Track: Operations Management

Abstract

Systems for refining and handling foundries have rapidly evolved in recent years. There is a constant requirement that the foundry industrial maintain its competitive stature in such a competitive environment. Absence of proper productivity measures diminishes the ability to ensure production performance. Uncontrollable and unstable processes impact profitability and sustainability of the organisation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the current production capability with a view of enhancement. A combination of descriptive and non-parametric statistic was used to analyse data gathered. The proposed industrial engineering methodologies of improvement proved successful for the foundry industry. A quantitative cross-sectional survey research design was used for the study. This study utilised a self-developed questionnaire to identify the factors that are contributing to the low productivity of the Gauteng foundry industry. The population for this study consisted of foundry employees in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. The study selected a purposive sampling technique to provide insight into the specific study. The quantitative data obtained from the study was analysed using several statistical tools in the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) version 24.0 tool. The study was restricted to the Foundry industry, Gauteng Province. The integration of Lean methods, Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle method, and 5S methodology is proposed to achieve continuous improvement in the production environment of the foundry industry. This framework provides guidance on the use of productivity improvement techniques by clearly indicating steps and targets that support the achievement of cost reduction and continuous process improvement.

Keywords: Plan-Do-Check-Act; Manufacturing processes; Productivity Improvement; South African foundries