In today’smanufacturing climate there is an increased focus on the use of the principles that form the foundation for the Lean manufacturing philosophy to create efficient and effective companies. Within Lean there is a great focus on identifying and eliminating waste. One of the seven wastes that Lean thinking strives to eliminate is the keeping of unnecessary inventory. The purpose ofthis study is to discover areas of improvement in a production flow and to give suggestions on these through finding and eliminating waste in the production environment. The production flow has been mapped using value stream mapping and has been analyzed accordingly. The specific production flow that has been mapped is located to a plant in the southern parts of Sweden and is operating within the plastic industry. At this plant, a specific product family has been mapped from raw material to shipment. In parallel with the empirical work literature studies have been conducted. The literature studies have sought to create a theoretical support for the result of the study. The current state at the factory has been mapped to create an understanding for the authors and the reader but also to give the study credibility with the company.  At the company observations and interviews have been conducted, mainly within two areas; the extrusion and the conversion into sheets. In addition to this thorough observations and calculations of inventory levels have been made, mainly in the semi-finished goods inventory. As the current state has been mapped thoroughly an analysis of the value stream has been conducted. Two areas have been focused upon in the analysis; the semi-finished goods inventory and the sheeting process. The observations and the analysis have shown disorganization in the inventory which causes materialto be forgotten and obsolete. In the sheeting process the analysis has shown that the lack of work instructions leads to variations in the cycle time and to variations in the mode of work. The inconsistency in the way work is conducted makes it difficult to obtain a common standard on quality. The analysis has resulted in an action plan which will lead to improvements in the production flow. In connection to this a future state map has been developed illustrating the desired state. The points of action are focused on the semi-finished goods inventory and the sheeting process. The major changes are the implementation of a FIFO-lane to increase the structure in the inventory and the development of work instructions for the sheeting process. The method used has been discussed and also the results obtained in the study and the compliance of the results with the purpose and thesis questions have been discussed. The study has also lead to suggestions for further studies that the company should investigate.

Volvo Penta has been producing boat engines since 1907 and are world leading in this seg­ment. They have today an extended range and also sell industrial power stations. Quality, safe­ty and environmental care are three core values for Volvo and together they strive to give their customers the right product with the right quality. Volvo has developed a production system named Volvo Production System, VPS, and one of the pillars is continuous improvements. Within this pillar you can find value stream map­ping, which is used to analyze the value stream through the process. This tool gives a wide perspective and helps to keep focus on the entire process instead of just parts of it. Volvo Penta in Vara has earlier done value stream mapping but without good results since they didn’t take set-up times and imbalances in account. Therefore Penta wanted a guide for how they should proceed the process in the future. For that reason this thesis work’s goal is to provide work instructions on value stream mapping for Penta. To approach the goal studies of value stream mapping and three interviews with com­panies were done. These factors resulted in work instructions which were tested in a case study. To develop the work instruction, operators from the process joined to give inputs and to help out in the discussions for improvements. Before the final work instruction was set, a connection to Cost Deployment were completed. The final results of this thesis work were a checklist with a manual, a toolbox and a note template. These tools were handed over to Volvo Penta in Vara with recommendations for future work. Some of the recommendations were that they should implement the work instruction as a standard and test it on different value streams. / Volvo Penta är ett företag som har tillverkat båtmotorer sedan 1907, men idag tillverkar de även drivsystem för industriellt bruk. Fabriken som ligger i Vara tillverkar endast driv­system för marint bruk av följande varianter; D4, D6 och D3. Kvalitet, säkerhet och miljöhänsyn är Volvo Pentas kärnvärden och detta är grunden för per­sonalens arbetssätt, produktutveckling samt hur de bemöter sina kunder. Genom att utgå ifrån Volvo Production System, VPS, strävar företaget efter sina kärnvärden. En av grundstenarna i VPS är ständiga förbättringar och där ingår arbetet med värde­flödes­ana­lyser, som innebär en studie kring andelen värdeskapande tid i förhållande till den totala tiden. Genom att analysera värdeflödet utifrån kunden fås en helhetsbild och slöserier samt ba­lans­eringsförluster blir synliga och kan sedan elimineras. Då fokus ska ligga på det totala flödet kan en vision om att nå det önskvärda framtida tillståndet bildas. Volvo Penta i Vara har tidigare gjort en värdeflödesanalys, VFA, men den blev inte kom­plett då hänsyn enbart hade tagits till takttider. Viktiga parametrar såsom ställtider, slöserier och obalanser hade blivit utelämnade. Företaget gav därför ut ett uppdrag till två studenter från Högskolan Väst med syfte att ta fram ett arbetssätt för hur en VFA ska göras samt ta reda på om Cost Deployment, CD, kan kopplas till teorin om VFA. Utifrån insamlade teorier kring VFA och utförda intervjuer, med två företag samt en anställd på Volvo Penta som arbetat med denna metodik, kunde författarna sammanställa ett arbetssätt. Arbetssättet testades vid en fall­studie då en övergripande VFA över hela fabriken gjordes. Därefter diskuterades arbets­sättet och de förbättringar som togs fram testades vid utformande av VFA på detaljerad nivå. Det slutgiltliga arbetssättet bestod utav en checklista med en beskrivande lathund som ska underlätta datainsamlingen. Även en verktygslåda har tagit fram som hjälp vid sammanställning av VFA:n. Det sammanställda arbetssättet överlämnades till Volvo Penta i Vara med rekommendationer för framtida arbete. Dessa rekommendationer var bland annat att införa arbetssättet som en standard och testa det på andra delar av flödet.

Title: A case study for LORAMAX on supply chain strategy & production efficiency.  Limitations: Due to the sensitive nature of the information in this thesis, a non-disclosure agreement was signed, and some data cannot be disclosed.  Background: LORAMAX, the case company for this thesis produces differentiated products on the basis of quality. They are faced with the challenge of making a product that they recently launched, HERO, more competitive in the market. Even though they have chosen a differentiated strategy, the company understands that cost reduction could as well provide them a competitive advantage and is therefore crucial to the survival of the new product.  Research questions:                How can the production cost and lead time be reduced for HERO? How would the choice to either buy pre-assembled modules or manufacture them in-house influence the profit margin of HERO? Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to use relevant theories and practical tools in order to help the company identify potential opportunities and areas where to reduce assembly costs and lead-times.  Method: The empirical data used to draw conclusions was collected through a mixed research method (both qualitative and quantitative) carried out on site at LORAMAX with the help of the purchasing and production manager, through interviews, questionnaires and observations. This thesis is written from a positivistic perspective with a deductive approach.  Conclusions: Value Stream Mapping (VSM) and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) are effective tools for cost and lead time reduction and can be used to support a make-or-buy decision. In this thesis, we arrive at the conclusion that LORAMAX will improve its profit margins on HERO if it buys already assembled modules.

Lean production är en väl etablerad produktionsteknik världen över. Inom Lean production finns det flertalet verktyg, ett av dessa är kartläggningsverktyget Value Stream Mapping (VSM). Med VSM kartläggnings information- och materialflöden inom den egna verksamheten, samt så identifieras icke-värdeskapande aktiviteter (slöseri) för att sedan skapa förbättringsförslag. VSM är ett bevisat effektivt verktyg att använda för att skapa effektiva flöden inom många typer av verksamheter såsom: fordonsindustrin, hotellverksamhet, stålindustri, energiindustri. Dock menar författare att VSM inte kan användas inom företag som har en MTO strategi och som karaktäriseras av produkter som tillverkas i låga volymer och höga variationer. I dagens samhälle ökar ständigt efterfrågan på kundanpassade produkter, vilket i sig leder till att fler MTO företag bildas för att kunna möta kundernas krav. Dessa företag har dock samma krav på sig som andra företag, det vill säga att reducera produktionskostnader, korta ner ledtider och öka kvaliteten för att kunna skapa en konkurrenskraft på marknaden. Således skapades problemformuleringen för denna studie: ”Hur kan ett företag som har en Make-To-Order strategi och som karaktäriseras av en produktion med hög grad av variation samt låg volym, använda Value Stream Mapping för att kartlägga värdeflöden och på så vis skapa möjligheter för att effektivisera verksamheten?” För att besvara problemformuleringen genomfördes studien på Bosch Rexroth Mellansel som är ett företag inom ovan nämnda kontext. Företaget erbjuder bland annat kundanpassade lösningar, företaget har en MTO strategi och tillverkningen av de kundanpassade produkterna sker av hög grad av variation samt låg volym. Arbetet utgick sedan från befintliga teorier om Lean production och VSM samt utvecklade verktyg av VSM för att sedan testa och anpassa dessa på den aktuella kontexten. Kartläggningen genomfördes med hjälp av att observera och samtala med arbetare i flödet samt genom att utforma blanketter som fick följa med artikeln där arbetare hade det huvudsakliga ansvaret att fylla i start- och sluttider för processer. I studiens VSM visades material- och informationsflöden samt identifierat slöseri, detta låg sedan som grund för att ge förslag till hur företaget kan effektivisera verksamheten. Studiens huvudsakliga slutsatser innebär att VSM kan anpassas till denna typ av verksamhet genom att: använda flödesfamiljer i kartläggningen i stället för enskilda produkter eller produktgrupper; koppla tidigare försäljning mot respektive flödesfamilj för att därefter skapa en övergripande prioritering och förståelse; kopplitera observationerna med hjälp av att använda blanketter som får ”följa med” produkten, där arbetare få anteckna information om aktuella processtider och väntetider; kommunikation, för att skapa förutsättningar för ett effektivt flöde. Genom tidigare litteratur och observationer skapades slutligen en modell för förslag på framtida arbetsgång för företaget. Slutligen redovisade studien att det är viktigt att anpassa VSM till den aktuella verksamheten samt betydelsen av att involvera arbetare i processen.

Title: Improving the Processes in a WarehouseBackground: For warehouses to perform as efficiently and effectively as possible, helping companies maintain a high service level and react to market changes, continuous improvement is necessary. This is achievable through amongst other methods, the analysis of operations to identify wasteful activities and eliminate them. Purpose: This paper, through a thorough description and understanding of the current outbound processes at Company N, seeks to identify any wasteful activity and what might be causing such wastes. Furthermore the paper shall seek to make recommendations for reducing or eliminating wastes identified. Research Questions: What wastes can be identified in Company N’s outbound processes and why do they occur? What recommendations should be made for reducing wastes at Company N? Method: This research is qualitative in nature carried out using a deductive approach. Primary data was gathered mainly through observation and semi-structured and unstructured interviews with the goal of gaining as deep an understanding of the processes as possible. Secondary data was also gotten from multiple sources within the company. Contemporary tools and techniques like Value Stream Mapping and Gemba (observation at the place of work) were useful in identifying wastes; meanwhile the 5 Why’s questioning technique was used for finding the causes of wastes identified. Benchmarking was also used as a means of sourcing ideas and proven standards of performance. Conclusion: The research identified five main wastes including waiting, travelling, unnecessary motion, defects and processing. The main causes of the wastes include the use of manual verification during processes, limited use of batch picking, the absence of lifting aid and dissatisfaction amongst workers. The report makes recommendations including change of handling equipment and operating procedures to accommodate automatic verification of locations and items, as well as better usage of batch picking. It is also recommended to swap the location of certain articles and introduce marketing analysis to reduce travelling. Finally, recommendations are made for counteracting worker dissatisfaction such as a proposed improvement report, an appraisal system, more cross training and internal personnel development.

Sustainable Value Stream Mapping (Sus-VSM) builds upon traditional VSM to capture additional sustainability aspects of the product flow, such as environmental and societal aspects. This work presents research to expand the utility of Sus-VSM to supply chain networks, develop a general approach towards improving supply chain sustainability, and examine the benefits of implementing simulation and a design of experiments (DOE) style analysis. Metrics are identified to assess economic, environmental, and societal sustainability for supply chain networks and visual symbols are developed for the Supply Chain Sus-VSM (SC Sus-VSM) to allow users to easily identify locations where sustainability can be improved. A discrete event simulation (DES) model is developed to simulate the supply chain, allowing easier creation of future state maps, which are used to identify locations for sustainability improvement. A scoring methodology and DOE-style analysis are developed to collect more information from the supply chain. Results from the case study show that the SC Sus-VSM meets the goals desired, and that the DES model aids the goals of the map. It is also indicated that interventions in the supply chain should first focus on economic improvements, followed by societal and then environmental improvements to achieve the greatest supply chain sustainability.

Syfte: Syftet med examensarbetet är att undersöka möjligheter till effektivisering av fjärrvärmeinstallationer i småhus med hjälp Lean. Detta har gjorts genom att besvara de tre följande frågeställningarna: Hur ser en fjärrvärmeinstallation i småhus ut i dagsläget? Vilka slöserier går att identifiera i processen för fjärrvärmeinstallation i småhus? Hur kan slöserier i processen för fjärrvärmeinstallation i småhus minskas? Metod: För att uppfylla examensarbetets syfte har en fallstudie genomförts på Jönköping Energi som är en leverantör av fjärrvärme. Där har intervjuer och dokumentationsstudier använts som datainsamlingsmetoder. Litteraturstudier har gjorts för att samla in information kring teorier som sedan använts för att utvärdera och analysera empirin. Resultat: Genom studien har slöserier identifierats i processen för fjärrvärmeinstallation i småhus. Det största slöseriet som identifierats är väntan som uppstår mellan delprocesserna, vilken uppgår till 20 % av den totala ledtiden för installationen. Genom att införa ett informationssystem som täcker glappet mellan entreprenörerna och fallstudieföretaget, förändrad tidsplanering samt arbete med parallella processer anses denna väntan kunna minskas. Implikationer: Denna studie visar att med hjälp av Lean kan processen för fjärrvärmeinstallation i småhus effektiviseras och att ledtiden för processen kan förkortas genom eliminering av slöserier. Studien visar också att genom att använda periodlös planering kan ledtiden förkortas ytterligare då tidsplaneringen anpassas efter verksamheten. Begränsningar: Studien som genomförts baseras på empiri som samlats in på ett fallstudieföretag, genom att öka antalet fallstudier samt genomföra dessa på fler en ett företag ökar generaliserbarheten i resultaten. / Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the possibilities for improving the efficiency of district heating installations in houses by using Lean. This is done by answering the following three questions: How is a district heating installation implemented? What types of wastes can be identified in the process of district heating installations in houses? How can wastes in the process of district heating installations in houses be reduced? Method: In order to fulfill the purpose of the study a case study has been conducted at Jönköping Energi, a supplier of district heating. Interviews and documentation studies have been used as data collection methods. Literature studies have been made to collect information on theories that were used to evaluate and analyze empirical data. Results: Wastes in the process of district heating in houses has been identified in the study. The biggest identified waste is the wait that occurs between the sub-processes, where wait reach up to 20 % of the total lead time of the installation. By implementing an information system, introducing changes in scheduling and start working in with parallel processes this wait can be reduced. Implications: This study shows that by using Lean the process of district heating installations in houses can be more efficient and that the lead time for the process can be shortened by eliminating wastes. The study also shows that by using bucketless planning, lead time can be shortened further when scheduling adapts to the process. Limitations: The study was carried out based on only one case study. By increasing the number of case studies and by carry those out in more than one company the generalizability of the results will be increased.

O setor da construção civil é conhecido pela grande incidência de perdas em seus processos, o que tem levado ao crescente uso de práticas baseadas nos sistemas de produção enxuta. Este trabalho apresenta a avaliação da estabilidade e capacidade dos processos, bem como o uso de práticas enxutas em uma obra de pavimentação viária. Inicialmente, a avaliação da estabilidade e capacidade foi realizada por meio do mapeamento do fluxo de valor do estado atual e do desenvolvimento e coleta de indicadores associados aos 4M (Material, Mão-deobra, Máquina e Método). Os resultados indicaram que todos os cinco indicadores avaliados foram estáveis, porém apenas um indicador demonstrou capacidade de atender os parâmetros do cliente. Com base nessa avaliação, foram adotadas ações para redução de perdas e melhora da estabilidade e capacidade dos processos, por meio do uso de práticas enxutas, aplicadas em uma segunda obra com características similares à anterior. As práticas usadas foram: i) Mudança e melhoria de alguns processos construtivos; ii) implantação de ferramenta 5S no canteiro de obras; iii) criação e implantação de dispositivos poka-yokes, iv) aplicação de dispositivo visual de comunicação do tipo andon; v) planejamento de entrega de materiais just-in-time. Nessa segunda obra, os indicadores se mantiveram estáveis, mas foi percebida uma melhora quanto à capacidade destes indicadores em atender os parâmetros exigidos. Apenas o indicador de mão-de-obra turn over não foi capaz de atender a meta definida pela empresa. / The Building Sector is known for high incidence of wastes in its process. This characteristic has been motivating the operators to use some practices based on Lean Production Systems. This paper presents an evaluation of the stability and capacity of Lean Construction concepts in a road construction work. The evaluation of the stability and capacity was realized mapping the current state value stream and the collection of indicators associated with the 4M (Material Hand labor, Machine and Method) The results indicated that all seven indicators measured were stable, but only an indicator of the seven evaluated was considered capable. Based on this evaluation, actions were taken to improve the stability and capacity through the use of lean practices, applied in a second work with similar characteristics to the previous. The practices used were: i) improving / changing some construction processes, ii) 5S tool deployment on construction of works iii) creation and implementation of poka-yokes devices, iv) application of visual tool of andon type communication, v) delivery planning materials within the just-in-time concept. In this second work the indicators remained stable, but a great improvement was perceived, related to the ability of the indicators to meet the required parameters. Only the hand labor turnover indicator was not able to meet the target set by the company.

Följande examensarbete har utförts som en fallstudie hos GN Hearing och en litteraturstudie där olika teoriområden hämtats in, som la grunden för den workshop som sedan hölls hos företaget. Dessutom har strukturerade observationer, enkäter samt intervjuer utförts för att enligt ramen för en fallstudie få en så helhetligt bild av nuläget som möjligt. Studien behandlar ämnet värdeflödesanalys, och ämnar till att kartlägga GN Hearings returflöde för en viss produktfamilj. Arbetet mynnar sedan ut i en analys som med stöd av teorin presenterar förbättringsförslag och verktyg, samt ett framtida önskat värdeflöde. Examensarbetet beskriver flödet ur en synvinkel som har Lean, processorientering och värdeskapande som grund, vilket gjorde det möjligt för framtagningen av ett nytt, effektivare flöde med mindre slöserier. Frågeställningarna som genomsyrar studien handlar om att kartlägga värdeflödet för att identifiera slöserier och urskilja värdeskapande aktiviteter från icke värdeskapande inom GN Hearings ITE, retur-flöde. Resultatet från kartläggningen visar på att av alla identifierade aktiviteter, är de icke-värdeskapande aktiviteterna hela 99 % av totalen. De icke värdeskapande aktiviteterna återfanns främst i form av väntan och variation. Genom de förbättringar som föreslås tas ett nytt flöde fram, där aktiviteterna som anses vara ickevärdeskapande minskar med ca 50 %. Utöver detta presenterades även andra verktyg för ett fortsatt förbättringsarbete. / The following thesis work has been conducted as a case study at GN Hearing and a literature study, where different theoretical areas are used as the basis for the workshop that was held at the company. In addition, structured observations, surveys and interviews have been conducted to provide as comprehensive a picture of the current situation as possible. The study addresses the topic of value stream mapping and aims at substantializing GN Hearing's return flow for a particular product family. The work leads to an analysis that, with the support of the theory, presents improvement proposals and tools, as well as a future desired value flow. The thesis describes the flow from a point of view that has Lean, process orientation and value creation as a basis, which enabled the development of a new, more efficient flow with less waste. The questions that pervade the study treats mapping the value flow to identify waste and distinguishing value creation activities from non-value creation within GN Hearing's ITE return flow. The results of the value stream mapping shows that, of all identified activities, non-value adding activities are a full 99% of the total. Non-value creating activities were found primarily in the form of waiting and variation. With the proposed improvements, a new flow is emerged, where activities considered non-value adding are reduced by about 50%. In addition, other tools for further continuous improvements were also presented.

As organizações do setor público são normalmente associadas a processos lentos, burocráticos e que geram resultados insuficientes. Em função disso, têm crescido as exigências relativas ao desempenho dos órgãos do setor público. A aplicação dos conceitos Lean é uma alternativa para reduzir as perdas do setor púbico e aumentar a eficiência no uso dos recursos. Nesse contexto, este estudo tem como objetivo analisar e propor melhorias no processo de contratação de obras de uma universidade pública, com foco na eliminação das perdas, através da utilização do Mapeamento do Fluxo de Valor (MFV), bem como identificar barreiras para a aplicação do MFV e das melhorias identificadas por meio dessa ferramenta. A estratégia de pesquisa adotada foi o estudo de caso aplicado ao processo de contratação de uma obra na Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso (UFMT). Com base no MFV, foram propostas melhorias no processo, sinalizando para uma possível redução do lead time de 1.242 dias para 380 dias. Através da aplicação do MFV, também foi possível identificar barreiras para implantação dos princípios lean, como a falta de padronização dos procedimentos, falta de visão sistêmica do fluxo do processo por parte dos gestores, deficiência na capacitação dos servidores, falta de foco no cliente final e dificuldades de adaptar conceitos a práticas. Pelos resultados obtidos, é possível afirmar que os procedimentos administrativos, no contexto de obras em uma universidade pública, podem ser melhorados com a aplicação do MFV. / Public organizations are usually associated to slow bureaucratic processes with little result. Therefore, there is a growing demand for higher performances in the public sector. Using lean concepts is an alternative to reduce the losses in the public sector and enhance the efficiency of recourse use. The research herein presented is aimed at analyzing and proposing improvements in the bidding process for construction works within a public university, focusing on loss elimination, through the use of Value Stream Mapping (VSM). Besides, we intend to identify obstacles to using VSM and the benefits that come from the use of such tool. We have done a case study about the bidding process for construction works within the Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT). Based on VSM, we suggested improvements to the process through a possible reduction of the lead time from 1242 days to 380 days. By using VSM, it was also possible to identify obstacles to the lean principles, such as the lack of procedural standardization, the fact that managers do not have a systemic view of the process stream, employees’ need for training, lack of focus on the end client and difficulties to adapt concepts into practices. From the results, we can affirm that administrative procedures in a public university can be improved by using VSM.