Reducción de merma en los procesos de comercialización de pollo en puntos de venta de una empresa minorista

Abstract

CONDITION FOR PUBLICATION OF PROJECT. the food retail sector, chicken waste represents a considerable challenge, causing economic losses for the company. This project aims to reduce chicken waste at a retail in Guayaquil through the DMAIC methodology to establish the corresponding improvements. It is projected that the implementation of visual controls and a preventive maintenance plan will contribute to optimizing operational efficiency and ensuring business sustainability. The study was conducted using techniques such as SIPOC, VOC, CTQ, cause–effect diagrams, FMEA, and statistical tests, complemented by Gemba visits. These tools helped identify the main contributing factors: poor sealing of cold storage doors, failures in cold chain equipment, and inefficient preservation procedures. The results showed a reduction in the waste percentage from 6.1% to 3.94%, generating an economic benefit of $413, along with an improvement in equipment efficiency from 0.375 to 0.75. In conclusion, the implementation of visual controls together with a preventive maintenance plan constitutes an effective and sustainable strategy to reduce waste in retail operations. Keywords: waste, DMAIC, visual control, preventive maintenance.