Continuous Kaizen Implementation to Improve Leanness: A Case Study of Indian Automotive Assembly Line

Abstract

This study aims at introducing the concept of continuous kaizen to improve the leanness by enhancing productivity, line balancing and line efficiency of an automotive component assembly line. The present study shows the implementation of continuous kaizen at an assembly line using case study methodology. The proposed continuous kaizen implementation methodology illustrates how the top management specified goals/targets for the overall improvement of the line are achieved. The quality control techniques of Gemba walk, 3M (muda, mura, muri) analysis and ECRS (eliminate, combine, reduce, or eliminate) study are used for the micro analysis of the activities. It is found that the continuous kaizen can be effectively implemented in assembly lines to improve leanness by enhancing productivity, line balancing and line efficiency. It has been shown through the case study that the new concept of continuous kaizen decreased cycle time from 80 to 75 s, increased productivity by 6.7%, and line efficiency by 2.9%. The line balancing is also improved by decreasing the cycle time variation (standard deviation) from 4 to 2.84 σ.