Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2012, 60(4), 115-120 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201260040115

Evaluation of economic efficiency of process improvement in food packaging

Jana Hron, Tomáš Macák, Andrea Jindrová

Katedra řízení, Česká zemědělská univerzita v Praze, Kamýcká 129, 165 21 Praha 6, Česká republika

In general, we make gains in process by the three fundamental ways. First, we define or redefine our process in a strategic sense. Second, once defined or redefined, we commence process operations and use process control methods to target and stabilize our process. Third, we use process improvement methods, as described in this paper, along with process control to fully exploit our process management and/or technology. Process improvement is focused primarily in our subprocesses and sub-subprocesses. Process leverage is the key to process improvement initiatives. This means that small improvements of the basic manufacturing operations can have (with the assumption of mass repetition of the operation) a big impact on the functioning of the whole production unit. The complexity within even small organizations, in people, products, and processes, creates significant challenges in effectively and efficiently using these initiatives tools. In this paper we are going to place process purposes in the foreground and initiatives and tools in the background as facilitator to help accomplish process purpose. Initiatives and tools are not the ends we are seeking; result/outcomes in physical, economics, timeliness, and customer service performance matter. In the paper process boundaries (in a generic sense) are set by our process purpose and our process definition. Process improvement is initiated within our existing process boundaries. For example, in a fast-food restaurant, if we define our cooking process around a frying technology, then we provide process improvements within our frying technology. On the other hand, if we are considering changing to a broiling technology, then we are likely faced with extensive change, impacting our external customers, and a process redefinition may be required.
The result / aim of the paper are based on the example of the process improving of a food packaging quality. Specifically, the integration of two approaches: statistical process control (SPC) and quality control based on stochastic principle. Both approaches are represented in the quality control of food packaging. Based on the obtained data set of weld strength packaging films (in units of MPa) was tested by the statistical hypothesis that innovation in the implementation of the weld has a positive impact on the quality of the finished weld. From basic data analysis, which focused on the assessment of normality in the distribution of values of the parameter using the Shapiro-Wilkes test it can be seen (on Figure) that the values of A or B (is not part of the figure) welds have not a normal distribution. For the purpose of the statistical hypothesis testing Wilcoxon's test was used, which is similar to the nonparametric t-test used for dependent samples.

Keywords: economic efficiency, process improvement, quality control, statistical process control, packaging technology

Grants and funding:

The paper was elaborated in the frame of solving projects GAČR P403/12/1950.

Received: March 23, 2012; Published: August 7, 2013  Show citation