Lean manufacturing: estudo da implementação em uma empresa encarroçadora

Abstract

Lean is a management philosophy inspired by Toyota Production System practices that seeks constant cost reduction through creativity, especially; with the participation of all employees of the company, increasing efficiency and adding more and more value to all involved in the operation. In this way, the company analyzed here, a bus builder located in the South of Brazil, who has used this mentality since 1986, started a new phase of its program in 2015, expanding its application and restructuring its processes in order to deepen the results already achieved. Academically this work is justified by contributing to the collection that assists students and professionals in this difficult task, implementation and adaptation of the Lean Methodology to Brazilian companies. The aim of the present study is to describe the stages of implementation of the Lean Methodology, begun in 2015, and to compare them with the steps suggested in the bibliographic reference, trying to answer the following research question: the Lean Methodology implementation stages are effective in bodybuilding industry in its entirety? This objective was divided into three specific objectives: to describe the macro steps of the implementation process of the Lean Methodology; present a micro event (Kaizen) of the implementation of the Methodology; propose improvements to the process of implementation of the Lean Methodology. The exploratory study was based on a case study of the company with the use of non-structured, artificial, individual participant observation performed in-loco; bibliographic and documentary survey; and non-standardized interviews. Due to the complexity of the operation, the study focused on assembly lines. The identified macroprocesses were: top-down sensitization for the Lean methodology; mapping the flow of value, identifying and prioritizing the opportunities, pointing out the company's objective with the desired future state, designating the indicators to follow the evolution and deviations; Shop/Office Floor Management for support and correction of Lean transformation by all levels of management; and the Company's Work Environment Improvement System program, with the aim of fostering the cultural change of operators. The microprocesses are the Kaizens events that modify specific points of the Company, one at a time, guided by the macroprocesses and with the objective of making real the organizational strategy. In the work was presented the Kaizen event of the company training school. From 2015 to 2017 more than one hundred and sixty Kaizens were made in the most diverse areas of the factory with more than three thousand and three hundred improvements implemented. These actions resulted in a reduction of 68% in accidents with withdrawals, reduction in quality demerits of 49.5%, lead time reduction by 21.4%, efficiency increase by 27%, reduction of inventory coverage by 43% % for purchased items and 63% for fabricated items and reduction in total post-sale costs by 40.5%. Therefore, it is concluded that the Lean implementation stages are effective, as long as they are oriented and adapted to the company's objectives. It is suggested, based on the present study, the accomplishment of other studies on the implantation in order to confirm its effectiveness and present new situations.