Optimization of the Production Process in the Automotive Industry with Value Stream Mapping Methodology

Abstract

One of the most important ways to achieve a competitive advantage in the market is to meet customer needs. Nowadays competition is more significant than ever before so it is necessary to establish a safe and reliable relationship with customers and thus gain customer loyalty. One of the most effective lean tools which gives the possibility to see the entire process in a somewhat simplified way and can be the initiator of many further changes is value stream mapping (VSM). Based on the collected data during the VSM walk, a visual review of the process was made and takt time was calculated. In this study, it was necessary to balance the workplaces, so that they are all approximately loaded, and this resulted in a reduced cycle time on the assembly line and many other additional benefits presented in the paper. This study also covers how the application of VSM improves planning flexibility in the automotive manufacturing process.