Demand flow technology as a logistic strategy in a handmade production process. The case of Moringa oleifera leaf capsules

Abstract

This paper presents the case study of an SME whose main turn is the spraying and encapsulation of the Moringa oleifera leaf through the handmade production system. The SME markets the product in five presentations and produces 6200 capsules in ten hours with a total of one multifunctional operator per shift. Its supply chain is represented in four echelons: raw material preparation, manufacturing, marketing, and the final consumer. The encapsulation process of Moringa oleifera was analyzed, and the problems related to the excess inventory in the process, milligram per capsule difference, lack of standards to perform processes such as weight verification were detected. As a logistics strategy, the Demand Flow Technology methodology together with the operations diagrams and Value Stream Mapping to eliminate activities that do not add value to the product was applied. As a result, the correct assignment of tasks to workers and the increment of the production line productivity were achieved.