Enhancing Productivity in a Food Industry

Abstract

Fresh Food Factory, a member of AL-Mansour Group, was established in 2014 in the industrial zone in 6th of October. The factory was founded to serve to AL-Mansour Group markets such as Metro and Kheir Zaman, filling a gap in the market for an upscale and luxurious supermarket. These markets aimed to create a niche shopping destination providing customers with a premium and unique culinary experience. The main production sectors of the factory include bakery, butchery, poultry, seafood, and sweets. After conducting an investigation, the following problems were observed. Firstly, the production line experiences stoppages due to failures in machine parts, resulting in shutdowns lasting two to three days until the required spare parts are purchased. Secondly, there are frequent stoppages on the shaping machine caused by the late arrival of dough, leading to productivity losses of approximately 58 minutes per day. Thirdly, the packaging line has a high percentage of reworked pieces, with around 117 packed pieces per hour needing rework, which represents 16% of the actual production. Lastly, the absence of a chief causes slower processes and bottlenecks due to unclear guidelines regarding ingredients and procedures. Addressing these problems is crucial to minimize production stoppages and ensure smooth operations. The aim of the project is to address these problems by using industrial engineering methods such as conducting a time study to identify inefficiencies in production line, developing standardized operating procedures (SOPs) for all processes to ensure consistency and clarity in the absence of the chief, and creating a spare parts warehouse with critical components to be readily available on site to minimize downtime.