This diploma thesis deals with the optimization of production process at ADC Czech Republic s.r.o. Primarily, the method of Lean Six Sigma is used. The first part has a form of the literary study where individual methods used within the company are described. These are further applied in the practical part. The second part presents a brief introduction of the company including the production portfolio. The last part focuses on the practical solution of particular problems of two packaging lines aiming to increase the utilization. In the thesis, the DMAIC improvement cycle is employed.

La problemática que se plantea resolver ha sido estudiada desde diversas perspectivas, debido a los diferentes factores y procesos que se ven involucrados dentro de la cadena de suministro. La magnitud de los quiebres de stock para los minoristas y proveedores tienen un alto impacto económico; es por ello que es importante mantener una alta disponibilidad de productos y reducir los quiebres de stock, ya que afecta a las directamente a las ventas, ya sea por compras no realizadas, compras sustitutas o pérdidas de clientes. La principal causa de los quiebres de stock en el sector retail, recae en una mala gestión de tienda, y dentro de ella en el stock ficticio y los problemas en la trastienda, que son las principales causales del faltante de mercadería en el punto de venta, debido a que no tienen procedimientos de actividades y control que permitan mejorar la disponibilidad del producto en el punto de venta. El presente trabajo de investigación tuvo el objetivo de reducir los quiebres de stock en el punto de venta de tiendas del sector retail en Perú basado en Lean Six Sigma como propuesta de mejora. El resultado obtenido de la propuesta de mejora fue el esperado, validando que se pudo reducir el quiebre de stock en el punto de venta. / The problem to be solved has been studied from different perspectives, due to the different factors and processes that are involved within the supply chain. The magnitude of stock outages for retailers and suppliers have a high economic impact; That is why it is important to maintain a high availability of products and reduce stock silences, since it directly affects sales, whether due to unrealized purchases, substitute purchases or loss of customers. The main cause of stock failures in the retail sector lies in poor store management, and within it in the fictitious stock and problems in the back room, which are the main causes of the lack of merchandise at the point of sale, because they do not have activities and control procedures that will improve the availability of the product at the point of sale. The objective of this research was to reduce stock silences at the point of sale of stores in the retail sector in Peru based on Lean Six Sigma as an improvement proposal. The result obtained from the improvement proposal was as expected, validating that it was possible to reduce the stock silencer at the point of sale. / Tesis

Lean strategy deployment (LSD) provides a means to create lasting value at reduced cost; yet most LSD efforts fail to attain sustainable improvements. The current study sought to gain an understanding of how leaders in oral healthcare manufacturing setting in the northeastern region of the United States can apply self-efficacy and leadership commitment during an LSD. Using Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy this qualitative phenomenological study examined the lived experiences and perceptions of 15 mid-to-senior level managers, concerning the use of self-efficacy and leadership commitment during a lean strategy deployment (LSD). The key findings resulted in 10 emergent themes. The top 3 highly regarded themes that emerged from this study were: (1) committing to a lean strategy deployment, (2) communicating lessons learned/changes, and (3) bringing the best out of employees. LSDs are not easy to implement. Many companies attempt to carry out lean activities and many of these same companies fail to have successful results. To be effective, leaders should focus on creating sound practices and give more attention to the human behaviors and leadership characteristics needed to support eliminating barriers and creating a lean culture.

La presente tesis tiene como objetivo principal dar solución al problema del pago reiterado de penalidades por incumplimiento de indicadores de gestión en una empresa de servicios logísticos en Perú; para ello, demostraremos los principales beneficios de la aplicación de la metodología Lean Six Sigma. En primer lugar, aumentar la rentabilidad a través del incremento en la efectividad de la operación; asimismo, elevar la productividad mediante la estandarización de procesos y optimización del uso de horas hombre y, por último, mejorar la satisfacción del cliente, dado que aumenta la rapidez de la entrega y se reduce el incumplimiento de indicadores de gestión mediante la estabilización de los procesos. El estudio comprende, en el marco del pensamiento Lean, la metodología Six Sigma, la definición de Six Sigma y sus beneficios, la determinación de un servicio y los conceptos referentes a las herramientas de análisis utilizadas. Por otro lado, plantearemos la problemática que atraviesa la empresa SMP Courier, prestador de servicios logísticos en Perú, quienes son y cómo se beneficiaría con la implementación de Lean Six Sigma. De esta forma, determinar que la metodología Lean Six Sigma es la mejor opción para reducir las mudas como sobretiempo y reprocesos, aumentar la rentabilidad, elevar la productividad y mejorar la satisfacción del cliente en el proceso de distribución de tarjetas de crédito. / The main objective of this thesis is to solve the problem of repeated payment of penalties for non-compliance with management indicators in a logistics services company in Peru; to do this, we will demonstrate the main benefits of applying the Lean Six Sigma methodology. In the first place, to increase profitability by increasing the effectiveness of the operation; likewise, increase productivity by standardizing processes and optimizing the use of man hours and, finally, improving customer satisfaction, since it increases the speed of delivery and reduces non-compliance with management indicators by stabilizing the processes. The study includes, within the framework of Lean thinking, the Six Sigma methodology, the definition of Six Sigma and its benefits, the determination of a service and the concepts regarding the analysis tools used. On the other hand, we will discuss the problems faced by the company SMP Courier, a provider of logistics services in Peru, who they are and how they would benefit from the implementation of Lean Six Sigma. In this way, determine that the Lean Six Sigma methodology is the best option to reduce changes such as overtime and rework, increase profitability, increase productivity and improve customer satisfaction in the credit card distribution process / Trabajo de Suficiencia Profesional

El presente trabajo empieza con el marco teórico para establecer la definición de términos y conceptos específicos de investigación como Metodología Lean Six Sigma, Estudio de Métodos, Calidad, Eficiencia y Municiones. Luego, en el estado del arte, se reúne y analiza la información de diversos artículos de investigación para obtener un sustento científico y conocer el actual uso de las diferentes herramientas empleadas para dar soporte a la investigación. Después de establecer la importancia del sector en estudio, se realiza el diagnóstico de la empresa para identificar oportunidades de mejora. Empleando herramientas de ingeniería en el proceso de producción se identificó baja eficiencia, alta cantidad de productos no conformes, falta de estandarización y oportunidades de mejora. Se encontró alto porcentaje de defectos en el proceso de Formación de Copa Vaina; debido al desconocimiento de tiempo de vida útil de los utillajes, colocación errada de utillajes, desconocimiento de frecuencia de calibración, desconocimiento de frecuencia y método de set up. El proceso de lavado, el cual es indispensable a lo largo de la línea de producción, también presenta alto porcentaje de defectos debido a la mezcla errónea de los químicos empleados para lavar los casquillos. Se propone un modelo combinado de Lean Six Sigma y Métodos de trabajo para mejorar los problemas hallados en la línea de producción de casquillos, aumentando la eficiencia y reduciendo los defectos. Por último, se realizó una prueba piloto como método de validación logrando resultados óptimos al emplear el modelo combinado propuesto. / This applied research project begins with the theoretical framework to stablish the definition of specific research terms and concepts, such as Lean Six Sigma Methodology, Study of Methods, Quality, Efficiency and Ammunition. Then, in the state of the art, the information collected from various research articles is analyzed to obtain a scientific support and know the different tools used in them to support this investigation. After establishing the importance of the sector under study, the diagnosis of the company is made to identify opportunities for improvement. using different engineering tools in the production process line identified low efficiency, high quantity of non-conforming products, lack of standardization and opportunities for improvement. High percentage of defects were found in the Vaina Cup Formation process this due to lack of knowledge of useful lifetime tools, wrong placement of tolls, lack of knowledge of calibration frequency, frequency and set up method. The washing process, which is essential along the production line, also has a high percentage of defects due to the wrong mixing of the chemicals used to wash the case of the ammunition. a combined model of Lean Six Sigma and Work Methods is proposed to improve the problems found on the cartridge case production line, increasing efficiency and reducing defects. Finally, a pilot test was performed as a validation method, achieving optimal results when using the proposed combined model. / Trabajo de Suficiencia Profesional

Den svenska skogsindustrin är den tredje största exportören av skogsprodukter i världen och närmare 80% av produktionen exporteras. Den höga efterfrågan på svenska skogsprodukter har tillåtit det svenska sågverksföretaget Derome Timber AB att göra nyinvesteringar som resulterat i ökad produktion. Vid ett av företagets fyra sågverksanläggningar har ledningen emellertid identifierat avdelningen Justerverket som en flaskhals på grund av de stora mellanlager och kassationer som uppstått. Som följd härav vill Derome undersöka och kartlägga kvalitetsbristkostnaderna som är kopplade till avdelningen Justerverket. Tidigare studier menar att sågverksindustrin inte tillämpar systematiska förbättringsarbeten i samma utsträckning som andra industrier. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur systematiska förbättringsarbeten kan tillämpas i sågverksindustrin för att arbeta med kvalitetsbristkostnader. Syftet uppfylls genom en litteraturgenomgång och ett Lean Sex Sigma (LSS) projekt vid Derome Timber AB:s avdelning Justerverket. LSS är en förbättringsstrategi som kombinerar verktyg från Lean och Sex Sigma, avsedd för att reducera kostnader och öka effektivitet. LSS-projektet följer strukturen DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve och Control) och genomförs med hjälp av flera kvalitetstekniska verktyg under respektive fas i förbättringscykeln. I en av studien framtagen konceptuell modell illustreras vidare hur systematiska förbättringsarbeten kan tillämpas i sågverksindustrin för att arbeta med kvalitetsbristkostnader genom LSS-verktyg och DMAIC. Merparten av fallföretagets kvalitetsbristkostnader utgörs av dolda kvalitetsbristkostnader i form av förlorade intäkter som beräknades uppgå till ca 13Mkr. Genom insamling av frekvensdata framkom det att driftstopp står för den primära orsaken till de identifierade kvalitetsbristkostnaderna. Orsaken till driftstoppen kartlades därefter genom verktygen Ishikawadiagram och 5 Varför tillsammans med sågverkets medarbetare. I denna fas framkom det att data över driftstopp och kunskap om värdet i att mäta dessa saknas. En rad rekommenderade åtgärder togs fram genom LSS-projektet och den teoretiska referensramen. Dessa inkluderar utbildning, upprättandet av arbetsrutiner och engagemang kring arbete med kvalitetsbristkostnader. Implementering av ett nytt nyckeltal, TAK (Tillgänglighet, Anläggningsutnyttjande, Kvalitetsutbyte), rekommenderas för att ge en rättvisande bild över Justerverkets faktiska prestation. Slutligen rekommenderas implementering av statistisk processtyrning (SPS) för att urskilja systematiska orsaker till driftstopp från slumpmässiga. / The Swedish forest industry is the third largest exporter of forest products in the world and almost 80% of the production is exported. The high demand for Swedish forest products has allowed the Swedish sawmill company Derome Timber AB to make new investments, resulting in an increased production. At one of the company's four sawmill facilities, however, the management has identified the Adjustment department as a bottleneck due to the large intermediate storage and rejections that have arisen. Therefore, Derome wants to investigate and identify the costs of quality linked to the Adjustment Department. However, previous studies have found that the sawmill industry does not apply systematic improvement methods to the same extent as other industries. The aim of this study is to investigate how systematic improvement methods can be applied in the sawmill industry to work with cost of quality. The aim is achieved through a brief literature review and a Lean Sex Sigma (LSS) project at Derome Timber AB's Adjustment department. LSS is an improvement strategy that combines tools from Lean and Six Sigma, designed to reduce costs and increase efficiency. The LSS project follows the structure of DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control) and shows the use of several quality improvement tools in each phase of the improvement cycle. A conceptual model developed in the current study illustrates how systematic improvement methods can be applied in the sawmill industry to work with cost of quality through LSS and DMAIC. The vast majority of the case company's cost of quality consists of hidden costs in the form of lost income, which is estimated to approximately 13 million SEK. Through the collection of frequency data, it emerged that downtime account for the primary cause of the identified costs of quality. The cause of downtime was then mapped through the tools Ishikawa diagram and 5 whys together with the sawmill's employees. In this phase, it emerged that data on downtime and knowledge of the value in measuring it are lacking. Several recommended measures are developed through the LSS project and the theoretical frame of reference. These include training, the establishment of work routines and commitment to work with cost of quality. Implementation of a new key performance indicator, OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), is recommended to provide an accurate representation of the Adjustment department’s actual performance. Finally, the implementation of statistical process control (SPC) is recommended to distinguish systematic root causes of downtime from random ones.

El texto completo de este trabajo no está disponible en el Repositorio Académico UPC por restricciones de la casa editorial donde ha sido publicado. / Mining activities around the world are undergoing constant change and modernization owing to technological and scientific advancements. Consequently, there are frequent proposals to streamline and enhance processes in mining operations. This study deals with ore transportation in mechanized mining units and aims to optimize fleet management using the Lean Six Sigma methodology to obtain a model in this specific process. The proposed method was implemented using a Lean Six Sigma instrument known as DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control). The case study was applied to an underground mine located in the Huancavelica region, Peru. The simulation showed that 24% of the time in the ore transport cycle is un-productive time and the improvement potential time represents 53% of the transportation process time.

Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) organizations, which provide health care services to low-income, underserved patients, are underfunded. From 2000 to 2007, the cost of treating an FQHC patient increased by $146, while federal compensation to FQHCs increased by only $44 per patient. One FQHC organization in rural Alabama experienced financial losses from the fiscal year 2011 through 2014, jeopardizing services to approximately 6,000 low-income patients. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to analyze the subject organization and discover opportunities to improve financial performance. The research question pertained to the opportunities for improving profitability at the subject organization. The conceptual framework was the systems thinking model. Along with data from the literature review, reviews of the organization's archived data containing employee feedback and feedback from unstructured interviews of four of the 14 FQHC chief executive officers in Alabama were used to develop the profitability model. No employees were interviewed or surveyed during this study, however, a review of archived documents revealed information provided by employees that was helpful in developing the profitability model. To help determine the subject organization's performance, data from independent auditors, technical assistants, FQHC performance reports, the organization's electronic health record system, accounting system, meeting minutes and performance reports were coded, classified, and analyzed. Data from these sources was compared to the profitability model and a gap analysis was used to identify the areas and causes of poor performance. The results indicated that the rural environment impacted the organization's financial performance. The subject FQHC organization may be able to use the results of this study to improve profitability. This study contributes to positive social change by providing a profitability model that other FQHC organizations may use to improve their financial viability and expand services to underserved patients throughout the United States.

La empresa en estudio, dedicada a la logística integral de concentrados mineros tiene como uno de sus proceso principales la recepción de camiones con concentrado de Cu, Pb y Zn de las diferentes mineras del Perú cuya demanda diaria es de 170 camiones para lo cual se ha propuesto atenderlo en un periodo de 10 horas cuyo indicador del proceso es de 17 camiones/hora, pero actualmente se viene manejando un indicador en promedio de 15 camiones/hora, esto ocasiona que se incurra en sobrecostos tales como horas extras y utilización de recursos los que equivalen a un sobrecosto anual de S/. 638,655; por este motivo se proponen implementar dos herramientas de la metodología Lean Six Sigma. El diagnostico reveló que el problema del incumplimiento de indicador radica en la ineficiencia y eficacia del proceso de recepción, en el cual el tiempo total de los camiones en todo el circuito del proceso de recepción es alto en promedio 2.4 horas; el análisis causal halló causas raíces como áreas desordenadas, congestión en zona de toma de muestra y zona de descarga, tras lo cual se propone el despliegue de las herramientas propias de la metodología como la implementación de 5S que busca generar cultura de orden y limpieza con y la mejora del flujo de camiones entre etapas con la estandarización de procesos. Al realizar las implementaciones se estima reducir el tiempo promedio de camiones de 2.4 horas a 1.7 horas y optimizar los recursos y reducir los sobre costos. / The company under study, dedicated to the integral logistics of mining concentrates has as one of its main processes the reception of trucks with concentration of Cu, Pb and Zn of the different miners in Peru whose daily demand is 170 trucks for which it has set out to serve it in a period of 10 hours whose indicator of the process is 17 trucks/hour, but currently an indicator of 15 trucks/hour has been handled, this results in overruns such as overtime and resource utilization which amount to an annual cost of S/. 638,655; for this reason, they intend to implement two tools of the Lean Six Sigma methodology. The diagnosis revealed that the problem of non-compliance with indicator lies in the inefficiency and effectiveness of the receiving process, in which the total time of trucks throughout the receiving process circuit is high on average 2.4 hours; the causal analysis found root causes such as disordered areas, congestion in sampling area and discharge zone, after which it is proposed the deployment of the methodology's own tools such as the implementation of 5S that seeks to generate culture of order and cleanliness with and the improvement of the flow of trucks between stages with the standardization of processes. When deploying, it is estimated to reduce average truck time from 2.4 hours to 1.7 hours and optimize resources and reduce over-costs. / Trabajo de Suficiencia Profesional

Two of the biggest issues facing large organizations today are knowledge transfer from the retiring Baby Boomers to their younger replacements, the Gamers, and the retention of those younger employees. Retirees are replaced by people 34 years old or younger who think, learn, believe, respond, and work differently further increasing the cultural gap that must be traversed in order to successfully transfer knowledge. This younger demographic is raised on technology and may not remember a time when there were no computers, video games, mobile devices, and the Internet. Large organizations aspiring to stay relevant must learn to take advantage of these unique traits. For organization that utilize repetitive work processes involving ruggedized handheld computing tools, both of these issues mentioned can be remediated through the adoption of modern technology. Some ruggedized handheld device manufacturers, however, have been hesitant to embrace consumer-implemented solutions such as the removal of all physical keys in order to incorporate touchscreen only input. Using Baby Boomer and Gamer-aged workers from a large transportation company experienced with ruggedized handheld devices, a time and error evaluation was performed to determine which input type is best by generation. This study found that moving from physical keyed devices to ruggedized handhelds with touchscreens only is a productive move for an industrial workforce but it’s the Boomers who stand to benefit from this change the most, not the Gamers. This study also identified near future requirements for the next iteration of ruggedized handheld devices based on the expectations of members of the current and future workforce. Results showed that participants from all generations selected a device that followed the touchscreen only model for data input. Experienced users from all generations preferred a smaller device with a large screen size. Lastly, Lean and Six Sigma were combined and their benefits explored in an effort of implementing manufacturing quality tools into a global, service-based, logistics organization. These tools and principles were used to improve the quality and timeliness of selecting and implementing a new ruggedized handheld device for the line-level workers on a global scale.