Optimizing the efficiency of a production flow line at 3M.

Abstract

A Production flow line at 3M was investigated to find the cause for the inefficient flow line. The demand of the products is not met on time, making this area a consistent problem for many grounds. 3M’s unit cost is furthermore a problem area, which is too high for 3M to stay competitive in the market. In this paper, methods were investigated to see clearly what the appropriate method would be to select for this type of circumstances. It was concluded that Theory of Constraints (TOC) would be the most appropriate to apply for several beneficial reasons. Performance measurement’s is done in conjunction with the five focusing steps in TOC. The whole system was tested in Simulation to observe the improvement of TOC in the system. The results obtained were a smoother flow line which result in an improved throughput of the system, decreased back orders present and product demand met on time; and extra time left for an opportunity to increase the production without expenses.