Business Case
A leading international air-catering company supplying meals to several global airlines wanted to improve operational efficiency at its largest facility in Mumbai. With increasing pressure on airlines to reduce meal costs while maintaining service quality, the catering provider needed to optimize its processes without compromising freshness and delivery reliability.
The goal was to improve productivity in the fresh fruit processing section, reduce fruit spoilage, and lower energy consumption caused by intermediate storage of cut fruits.
Current State Observations
To identify improvement opportunities, our team conducted a value stream study of the fruit processing workflow—from washing and cutting to bowl preparation and dispatch.
- Fruits such as pineapple, melon, and watermelon were cut in large batches and stored as work-in-progress in chiller rooms, leading to quality deterioration.
- Processing staff spent significant time handling and moving trays, creating unnecessary motion and delays.
- Bowl preparation and packing were done in batches, creating waiting time and non-value-added activities across the process.
Solution Synopsis
- The fruit preparation process was redesigned using flow-based production aligned with airline flight schedules to ensure just-in-time preparation.
- Cutting operations for different fruits were performed in parallel to support continuous flow into bowl preparation.
- Bowl preparation and packing were integrated into a single-piece flow process, eliminating intermediate storage and waiting.
- Fruit processing volumes were aligned with actual airline meal requirements to avoid excess production and spoilage.
- Storage areas and packing materials were repositioned closer to the preparation area to reduce movement and handling.
Outcomes
The redesigned process significantly improved productivity while enhancing freshness and reducing operational waste.
Before
- Fruits were cut in large batches and stored as work-in-progress in chiller rooms.
- Multiple tray movements and batch operations created delays and excess motion.
- Intermediate storage increased energy consumption and caused fruit spoilage.
After
- Productivity increased by 25%, reaching 1.25 bowls per person per minute with the same workforce.
- 250 fruit bowls were prepared in just 50 minutes using four employees.
- Intermediate storage was eliminated, allowing one chiller room to be shut down and reducing energy consumption.
