Business Case
A global Fortune 500 company and a leader in edible oils and specialty bakery fats was expanding its presence in India through acquisitions and greenfield manufacturing facilities. With multiple plants operating across the country, the organization wanted to establish a structured culture of continual improvement across its manufacturing operations.
The goal was to develop a systematic roadmap for manufacturing excellence and implement improvement projects that would reduce process variation, minimize material losses, and improve operational performance across key production lines.
Current State Observations
To identify improvement opportunities, our team conducted diagnostic workshops with plant leadership and cross-functional teams to analyze operations and align improvement initiatives with business objectives.
- Process inconsistencies in pouch filling and packaging operations were causing excess weight giveaway and film losses.
- Packaging defects and sensor-related issues created variations in pouch length and sealing quality.
- Operational inefficiencies in packaging and assembly processes resulted in avoidable material losses and defects.
Solution Synopsis
- A Continual Improvement Project (CIP) roadmap was developed aligning improvement projects with management strategy and operational goals.
- Cross-functional teams were formed to identify and execute improvement projects across manufacturing operations.
- Problem-solving tools such as Why–Why analysis, Fishbone analysis, and PDCA were applied to address process inconsistencies and quality issues.
- SMED techniques were implemented to reduce strain and time required for micron filter changeovers.
- Process flow improvements and single-piece flow concepts were introduced to reduce throughput time in packaging and assembly operations.
- Error-proofing techniques such as Poka-Yoke and Jidoka were applied to reduce defects and stabilize packaging processes.
Outcomes
The structured continual improvement initiative delivered measurable operational improvements across key production processes.
Before
- Significant pouch film loss occurred during packaging operations.
- Excess weight giveaway increased raw material consumption and production costs.
- Carton damages during packaging and handling created additional material losses.
After
- Pouch film loss reduced by 50%, improving packaging efficiency.
- Excess weight giveaway reduced by 30%, lowering raw material consumption.
- Carton damages reduced by 25%, improving packaging quality and product handling.
