Aplicação de ferramentas da qualidade para melhoria do desempenho operacional: um estudo de caso em uma panificadora

Abstract

This case study was dedicated to the application of quality tools in a bakery aiming to improve operational performance. Through the use of Flowchart, Check Sheet, Pareto Diagram, Cause & Effect (Ishikawa) Diagram, Scatter Diagram and 5W2H, opportunities for improvement in the manufacturing process of French bread were identified. The implemented changes significantly reduced process variability and elevated the product's quality level. The simplification of the production flow and the elimination of obstacles contributed to error reduction, saving time and materials, improving production flow, and increasing operational efficiency. Thus, the study highlighted that small operational changes can positively impact the development of processes in a small-scale company without necessarily requiring additional investments. The obtained results revealed significant improvements in the operational performance of the bakery. The identification of critical issues, such as lack of uniformity and the presence of cracks on the surface of the bread, enabled the development of an effective action plan. The analysis and control of the causes of these issues, such as variations in ambient temperature, fermentation time, and oven temperature, resulted in a reduction of 21.44% in the identified errors in the process, also reducing critical Non-Conformities, NC02 and NC03, with reductions of 24.53% and 32.45% respectively. Furthermore, the simplification of the production flow and the elimination of crossovers and returns contributed to the improvement of operational efficiency, demonstrating that small changes can generate significant positive impacts on manufacturing processes.