APPLICATION OF THE DMAIC METHODOLOGY FOR IMPROVING PRODUCTION CAPACITY: A CASE STUDY IN A MANGO PACKING HOUSE

Resumo

This study aimed to apply the DMAIC methodology to identify opportunities for improving the productive capacity of the thermally treated mango processing sector in a packing house located in Casa Nova, Bahia, Brazil. The company faces challenges related to demand variability, employee idle time, operational stoppages, and weaknesses in production planning, which compromise process performance and affect both domestic and international markets. The research was conducted as an applied, descriptive study with a mixed-methods approach, using bibliographic research, a case study, and participant observation. The DMAIC methodology was applied through the Define, Measure, Analyse, and Improve phases, enabling the mapping of the production process, the measurement of productive capacity, the identification of the operational bottleneck, the quantification of production stoppages, and the analysis of the root causes responsible for capacity underutilization. The results showed that a single production line has the capacity to process 17,385 four-kilogram boxes during the analyzed period. However, 287.39 hours of inactivity were recorded during the second quarter of the year, mainly due to fruit shortages, the absence of standardized operating procedures, and deficiencies in production scheduling. Based on these findings, the study proposed the implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to standardize critical production activities, the restructuring of production scheduling according to the measured production capacity, and the balancing of activities among workstations to reduce operational stoppages, minimize labor idle time, and improve production capacity utilization. These proposals provide managerial support for decision-making and contribute to increasing the operational efficiency and competitiveness of the packing house.