Portioned beef production requires strict control of process performance to ensure product standardisation, cost efficiency, regulatory compliance, and customer satisfaction. In this context, weight variability is a critical quality characteristic because deviations from the target portion size may lead to economic losses, customer complaints, rework, or nonconforming products. This study presents a process capability analysis of the portioning stage in a Colombian beef processing operation. The objective was to evaluate whether the process met the defined weight specifications for portioned beef cuts and to identify opportunities for improvement from an operations management perspective. Methodologically, the study followed the DMAIC cycle. In the Define phase, the portioning process and the critical-to-quality variable, portion weight, were delimited. In the Measure phase, 200 observations of portioned beef cuts were collected from the production line. The nominal target weight was established at 500 g, with a lower specification limit of 480 g and an upper specification limit of 520 g. In the Analyse phase, descriptive statistics and process capability analysis were performed. The average portion weight was 512.4 g, with a standard deviation of 9.6 g. The Cp index was 0.69, indicating low potential capability, while the Cpk index was 0.26, showing that the process was not adequately centred and presented a high risk of exceeding the upper specification limit. Additionally, 21.5% of the observations were outside the defined specification limits. The Improve phase focused on reducing weight variability through operator training, equipment calibration, standardisation of cutting procedures, and visual control mechanisms. Finally, the Control phase proposed periodic monitoring of Cp and Cpk to support sustained process performance. This study contributes to the application of Lean Six Sigma tools in food processing operations.
Keywords
Process Capability, portioned beef, food processing, DMAIC, quality control.