Study On Lean Six Sigma Application In Testing Process Reengineering

In today’s global economic world, tire manufacturing is a growing industry with new competitors coming onboard at a fast rate. The Cooper Tire and Rubber Company has found that introducing new products at an accelerated rate is key to sustained growth. However, Cooper Tire’s Technical Center Material Laboratory is experiencing low efficiencies and decreased throughput of projects. More and more test requests are being placed into the laboratory which has resulted in a large backlog with lead times in upwards of three (3) months.This thesis will focus on the application of lean six sigma in the logistics management of materials laboratory area to improve efficiency and throughput in order to meet the needs of accelerated product introductions and shorten the time required for development. Use of tools such as process mapping and project drill down to analyze the lab process will be vital.Several logistics issues causing the backlog include; inefficient inventory management, nonstandard distribution and storage for process material, nonstandard information label for test specimen, and lack of information management system.By applying lean six sigma tools and logistics management tools, the lab efficiency was greatly improved, such as reasonable storage room layout and materials information management, lean package and storage, individual storage unit, standard materials information label and visual management. An information system was also deployed to assist in management of raw materials, prioritization of projects and work lists, and organization and retrieval of test data. The results of these activities were a notable decrease in the backlog of requests and a reduction in lead time to just ten (10) working days.The challenge of accelerated product development has been met with shorter lead times for tests and an overall improved use of lab resources. The experience has made a positive impact on the materials laboratory and demonstrates how effective lean six sigma can be when deployed across the organization.