Sustainable Lean Manufacturing model to reduce waste in a dairy company in Peru

Abstract

The application of lean-based sustainable approaches could address various challenges present in the food industry. A key tool that integrates lean principles and sustainability is value stream mapping (VSM), used to visualize the system and detect problems such as waste, bottlenecks, and overuse of resources. This paper presents an integrated model of lean practices and sustainability in a dairy company, with the objective of optimizing process efficiency, reducing waste, and improving environmental performance. Problems related to configuration, equipment maintenance, and process deficiencies were identified. Corrective actions were suggested including the use of SMED, Poka-yoke, and SW tools. In addition, in order to improve the sustainability of the model, all these elements were condensed into an A3 format, resulting in a 14% increase in efficiency and a 4% reduction in waste.