Reducción del costo unitario de cajas en una empresa empacadora de frutas

Abstract

The present project aimed to reduce the unit cost per box in a fruit packing company through the analysis of the production process and the implementation of operational improvements. The project is justified by the sustained increase in unit cost, especially during low-production days, a situation that negatively affects the company’s profitability. For the development of the project, the DMAIC methodology of Lean Six Sigma was applied, using various analytical tools that made it possible to understand process behavior and identify the critical factors influencing its performance. From this analysis, a high incidence of nonconforming fruit entering daily operations was identified, mainly attributed to deficiencies in production planning. Based on the diagnostic results, an improvement proposal was formulated that integrated a forecasting model using an exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) and a planning model based on mixed-integer linear programming (MILP). The results obtained showed a reduction in unit cost from US$ 1.41 to US$ 1.33 per box, as well as a decrease in the percentage of nonconforming fruit from 11% to 7%, strengthening process control and operational decision-making. Keywords: DMAIC, operational planning, forecasting, decision-making, continuous improvement