company. Purpose: The purpose was to identify challenges and efficiencies in window assembly using time study and value stream mapping (VSM) methods. Another aim was to develop efficiency suggestions to eliminate or minimize non-value adding activities. Methods: Using time studies and VSM, the flow of the case company was mapped and analysed. To answer the research questions of this study, a qualitative case study was conducted at the case company. The data collection for this study was carried out through structured and semi-structured interviews and observations made at the three stations of the case company's arm flow to identify non-value adding activities. In addition, literature was collected in relevant areas.  Results: Observations and interviews conducted in the selected flow show that the case company works lean tools such as 5S and Just-In-Time (JIT). The result also demonstrates which activities are value adding for the whole process, it also shows necessary but nonvalue adding activities.  Conclusion: The findings of the study showed that value stream mapping and time studies in combination can improve the efficiency of production.  The conclusion has also showed that the following lessons can be learnt when working with time studies and VSM:   Combining time studies and VSM, planning time studies and communication when working with time studies / Introduktion: Idag råder hård konkurrens och företag inom tillverkningsindustrin måste därför utveckla nya strategier och verktyg för att effektivisera sin tillverkning och minimera slöserier. Denna studie handlar om effektivisering av produktion hos ett tillverkande företag inom fönstertillverkning.  Syfte: Syftet med studien var att med hjälp av metoderna tidsstudier och värdeflödesanalys (VFA) identifiera utmaningar och effektiviseringar vid montering av fönster. Ett annat syfte var att ta fram effektiviseringsförslag för att eliminera eller minst icke-värdeskapande aktiviteter.  Metod: Med hjälp av tidsstudier och VFA har fallföretagets karmflöde kartlagts och analyserats. För att besvara studiens frågeställningar har en kvalitativ fallstudie utförts hos fallföretaget. Datainsamlingen utfördes genom dels strukturerade, och-dels semistrukturerade intervjuer, samt egna observationer av tre stationer i fallföretagets karmflöde för att identifiera icke-värdeskapande aktiviteter. Dessutom har litteratur samlats in inom relevanta områden.  Resultat: Observationer och intervjuer som genomfördes i det valda flödet visar att fallföretaget arbetar med lean-verktyg som 5S och JIT. Resultatet visar också vilka aktiviteter som är värdeskapande för hela processen, samt också nödvändiga men icke värdeskapande aktiviteter.  Slutsatsen: Studiens slutsatser visade att tidsstudier och värdeflödesanalys i kombination kan effektivisera produktionen. Studiens slutsats har också visat att följande lärdomar kan dras vid arbetet med tidsstudier och VFA:  Kombination av tidsstudier och VFA planering av tidsstudier och kommunikation vid arbete med tidsstudier

The aim of this thesis is to analyze the current state of the process of internal and customer complaint management in REHAU Automotive s.r.o., Moravská Třebová. Based on the facts to make own proposals for improving the process of managing inter-nal and customer complaints, which will lead to a more efficient process, thus saving time, costs and overall improving of quality management in the company.

The aim of this master´s thesis is to design an action to improve of selected process Design and development through DMAIC application. The thesis is focused on identifying the problem, finding the cause and following design of improves leading to eliminate problems. This improves will enable the company to achieve time savings during the process and reduce a risk of orders. Result of this is effective operation in the process.