Implantación de una metodología de mejora de calidad y productividad en un pyme del sector plástico

Abstract

The application of methodologies for improving quality and productivity in Ecuadorian SMEs is low. The company chosen for this study was Plastics SA, which is an SME. In this company were implemented techniques for continuous improvement in order to increase their competitiveness. Plastics SA, a company with 30 years in the plastic bags market, had problems such as: high rates of claims and returns, inefficient interdepartmental communication mechanisms, and a lack quality control system. In order to improve this situation, the following activities were developed: 1)Organize the workplace by 5S techniques (Japanese technique for order and cleanliness of the workplace) and Visual Control, 2) Get to know the customer by identifying customers, and customer expectations and job mapping, 3) Integrate production and sales by defining policies and mapping the areas of interaction, and improving communication, 4) Improve quality by process identification, process improving, and designing a quality control system. After the implementation period, it was possible to decrease the number of claims and / or customer returns, besides the implementation of communication mechanisms and effective controls.