Resumen:
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.
