Implementation of lean manufacturing techniques in the bakery industry in Medellin

Abstract The bakery industry has great economic and social importance in the city of Medellin; most of the companies are small with high levels of informality, low value added and productivity. Lean Manufacturing has become one of the most popular paradigms of waste disposal in the industrial sector and services, with great benefits of their practice on the improvement of the quality and organizational productivity. This work evaluates the level of implementation of the lean manufacturing techniques in the micro and small enterprises in Medellin, in the food sector. It was using diagnostic and follow-up tools with questionnaire to the production chief, which include 9 techniques or tools, and a variable of administration that allow organizations to a guide, to improve the current conditions of productivity. The main results show that the outstanding Lean practices are: PokaYoke, Kaizen and visual factory. However, for which the sector is considered to be of world class, the practices must be strengthened: VSM (generation of value), JIT (Production Flow) and ADMON (Administration). In addition, organizations must increase sales least 139, 20% to increase the level of efficiency of the sector, without changing the number of employees.