Browsing by Author "Pereira, Maria Teresa"
Now showing 1 - 10 of 58
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- After sales service: key settings for improving profitability and customer satisfactionPublication . Rebelo, C.G.S.; Pereira, Maria Teresa; Silva, Francisco J. G.; Pinto Ferreira, Luís; Sá, José Carlos; Mota, A.M.This paper presents a performed study to develop and improve the process of after sales of a Latvian company specialized in manufacturing fish processing equipment. The project was developed based on an action- research methodology. During the first stage of the study, the current after sales process was analysed to identify the issues and possible improvement opportunities that could be implemented later on. Data were collected through surveys and analysed, resulting in a series of improvement proposals discussed with the board of the company. At a later stage of the study, improvements were implemented such as the introduction of new services, development of new process diagrams and improvements of the spare parts management strategy. To conclude the study, the new services were offered and presented to customers and the trial period for the new after sales methodology was started.
- Analysis and improvement of internal logistic flows at an industrial companyPublication . Baptista, S.; Pereira, Maria Teresa; Ferreira, Luís PintoUndertaken at Preh Portugal, Ltd., the main objective of this study project resided in defining the system of supply to a new assembly line, the Ford B479. Supply to the assembly lines is a crucial activity in internal logistics since the entire production system relies on the supply of materials required for the line. It is, therefore, extremely important to study solutions which will facilitate these activities, thus enhancing productivity and guaranteeing the on-time availability of products, in suitable quantities and at the best cost. The initial phase consisted of studying the type of supply system used by the company for the remaining lines, as well as gaining a detailed understanding of the entire assembly line production process. One was then able to create a database to include all of this information. Once all the required information had been gathered, one proceeded to define the supermarket for the Ford B479 line, and calculated the number of positions required. With the purpose of building a more effective and efficient supermarket, one analyzed the possibility of building the supermarket next to line instead of resorting to the existing solution where the shelves for all lines are in the same location. When the site for the supermarket was defined, one proceeded with its construction and determined the supply system of both the supermarket as well as the line sides. Due to the proposed changes, one was able to reduce the distance covered by raw materials by 55% as well as to decrease handling.
- Analysis and Improvement of the Packaging Sector of an Industrial CompanyPublication . Alves, Diogo; Ferreira, Luís Pinto; Pereira, Maria Teresa; Sá, José Carlos; Silva, Francisco J. G.; Fernandes, N.O.Manual operations in manufacturing companies are still a common practice. This often results in high costs, high cycle times and therefore in lower productivity, particularly for companies operating in western countries. This is why many manufacturing companies relocated their production facilities in low age countries. This study was developed at a leading Portuguese material construction manufacturing company. The objective was to improve the packaging and labeling processes, that were identified as main bottlenecks in the factory. Lean was used to streamline these processes before being automated. This allowed for annual savings of 12432 €, with human operators being reallocated to other departments where they are more useful. Furthermore, cycle times were reduced by 42,9%, non-value-added activities were minimized, and operations with potentially high ergonomic risks were eliminated. In addition, a reduction of 84,3% in lithographed packaging was achieved, with a cost reduction of around 36 000 €/year, which is expected to continue in the forthcoming years.
- Analysis and optimisation of a logistic warehouse in the automotive industryPublication . Caridade, R.; Pereira, Maria Teresa; Ferreira, Luís Pinto; Silva, F.J.G.The automotive industry is one of the most competitive sectors, in which rigour, flexibility, quality and agility constitute the critical factors of success. Warehouse activities and their associated costs play a vital role in logistic functions. Their optimisation and performance assessment may result in substantial value gains for the company. This study was developed at Continental Mabor, with the purpose of developing a proposal to restructure and optimise the company’s warehouse. An analysis of the existing warehouse was carried out and the respective proposals were subsequently presented. The main goal of these proposals was to improve the efficiency of warehouse functions, reduce stock quantities and enhance the capacity to meet customer’s demand. A warehouse management system (WMS) was installed and a suitable bin management solution was defined. This system consisted of a basic WMS to support stock inventory and its location. In addition, this system envisaged warehouse performance and included elements such as the inventory management Key Performance Indicator (KPI) and warehouse productivity.
- Analysis of a Customer Relationship Management Tool in a Shipping CompanyPublication . Pereira, Maria Teresa; Fróis, Joana; Ferreira, Fernanda A.Today’s society is technologically advanced, the world is just a click away and our companies’ customers have easy access to all the information. Therefore, they are increasingly demanding, wanting more and better at a lower cost. Using as a case study a shipping company, a system of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) was analysed to verify what reasons led to its abandonment and to realise what to do to reverse such situation. In this industry product differentiation is practically null, so the customer’s choice comes down to price. However, customers are paying more attention to customer service, therefore companies are developing stronger relationships with them. The construction of such relationships implies data collection on the client, from which one can offer services of greater value. This may lead to partnerships and competitive advantages. Thus, the use of CRM tools is being promoted for CRM tools present themselves as a valuable asset. In the end, suggestions are presented, ranging from improvements to the existing system, to more complex suggestions, costlier or breaking with the existing mode of relationship and dialogue between company and customers, but that, in the future, will certainly translate into advantages over competing companies.
- Analysis of pharmacy and laboratory reagents stock management in a Portuguese public hospital: a case studyPublication . Sequeiros, José; Pereira, Maria Teresa; Oliveira, Marisa; Ferreira, Fernanda A.The current situation of healthcare units is characterised by the increasing cost of providing the respective care, the consequent deterioration of the financial situation, and the complicated and time-consuming processes. Together with rising demand, they may become factors contributing to a decrease in service demand. Due to this situation, more efficient and effective logistics and supply chain management are widely recognised as one of the main areas for improvement. To provide insight on which areas to improve, several objectives were looked at in this work, including the analysis of the methods and criteria for the selection of medicines in hospital pharmacies, the definition of obstacles to the rational management of stocks, and the analysis of historical data to forecast future demand for a Portuguese public hospital. The study revealed that some of the 1346 products present on the pharmacy’s ERP do not have sufficient historical data to create an accurate forecast. In this context, and with a service level of 95%, 41% of products have a stock higher than what should be the maximum stock, amounting to approximately € 147.908.87 in fixed assets, and 11% of products were at risk of being out of stock at the time. The importance of the evolution of the core information system of hospitals was at stake, ensuring the technological sustainability of the ongoing digital transformation, alignment with ICT rationalisation measures, improvement of customer service, and improvement of the quality of information available to the user.
- Applying SMED methodology in cork stoppers productionPublication . Sousa, E.; Silva, F.J.G.; Ferreira, Luís Pinto; Pereira, Maria Teresa; Gouveia, R.; Silva, R.P.Organizations are increasingly required to have a high level of quality and flexibility in production. In order to remain in the market and become competitive, the working methods practiced must be reliable and efficient. The present project sought the improvement of an equipment of the cork industry by introducing a variation, through the application of Lean methods. The equipment under study performs the union of a cork stopper to a capsule, which is done by gluing it with hot-melt glue. The amount of production makes the changeover activity a regular process. The method followed in this work was the study and collection of information on the Lean production philosophy and its application in the cork industry. The working conditions of the assembly machine were also analyzed in order to find opportunities for improvement. Thus, the tool used was the Value Stream Mapping (VSM) technique in order to acknowledge the processes that really add value to the product. The SMED (Single Minute of Exchange of Die) methodology was applied in a way to reduce the downtime caused by tool changes, and a reduction of 43% in total changeover time was obtained. It was also created an A3 model to monitor the entire development of the SMED project, Finally, the OEE (Overall Equipment Efficiency) calculation was implemented as an indicator of overall equipment efficiency, in order to improve the monitoring of possible deviations during production. The feedback also proves that lean tools are a powerful method to get solid returns without large investments.
- Assessment of Circular Economy within Portuguese OrganizationsPublication . Fonseca, Luís; Domingues, José; Pereira, Maria Teresa; Martins, Florinda; Zimon, DominikThe move towards a new Circular Economy (CE) economic model has been advocated and supported in Portugal, however, there is limited research on this topic. To address this gap, a quantitative research based on an online survey was carried out among 99 Portuguese organizations, encompassing a wide range of sectors and sizes. The results show that CE is regarded as a strategic and relevant issue for profitability and value creation. Furthermore, the perception that it requires the adoption of new business models in addition to the classical “reduce, reuse and recycle” approach is growing. Moreover, based on the hypotheses raised, results suggest that the level of CE adoption is positively impacted by the status of the EMS (Environmental Management System) certification and the willingness to improve the environmental performance and achieve a sustainable business model. However, CE activities are still relatively modest and a friendlier context (fiscal, legal, organizational, etc.) and the stronger support from supply chain agents and consumers are required. Future research should focus on how to design and shape the transition from a linear to a CE economy and to ascertain if the positive attitude towards CE is materialized in changing the way business is done.
- Build-Up an Economical Tool for Machining Operations Cost EstimationPublication . Silva, Francisco J. G.; Sousa, Vitor F. C.; Pinto, Arnaldo; Pinto Ferreira, Luís; Pereira, Maria TeresaCurrently, there is a lack of affordable and simple tools for the estimation of these costs, especially for machining operations. This is particularly true for manufacturing SMEs, in which the cost estimation of machined parts is usually performed based only on required material for part production, or involves a time-consuming, non-standardized technical analysis. Therefore, a cost estimation tool was developed, based on the calculated machining times and amount of required material, based on the final drawing of the requested workpiece. The tool was developed primarily for milling machines, considering milling, drilling, and boring/threading operations. Regarding the considered materials, these were primarily aluminum alloys. However, some polymer materials were also considered. The tool first estimates the required time for total part production and then calculates the total cost. The total production time is estimated based on the required machining operations, as well as drawing, programming, and machine setup time. A part complexity level was also introduced, based on the number of details and operations required for each workpiece, which will inflate the estimated times. The estimation tool was tested in a company setting, comparing the estimated operation time values with the real ones, for a wide variety of parts of differing complexity. An average error of 14% for machining operation times was registered, which is quite satisfactory, as this time is the most impactful in terms of machining cost. However, there are still some problems regarding the accuracy in estimating finishing operation times
- A codification system roadmap: case study in a metalworking companyPublication . Lemos, Carlos; Pereira, Maria Teresa; Ferreira, Luís Pinto; Silva, F.J.G.Decision-making and control of operational areas in industrial companies are key issues in their sustainability and resilience in markets that are more and more challenging and competitive. In this way, production management and information management software are becoming mandatory. The codification of information, namely products codification, is a subject, without being the main purpose in everyday companies’ work, must be a subject that enables a proper functioning of everyday companies’ activity. This project proposes a roadmap for internal product codification in a company working in the metalworking industry. This guide shows good practices that highlight formal basic rules whose could add value to internal processes of the organization and so to provide a solid system where the company can rely on providing more time to its workers to spend in other tasks. At last it is provided a generic conceptual model to serve as an approach to develop a codification system in any given organization.