Proposta de implementação do lean manufacturing em indústrias de pequeno porte

Abstract

The reduction of production costs has been widely used by companies as a way to increase their competitiveness. The Lean Manufacturing strategy accompanies this need in order to reduce waste in the production processes and, thus, increase the added value. Small companies differ from large companies because they have greater difficulties in introducing changes, associating concepts and accepting the need for transformation to remain competitive in the market. However, SMEs can also benefit from using the Lean methodology, which is a change of mindset, seeking customer satisfaction and reducing the cost generated by manufacturing process losses. The objective of this study was to develop a proposal for the implementation of Lean Manufacturing applicable to small companies in the metalworking sector, thus creating an instrument that allows the implementation of these production practices. Thereby, a broad literature review carried out, in order to verify and analyze the main existing implementation methods, as well as to identify the most appropriate approaches and tools for the context of SMEs. The proposal consists of an implementation structure, based on papers found in the literature, and the pilot structure divided into some main phases: (i) pre-implementation; (ii) implementation and (iii) post-implementation. The pilot structure went through an evaluation process, where area specialists were able to evaluate and make considerations, resulting in a proposed structure. According to the contributions made by the specialists, the structure subdivided into stages according to the PDCA methodology. It was then partially applied in a case study accomplished in an aluminum cookware manufacturer, located in the southwest of Paraná. Through the application, it was possible to visualize a real situation, identifying existing problems and wastes, proposing actions and solutions to obtain continuous improvement within this context. The preliminary results show that the proposed structure has a feasibility of implantation in the company, thus being able to collaborate for the development of a Lean culture, improving its operations in general.