sustainability

Article
Lean Six Sigma with Value Stream Mapping in Industry 4.0 for
Human-Centered Workstation Design
Fu-Kwun Wang 1 , Benedictus Rahardjo 1, * and Pol Rifa Rovira 2

1 Department of Industrial Management, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology,

Taipei City 106335, Taiwan
2 Thermo King Ireland Limited, D02 Dh60 Dublin, Ireland
* Correspondence: [email protected]

Abstract: Many industries have successfully implemented the define-measure-analyze-improve-

control (DMAIC) method of Lean Six Sigma to improve their production activities. Value stream
mapping (VSM) for Industry 4.0 allows us to understand the current state of operations in order
to plan future improvements. In this study, we propose an improvement model based on DMAIC
with VSM 4.0 for a truck cooler manufacturer to improve the picking workstation design with a
human-centered approach. We use the DMAIC method to analyze the project step by step. After
identifying the root cause, we identified countermeasures to improve the productivity. To reduce
human error, the project team adopted a human-centered approach and applied lean tools, such as
visual management, error prevention, and waste analysis. As a result of this case study, the yield
rate was improved from 98% to 100%, and the direct savings of the project amounted to EUR 3180,
mainly due to the freeing up of space. A human-centered LSS framework is also presented as a novel
Citation: Wang, F.-K.; Rahardjo, B.; contribution of this study.
Rovira, P.R. Lean Six Sigma with
Value Stream Mapping in Industry
Keywords: value stream mapping 4.0; Lean Six Sigma; picking workstation design; human-centered
4.0 for Human-Centered Workstation
Design. Sustainability 2022, 14, 11020.
https://doi.org/10.3390/
su141711020
1. Introduction
Academic Editors: Francisco J.
Smart workstation design is critical for creating a healthy, comfortable, and productive
G. Silva, Gilberto Santos, Luís
workplace [1]. In response to disruptions in the global supply chains, automated worksta-
Pinto Ferreira, José Carlos Sá, Manuel
tions have been designed to replace labor and shorten working hours [2]. Lean Six Sigma
Pereira Lopes, Giada La Scalia and
(LSS) is a common strategy for improving operational excellence in manufacturing [3,4].
Mosè Gallo
Lean emphasizes speed and waste, often referred to as efficiency, while Six Sigma empha-
Received: 22 June 2022 sizes process variation reduction, often referred to as effectiveness [5]. LSS uses data and
Accepted: 30 August 2022 statistical analysis to identify the causes of fluctuations that lead to insufficient process
Published: 3 September 2022 outputs [6]. There are many examples of the LSS method’s implementation in the man-
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral
ufacturing industry, including the roles of key personnel in all areas of business, such as
with regard to jurisdictional claims in
production, finance, marketing, and even personal management. Chiarini [7] surveyed five
published maps and institutional affil- European motorcycle part manufacturing companies using various lean tools and found
iations. that lean methods reduced waste and had positive environmental impacts. Singh and
Rathi [8] conducted a comprehensive analysis of the barriers to LSS’s implementation in
small and medium-sized enterprises. Lean practices have not been implemented in various
sectors in India [9]. However, some businesses have implemented and observed positive
Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. benefits of this method, mainly in terms of waste reduction and quality improvement.
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. According to Jasti and Kodali [10], researchers should focus on building and testing novel
This article is an open access article ideas, including case studies and surveys that analyze academic findings from research on
distributed under the terms and lean practices. Recently, it was found that 63.82% of empirical studies in the LSS literature
conditions of the Creative Commons
use real data, and the process can be regulated and validated [11]. The majority of LSS
Attribution (CC BY) license (https://
applications in the industry are concentrated in manufacturing, healthcare, automotives,
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
and electronics. Additionally, several articles focus on testing tools, obtaining benefits, and
4.0/).

Sustainability 2022, 14, 11020. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141711020 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability

Sustainability 2022, 14, 11020 2 of 19

understanding success factors [12,13]. Several authors have discussed the analysis and
exploration of key success factors of LSS in order to achieve effective quality management,
organizational goals, objectives, and performance in industry [14–16]. Define-Measure-
Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC) is the problem-solving approach that drives LSS. It is a
five-phase method for addressing existing process problems based on a scientific method.
In any work environment, continuous improvement can be correlated with the individual
performing the activities in order to adapt the improvements to their needs [17]. It has
recently been suggested that a human-centered approach can be integrated with the LSS
principles [18].
Psomas [19] conducted a systematic literature review of lean manufacturing us-
ing a total of 214 articles and discussed a plethora of future research methods. Lobo
Mesquita et al. [20] identified forms of integration between lean, Industry 4.0, and envi-
ronmental sustainability, and showed how these three structures relate to the building of a
framework that can help to manage industrial production processes. VSM is often regarded
as the starting point for lean projects in the search for opportunities to optimize value and
eliminate waste in the manufacturing process. A study by Jasti and Sharma [21] showed
that the implementation of VSM had positive impacts in a lean manufacturing environment.
VSM 4.0 is a recently developed, collaborative value stream tool for lean management in the
context of Industry 4.0. Mapping, design and validate value streams are used to digitally
plan improvement actions in order to reduce coordination times within the company. VSM
4.0 is a tool that enables company executives to engage in a series of structured discussions
and executive decisions that enable continuous improvement. Numerous authors have
provided particular strategies for certain businesses, despite the fact that this strategy is
wide and versatile, spanning many industries [22,23].
In this article, we present a method combining the DMAIC approach in LSS and
VSM 4.0 to design a human-centered workstation to support workers with intellectual
disabilities. A case study is used to illustrate the application of the proposed method,
which aims to enable the design of human-centered manufacturing workstations. Section 2
describes a review of VSM 4.0. Section 3 presents the LSS improvement model using VSM
4.0. Section 4 describes the current and future states of operational excellence in the case
study company. The last section provides conclusions.

2. Literature Review
VSM creates product lines, records current states, envisions future states, integrates
project pipelines, and transforms industrial activities. The map also allows users to focus
on materials and information flows [24]. Traditional VSM is mainly used in a series of
production lines that produce a single product or a single series of products. It now
faces challenges in the big data environments that perform real-time data processing,
visualization, and decision assistance. Therefore, it is not suitable for production sites with
many products, unstable batches, and frequent line changes [25].
Recently, VSM was combined with Industry 4.0 technology to improve the traditional
VSM. Both VSM 4.0 and Dynamic VSM (DVSM) can demonstrate the manufacturing perfor-
mance of the entire process in real time through a data acquisition system. Meudt et al. [26]
applied VSM 4.0 to detect waste and loss in information flows. Hartmann et al. [27] pro-
vided steps for designing VSM 4.0 and a new understanding of the information in the
value stream. DVSM is based on the integration of traditional VSM and Industry 4.0
technology, connecting production factors such as equipment, workers, and materials.
Ramadan et al. [28] combined RFID technology with VSM and proposed a DVSM imple-
mentation framework to track and visualize the development cost of a single product.
Huang et al. [29] proposed a multi-layer DVSM that combines traditional VSM with a multi-
agent system based on cyber-physical system (CPS) technology. An agent can automatically
collect data near the site in order to display changes in key metrics related to materials
and information flows in a multi-stage production process, either in real time or near-real
time. Balaji et al. [25] introduced an integrated model of the internet of things (IoT) and
Sustainability 2022, 14, 11020 3 of 19

VSM to collect shop floor data and monitor on-site status in real time, helping managers to
quickly carry out improvement activities based on experience. Schoeman et al. [30] applied
VSM to visualize and analyze waste flows of an iron and steel company in order to achieve
an environmentally responsible zero-waste environment. Qin and Liu [31] used VSM to
improve the entire e-commerce supply chain process for an amazon retailer.
Guo et al. [32] proposed a hybrid approach combining VSM and DMAIC to overcome
the practical implementation of a VSM diagnostic tools and verify the performance through-
out an air conditioner assembly line. Salah and Rahim [33] identified waste in the current
VSM in the DMAIC program and improved and developed it into the future VSM. DMAIC
is a framework suitable for integrating lean practices because it is a problem-structuring
tool, providing empirical results that can be used to eliminate waste in structured and
semi-structured cases [34]. According to Gupta and Jain [35], every lean tool plays a unique
role in specific problems. We must use each tool to understand when, where, why, and how
to produce a successful DMAIC process. Most lean tools belong to the improvement and
control phases of DMAIC, but once an opportunity has been identified, there is no reason
not to use them immediately [36]. Thus, more studies based on the integration of LSS and
VSM 4.0 are required.
The potential to improve productivity by implementing LSS and VSM 4.0 using a
human-centered approach is worth exploring. An essential aspect of continuous improve-
ment is the inclusion of a human-centered design, as traditional LSS interventions, while
attempting to maximize productivity by minimizing resources, often ignore human con-
straints and needs. When humans are integrated into continuous improvement activities,
they provide a whole new dimension in the improvement process and a new perspective
on its design [37]. Therefore, to ensure increased productivity and improved working con-
ditions, a continuous improvement process should be implemented whilst simultaneously
using a human-centered LSS approach. To achieve this, a comprehensive methodological
framework is required.

3. Research Method
Lean and Six Sigma are two compatible problem-solving methods [38]. Lean typically
starts by developing an understanding of the customer’s added value and then uses VSM
to examine the process in detail. When VSM identifies criticalities in process steps [22],
Six Sigma provides a data-driven analytical approach to define and quantify the error
types. LSS specifies an improvement process called DMAIC. Figure 1 depicts the LSS
improvement model using VSM 4.0.
In the DMAIC process, VSM 4.0 is used in the define and improve phases. First, in the
define phase, team members write a project charter detailing the project goals and problem
statement and use VSM 4.0 to map the process components and process boundaries. In
addition, a project management team is assigned to determine the roles and responsibilities
and develop the project timeline. Next, in the measure phase, the project team members
assess the current situation in order to gather information. Before entering the analyze
phase, we must measure the performance metrics of the process.
During the analyze phase, the project team members identify potential causes and
evaluate them through hypothesis testing and other explanatory analyses. Some ideas are
also generated and must be validated before they can be used in the improve phase. For
the next phase of improve, team members plan how they will use VSM 4.0 for a full imple-
mentation, select and use tools to eliminate waste, and update the performance metrics of
the process as needed. Finally, in the control phase, the team members develop a plan for
monitoring and transferring responsibilities to ensure continued success. Additionally, the
team finalizes the business case using risk and financial analyses. At each of these phases,
tools are used to ensure the correct execution of the picking workstation design, as shown
in Table 1.
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20

Figure 1.
Figure 1. An
An improvement
improvement model
model of
of LSS
LSS with
with VSM
VSM 4.0.
4.0.

Table1.1.DMAIC
Table DMAICapproach
approachfor
forthe
thepicking
pickingworkstation
workstationdesign.
design.

Phase Tools Phase Tools Activities Activities

Define VSM 4.0 (current state) 1. Establish team
Define VSM 4.0 (current state) 1. Establish team
Project charter 2. Assign specific role
Project charter
SIPOC diagram 3. Create project
2. timeline
Assign specific role
SIPOC diagram
Gemba 3. Create project timeline
Gemba
Measure Key performance indicator (KPI) 1. Describe process
Measure Key performance indicator (KPI)
Data visualization 2. Collect data
1. Describe process
Analyze 5 Whys Data visualization Identify problem
2. and solution
Collect data
Improve KaizenAnalyze
events 5 Whys 1. Identify problem and solution
Relocate workstation
Improve Kaizen events
VSM 4.0 (future state) 2. Codify parts
1. and kits workstation
Relocate
VSM 4.0 (future state) 3. Design identification
2. Codifycards,
parts templates,
and kits and trays
4. Create job breakdown sheets
Brainstorming the risks and
Control 1. Risk analysis
countermeasures
Sustainability 2022, 14, 11020 5 of 19

Table 1. Cont.

Phase Tools Activities

3. Design identification cards, templates,

and trays
4. Create job breakdown sheets
Brainstorming the risks and
Control 1. Risk analysis
countermeasures
2. Financial analysis
SIPOC stands for suppliers, inputs, process, outputs, customers.

4. Case Study
The case company, called Company T (TC), is located in Spain. It is a world leader with
operations on all continents and authorized distribution in 75 countries. TC manufactures
truck coolers to ensure world-class quality and promote a diverse culture. The company’s
managers found, using the annual value stream analysis (VSA), that they needed to respond
faster in order to deliver higher quality products to customers, and they identified certain
gaps in the manufacturing process. Among the three parallel picking stations at the ends of
the three assembly lines, one of the gaps was related to the preparation of bags with distinct
sets of electrical components in the style of a typical picking station. Managers found that
there was a lot of waste in the process, a lack of inventory management, and frequent
customer complaints. Thus, they devised the idea of combining three workstations into one
so that they could hire a full-time employee to prepare the small bags with the electronics.
Furthermore, because of their strong dedication to diversity, the company seized the
opportunity to integrate people with intellectual disabilities into the new workstations.
Therefore, the entire workstation had to be designed with great attention to detail, visual
cues, and intuitive operation.
The VSA developed certain management agreements, including specific goals and
KPIs for the next 12 months, in order to improve the process. These metrics are linked to the
six performance indicators listed in Table 2 (safety, quality, delivery, inventory, employee
engagement, and growth), as well as statuses and their projects. After reviewing the
VSM, the managers identified several contingencies for identifying opportunities for the
improvement of the process. A striking highlight was the kit preparation workstation.
The cooling unit has three assembly lines, each with a picking station. Each unit takes
less than a minute to run. The workers at this workstation pack electronic components
into small plastic bags. These components can be used to install cooling units in the
customers’ trucks. The workstation is subject to the following issues, including the triple
inventory points. Since the amount of work required is less than one cycle time, workers
must constantly switch between workstations, and they perform other work at the same
time. Some customers complained that the components were inefficient for installing the
equipment and that the process was inefficient due to inappropriate workstations that are
poorly designed for the material flow, ergonomics, and 5S systems. It was determined
that combining three workstations into one would provide benefits such as providing a
sufficient workload for the 4–5 h shifts, reducing the total inventory, because there is only
one point of operation, freeing up more space in the production line, increasing production,
and ensuring a calmer environment. At the beginning of the line, to optimize the flow, and
because there is no need to change the workstations to the same cell in the line, the overall
performance of the line workers was improved.
After the VSA, several project ideas can emerge. Using the DMAIC process is useful
for running select projects, as it provides a clear roadmap. This case study explains the
DMAIC problem-solving process and all the important aspects of designing this unique
workstation. The selected project included a person with an intellectual disability because
TC’s culture emphasizes community and sustainable development. The company has
negotiated an arrangement with AUR, a non-profit organization that helps people with
Sustainability 2022, 14, 11020 6 of 19

mild intellectual disabilities to find work. Now is the perfect time to build a new picking
station, including people with intellectual disabilities, because the labor is simple, safe,
and not positioned in the assembly line. As a result, a prospective employee was invited
in, a contract with TC was signed, and work began on a new workstation design. This
work has to be based on a human-centered strategy based on lean principles; therefore, it
starts with attempts to gain a good understanding of people’s abilities, speeds of work, and
aspirations. Since the prospective employee was due to start work in 21 days, this became
the deadline for the project. The DMAIC flow in this case study is shown below.

Table 2. Performance metric review.

Employee
Indicator Safety Quality Delivery Inventories Growth
Engagement
A total of 2–3 days More than 75%
Recently, there
There is no in Southern Europe, of the Around 30% of
No accident in has been a
Current systematic 1 week in Northern references had a the weeks show
the past decrease in
state categorizing of Europe, 3 weeks in delivery time of operation at full
10 years employee
problems the Middle East, less than three capacity
engagement
4 weeks in America days
The number of
Percentage of
Number of warrantee
the cost of Employees’
workdays requests
Percentage of units inventories average Maximum
KPI missed due to received within
delivered on time reduced from satisfaction capacity
working the first six
the current ratings
accidents months after
level
delivery
Unify Improve line
Create an Improve assembly Restructure the
Keep track of workstations balance and the
effective line capability and lines and unify
minor bolt and and sites along ability to react
Projects diagnosis and design a some identical
screw the line where and adjust
classification workstation workstations in
inventories materials are production
system efficiently each line
held levels quickly

4.1. Define
At the end of each assembly line, there are three picking stations for the preparation
of bags with the electronic components (kits). These stations take up a lot of space and
have many stock outages. Moreover, workers underperformed due to having to fact that
they had to change between activities and the picking workstation waste, which only
required 1/10 of their cycle time. Defects related to misidentification occurred frequently,
and the missing parts could lead to unforeseen downtime. Figure 2 depicts the current
VSM 4.0. If the space and waste of the three production lines were used more efficiently,
the factory would save time and space, improve the quality, and reduce the inventory. This
time and space could be used to add more workers to the assembly line and create more
units. The project timeline was 21 days and included all stages of the DMAIC process
(see Figure 3). The project began when the company chose to start the DMAIC process to
build a new workstation and ended when the workers started work. The control phase
lasted significantly longer, at least three months, to ensure that the quality standards were
met. Furthermore, the learning process had to be tracked according to the self-interests of
the workers.
Sustainability 2022, 14, x FOR PEER REVIEW 7 of 20

Sustainability 2022, 14, 11020 7 of 19

Figure 2. Current VSM 4.0.

Figure 2. Current VSM 4.0.
Sustainability 2022, 14, x FOR PEER REVIEW 8 of 20
Sustainability 2022, 14, 11020 8 of 19

Figure 3.
Figure 3. Project
Project timeline.
timeline.

4.2. Measure
4.2. Measure
During this phase, the current situation was assessed, and waste was identified and
During this phase, the current situation was assessed, and waste was identified and
defined. The team first determined what information needed to be gathered and realized
defined. The team first determined what information needed to be gathered and realized
that defects were not a quality issue, because the installer had the relevant references; thus,
that defects were not a quality issue, because the installer had the relevant references; thus,
they were fixed within less than a week. However, defects have an impact on delivery, as
they were fixed within less than a week. However, defects have an impact on delivery, as
the customer is not able to utilize the equipment until the installation is complete. Therefore,
the customer is not able to utilize the equipment until the installation is complete. There-
any defect in the kit had to be considered a delivery issue. The team obtained data by
fore, any defect in the kit had to be considered a delivery issue. The team obtained data
analyzing the last 3000 shipments and found that 97.8% of the defective kits occurred due
by analyzing the last 3000 shipments and found that 97.8% of the defective kits occurred
to missing parts (76%), misidentification (18%), and defective parts (6%). Each production
due to missing
line was assignedparts (76%),who
a worker misidentification
was responsible (18%), and
for the kitdefective parts
preparation. (6%). Each
Certain pro-
jobs were
duction line was assigned a worker who was responsible for the kit preparation.
assigned by this worker to units five or six meters away from the picking station. After Certain
jobs were assigned
completing by thisthe
the mission, worker to units
process fivewith
started or sixthe
meters away from
verification the unit
of the picking
namestation.
and
After completing the mission, the process started with the verification of
extended to the time when the kit was brought to the unit. Table 3 describes the process the unit name
and the
and extended to the
averages timetypes
for the when thetimes
and kit was brought
of four to the
different unit. Table
workers. 3 describes
Specifically, the the pro-
process
cess and the averages for the types and times
was affected by the following four types of waste: of four different workers. Specifically, the
process was affected by the following four types of waste:
(1) The worker uses hand movements (1,7) to travel from their current workplace to the
(1) The worker
picking uses hand
workstation andmovements (1,7) tobecause
back. However, travel from their current
the worker workplace
is continually to the
changing
picking
jobs, thisworkstation
mobility wastesand back.
time However,
and reducesbecause the worker
productivity is continually changing
and concentration.
(2) Picking up (4) parts is inefficient, since workers are continually comparing the panel
jobs, this mobility wastes time and reduces productivity and concentration.
to the materials.
(2) Picking up (4) parts is inefficient, since workers are continually comparing the panel
(3) Mislabeling (6) is common due to the presence of tags from several kits on the table.
to
Asthe materials.
a result, the worker must pay close attention to picking up the correct one and
(3) Mislabeling (6)
comparing it to is common
the unit. due to the presence of tags from several kits on the table.
(4) Movement due to an insufficient inventory (8) occurs with every 200 kits, or every
As a result, the worker must pay close attention to picking up the correct one and
two production days. The worker has to leave the line for about two minutes to gather
comparing it tofor
extra material thethe
unit.
kits when the boxes containing parts run out of material.
(4) Movement due to an insufficient inventory (8) occurs with every 200 kits, or every
Table two production
3. Details days.description.
of the process The worker has to leave the line for about two minutes to
No. gatherAction
extra Name
material for the kits whenType
the boxes containing parts run outTime
Rounded of material.
(s)
Going to the workstation after
Table
1 3. Details of the
leaving the process
unit description. Movement (5 m) 10
Verifying the name of the unit
No. Action Name 2
that is being prepared
TypeVisual inspection Rounded
2 Time (s)
1 Going to the workstation
3 after leaving
Findingthe unit
barcodes Movement (5 m)
Hand movement 104
2 Verifying the name of the unit that is being prepared
4 Picking an empty bag Visual inspection
Hand movement 2 2
3 Finding barcodes 5 Finding appropriate objects HandHand movement
movement × 10 4 3 × 10
6 Tagging the bag Hand movement 5
4 Picking an empty bag 7 Return to the unit with the kit
HandMovement
movement (5 m)
2 10
5 Finding appropriate objects Hand movement × 10 3 × 10
6 Tagging the bag Hand movement 5
Sustainability 2022, 14, 11020 9 of 19

Table 3. Cont.

No. Action Name Type Rounded Time (s)

TOTAL 63
Going to a different place to
8* Movement 120
search for missing components
* is not a part of the process; it occurs when there is a shortage of materials.

4.3. Analyze
After considering the measurements and data gathered, the team proceeded to inves-
tigate each defect and determine the root cause. At this stage, a hypothesis is developed
to identify the sources of different error types, bottlenecks, and sources of variation. To
evaluate the hypothesis, we used five “why” analyses and a quick test. The five main prob-
lems observed during the measure phase and their five “why” analyses are summarized,
together with the suggested solutions, in Table 4.

Table 4. Five whys analysis of the observed problems.

Movement to and The Movement

Slow Pick-Up
Waste from the Picking Mislabeling Missing Parts Caused by the
Process
Workstation Inventory Break
Picking up
Changing The worker must
materials is a The barcode stickers on
workstations Many of the kits leave the line in
Problem time-consuming the kits do not identify
wastes a lot of time are incomplete order to obtain
and wasteful them well
for the worker more material
activity
A worker must
The worker must They were not One of the
prepare a kit every A worker inserts an
1st Why keep an eye on the placed inside the components was
time a machine is incorrect barcode
panel at all times bag by the worker depleted
due to be packaged
The material levels
The main assembly
There is no easy There are many barcodes The worker forgot are insufficient for
process is serially
2nd Why way to tell what is on the table, and they all to bring a specific allowing for
integrated with the
in each kit look the same item frequent
kits
replenishment
Every part has
three distinct
The worker has no points, and there is
One-piece flow is
In the boxes, there Workers have already means of knowing not enough room
3rd Why the production
are no visual aids printed many of them if the object was in the workstation
method used
already inside for an additional
secondary box
with parts
The boxes come
The printer is a long The worker
from the resupply,
4th Why distance away, and arranges the items
which is not
employees rarely visit it one by one
visually altered
They have no place
5th Why
to be visualized
Remove the Tags with various
Visual Before placing Combine the three
process off the barcodes should not
identifications on items in the bag, inventory points
mainline and work coexist on the table. The
boxes should be they should all be and make room for
Solution in batches. The printer should be placed
visible without arranged on a tray more component
process will close to the table, and only
having to look at to ensure that none boxes next to the
become more agile the necessary documents
the panel are missing current ones
with repetition should be printed
Sustainability 2022, 14, 11020 10 of 19

4.4. Improve
This phase allows us to test the implementation of the idea and the realization of the
project. Because it covers all aspects of the workstation design, installation, and worker
participation, the improvement phase is the most thorough. Since LSS is a human-centered
approach, it aims to reduce human error by involving workers in the process [39]. Therefore,
considering their intellectual disability, it was necessary to focus on the workers’ needs and
test the ideas for improvement in participation with them. In this study, an improvement
phase using VSM 4.0 was implemented for the following reasons:
(1) The ability of the worker. Project team members concluded that, if the process was
well-structured, simplified, and predictable, workers would be able to complete the
work. Therefore, the team established a path that is fully integrated with the workers.
The path is designed to last for two months, starting and ending every day for 3 and
6 h successively.
(2) The workstation location. In addition to safety managers and work instructors, the
team opted to move the workstations further from the production line, simplifying
the material flow. Four types of waste identified in the measure phase were taken into
consideration when rearranging the location. The location is at the beginning of the
line and the kit is to remain with the structure. The new locations marked with w in
the factory layout (Figure 4) illustrate how the workers can be placed at the beginning
and center of the production lines in order to distribute the kits to the ends of the
three assembly lines. The black arrows in Figure 4 show the incoming and outgoing
material flows.
(3) Part and kit codes. To speed up the picking process, all parts and kits required simple
coding. The team chose to use symbols to code the parts (Figure 5) and colors to code
the kits (Figure 6). Since some parts are already easily identifiable, they do not have
any associated symbols. A symbol with an alternate reference number is placed next
to the part image. The kits are color-coded and have letters to name them. With this
simplification of the parts and kits, templates and tags could be designed effectively.
(4) Templates and trays. The template in Figure 7 depicts the actual dimensions used to
identify the surrounding colors of the kit and provide an image of the part, so that
workers can easily view the part on the top of the picture. There are tapes behind the
template for fixing the metal tray. Figure 8 shows a tray with a funnel placed below it
at a low height to prevent parts from falling out of the tray.
(5) Identification card. The appearance of the card allows for quick viewing for the
selection of parts. It was deemed that the cards should have a visible picture of the
parts and symbols and include colors and quantities to indicate to the workers which
kit they correspond to. Figure 9 illustrates how the templates and cards work together.
(6) Box location and size. All parts are divided into three sizes of box: small, medium,
and large. The locations of the boxes are sorted according to the frequency of their
replenishment: very frequent, common, and rare. Other important considerations
are that all boxes must be within reach of the worker (no walking required) and that
boxes containing more frequently used items should be in the center. A complete
image of the workstation is shown in Figure 10.
(7) Kanban and first-in, first-out (FIFO) order tracking. The team decided to implement
a FIFO rail, where the production manager hung Kanban cards according to the
production needs. In addition, barcodes on the Kanban cards are to be scanned to
identify the bags and boxes where the kits are to be stored in the production line.
(8) Scan and print barcode tags on site. After the worker picked up the Kanban card, they
scanned the barcode on the Kanban card to obtain the tag for the automatic printer.
The purpose of this process is to avoid mislabeling, as Poka-Yoke prevents workers
from making mistakes. Workers fill the bag with the appropriate pieces until all tags
are used up, after the tags are created and placed next to the tray in the preparation
kit. When all the tags in a batch are used up, workers place a box of kits into the
outbox, remove the next Kanban card, and start a new batch.
Sustainability 2022, 14, 11020 11 of 19

(9) Outbox. Workers can find boxes with batches of kits on the right side of the map.
Replenishers deliver full boxes to the line every hour. Inside the box, there is a level
surface and a ramp to place the finished boxes on, and there is space for storing the
next batch of empty boxes.
(10) Work breakdown sheet. The team created a work breakdown sheet detailing all the
functions of the workstation, as shown in Figures 11 and 12. These two sheets refer to
the kit preparation and material replenishment processes, which are required by the
picking station.

4.5. Control
In this phase, the team assessed the workstation’s effectiveness, as well as the workers’
learning paths and progress. Three templates had errors identified within the first week. A
control plan enables quality control and ensures that defect-free kits reach the customers.
Workers can complete batches on the same day because the templates are easily recreated.
As shown in Table 5, some risks and countermeasures for their avoidance were observed
during the first month of implementation. The team developed an adaptation plan before
the workers started work, but the plan was adjusted based on performance. Workers
worked three hours per day and three days per week for the first two weeks, which was not
enough to supply all he factories with a kit. After evaluating the efficiency, the company
expanded the working hours to 4 h per day and 4 days per week in order to complete all
the required kits. Table 6 shows the adjusted planned and actual production kit quantities.
In the first two weeks, the kit only had defects related to external issues, such as labeling
confusion, misplaced items, and insufficient materials. Once all the issues are corrected, no
errors were logged for the next four months, which means that the first pass yield (FPY) of
the improved workstation increased from 98% to 100%. In the end, the team decided to
hire full-time staff (6 h per day, 5 days per week) and schedule another future project to
increase the workload of the workstations and other similar tasks.
Sustainability 2022, 14, x FOR PEER REVIEW 12 of 20

Sustainability 2022, 14, 11020 12 of 19

4. New
Figure 4.
Figure New location
location for
for the
the kit
kit preparation
preparation workstation.
workstation.
Sustainability 2022, 14, x FOR PEER REVIEW 13 of 20
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Sustainability 2022, 14, 11020 13 of 19

Figure 5.
Figure 5. Relation
Relationof
ofreferences,
references,symbols,
symbols,and
andparts.
parts.
Figure 5. Relation of references, symbols, and parts.
Figure 5. Relation of references, symbols, and parts.

Figure 6. Relationship between references, colors, and kits.

Figure 6. Relationship between references, colors, and
and kits.
kits.
Figure
Figure 6.
6. Relationship
Relationship between
between references,
references, colors,
colors, and kits.

Figure 7. Templates with colors, objects, and symbols.

Figure 7. Templates with colors, objects, and symbols.

Figure
Figure 7.
7. Templates
Templates with
with colors,
colors, objects,
objects, and
and symbols.
symbols.
 Sustainability2022,
Sustainability 14,11020
2022,14, x FOR PEER REVIEW 14 of 19
14 of 20
Sustainability 2022,14,
Sustainability2022, 14,xxFOR
FORPEER
PEERREVIEW
REVIEW 14
14 of
of 20
20

Figure8.8.Place
Placethe
themagnetic
magnetictemplate
templateon
onaametal
metaltray.
tray.
Figure
Figure 8.
Figure 8. Place
Placethe
the magnetic
magnetic template
template on
on aa metal
metal tray.
tray.

Figure 9. Correspondence between the identification cards and templates.

Figure 9.
Figure9.
Figure Correspondence
9.Correspondence between
Correspondencebetween the
betweenthe identification
theidentification cards
identificationcards and
cardsand templates.
andtemplates.
templates.

Figure 10. Picking workstation.

Figure 10.
Figure10.
Figure Picking
10.Picking workstation.
Pickingworkstation.
workstation.
Sustainability 2022,14,
Sustainability2022, 14,11020
x FOR PEER REVIEW 15 15
of of
2019

JOB BREAKDOWN SHEET Origination Date: 21-febr Lead:

Zone/Work Area: MEGALIFT Revision Date: OpEx: POL RIFÀ

Process: PREPARACIÓ DE KITS Revision #: ME:
Unit/Part Name/Part #: Trial check QE:

Tools Required: Temporary check VS Mgr:

MAJOR STEPS KEYPOINTS REASONS

1 2
WHAT? HOW? QUALITY ,TECNIQUE WHY?

TAKE AN EMPTY BOX FROM THE

BOTTOM SHELF AT THE RIGHT 1
TO HAVE A PLACE TO LEAVE THE
1 PREPARE A BOX
PREPARED KITS
PLACE THE BOX AT THE TOP
2
PLATFORM

TAKE ALWAYS THE CLOSEST ONE, AT LA DE DAVANT ÉS L'ORDRE MÉS 3 4 5 6

3
THE END OF THE HOOK ANTIGA I ÉS LA QUE CAL FER PRIMER

SCAN UNTIL THE 'BEEP', CHECKING TAGS WILL BE USED TO IDENTIFY THE
TAKE A KANBAN CARD THAT THE PRINTER STARTS 4
BAGS
FROM THE HOOK ON
2 THE LEFT AND CHECK THAT THE TAGS HAVE THE 5
SAME NAME AND BARCODE AS THE TO BE SURE TO LABEL PROPERLY
PREPARE THE TAGS
TEMPLATE

LEAVE THE TAGS ON THE TABLE 6 TO HAVE THEM AT REACH

7 8 9
TAKING CARE THAT THEY HAVE THE 7 TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE DOING THE
SAME COLOR RIGHT TYPE OF KIT

TAKE A TEMPLATE
PUT THE TEMPLATE ON THE TRAY
3 AND LEAVE THE VERY FLAT
8 TO HELP PLACE THE PARTS
KANBAN CARD
LEAVE THE CARD ON THE BOX ON THE9
TO IDENTIFY THE BATCH
PLATFORM AT THE RIGHT

PLACE A BAG ON THE FUNNEL OF THE 10 11 12

TO PUT THE PARTS IN
TRAY 10

PREPARE THE BAG TAKE THE LOWEST BARCODE TAG TO MAKE IT ORDERLY
4 AND THE TAG
11

STICK THE TAG TO THE BAG TO IDENTIFY THE KIT

12

13 14 15 16
TAKING ONLY THE PARTS THAT HAVE TO PREPARE THE APPROPIATE
PUT THE PARTS ON THE COLOR OF THE TEMPLATE 13 CONTENT
5 THE SHELVES ON THE
TEMPLATE PUTTING THEM ON THEIR SILUETTE, TO AVOID CONFUSION BY SIMILAR
HELPED BY THE SYMBOLS 14 ELEMENTS

WHEN THE TEMPLATE IS FULL, TO AVOID THEM FALLING ON THE

INTRODUCE THE INTRODUCE THE PARTS IN THE BAG 15 FLOOR
6 PARTS IN THE BAG
TO ENSURE EVERY KIT HAS ALL ITS
CHECK WITH HANDS THAT ARE ALL IN
16 COMPONENTS

17 18
TO AVOID COMPONENTS FROM
REMOVE THE BAG AND CLOSE IT
17 FALLING
REMOVE THE BAG
7 FROM THE FUNNEL
DEIXAR LA BOSSA AMB EL KIT DINS
TO BE READY TO BE PICKED UP
LA CAIXA DEL CARRO DE LA DRETA 18

RESTART THE PROCESS UNTIL

8 REPEAT 4-7
FINISHING THE TAGS
TO FILL THE BOX

Personal Protective Equipment: guants, ulleres i sabates protectores EFFECTIVE DATE: 22-2-2019 REFERENCE
DOCUMENT ONLY Page 1 of 2

Figure 11. Work breakdown sheet of the kit preparation.

Figure 11. Work breakdown sheet of the kit preparation.

Table 5. Risks and countermeasures in the first month of implementation.

Risk Countermeasure
The workstation does not include all of the factory’s kits Other picking workstations continue to operate as usual
During the first week, small quantities of all the different kits are
The template and cards are most likely incorrect
used and another worker double-checks the quality of the kits
The worker’s motions are studied in real time by the safety
Any discomfort experienced by the worker as a result of the
department in order to detect any weariness or potentially harmful
workstation improvements
movements
A regular reminder to monitor the workstation is issued over the
Replenishers are not assigned to the new material locations
first two weeks
During the first month, the worker keeps track of the number and
The worker is not able to deliver satisfactory results
type of kits created
Sustainability 2022,14,
Sustainability2022, 14,11020
x FOR PEER REVIEW 16 16
of of
2019

JOB BREAKDOWN SHEET Origination Date: 21-febr Lead:

Zone/Work Area: MEGALIFT Revision Date: OpEx: POL RIFÀ

Process: KIT PREPARATION Revision #: ME:

Unit/Part Name/Part #: Trial check QE:

Tools Required: Temporary check VS Mgr:

MAJOR STEPS KEYPOINTS REASONS

WHAT? HOW? QUALITY , TECNIQUE WHY?

WHEN A BOX RUNS OUT OF MATERIAL

IF THERE ARE OTHER BOXES BEHIND

TAKE THE PLASTIC CARD WITH CARE
AND PUT IT INSIDE THE BOX AT THE TO LET MORE MATERIAL TO COME
RIGHT
1 OBTAIN THE CARD
IF THERE IS A PAPER CARD, THROW IT
BECAUSE IT HAS NO VALUE
TO THE TRASH

TAKE THE BOX BEHIND AND BRING IT

TO HAVE MORE MATERIAL
FORWARD

TAKE THE EMPTY BOX AND LEAVE IT

2 CHANGE THE BOX AT THE SHELVES ON THE RIGHT
TO LET MORE MATERIAL TO COME

IF THE MATERIAL IS IN BAGS, IT MUST

TO AVOID NUISANCES
BE THROWN IT TO THE TRASH

IF THERE IS NO MATERIAL A RESPONSIBLE SHOULD BE

TO QUICKLY PROVIDE
CALLED

IF THERE ARE NOT OTHER BOXES BEHIND

FIND THE BOX WITH ITS COMPONENT BECAUSE BLUE BOXES DO NOT
ON THE BOTTOM SHELVES REPLENISH AUTOMATICALLY

FILL IT WITH THE EMPTY THE BOTTOM BOX ON THE

TO TAKE LESS SPACE
3 BOXES ON THE EMPTIED BOX
BOTTOM SHELVES
PUT THE BLUE BOX BACK AT ITS PLACE
WITH THE IDENTIFICATION CARD TO SUIT THE SHELF TAG
VISIBLE

WHEN A SUPPLY BOX, 1 ARE 2 NEED TO BE REPEATED

Personal Protective Equipment: guants, ulleres i sabates protectores EFFECTIVE DATE: 22-2-2019 REFERENCE
DOCUMENT ONLY Page 2 de 2

Figure 12. Work breakdown sheet of the material replenishment.

Figure 12. Work breakdown sheet of the material replenishment.

4.5. Control
Table 6. Plan for the first month of adaptation.
In this phase, the team assessed the workstation’s effectiveness, as well as the work-
ers’ learning 3 paths 4 and5 progress. 7 Three templates had errors identified 15within the17 first
Week 1 2 3 4 5
State Hours/Day
Day 1 2 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 16 18

Taught by instructor
Surveillance at work
3
3
week.
56 A control
75
70
plan
83
enables
95 90
quality control and ensures that defect-free kits reach the
Working alone,
quality checks
4 customers. Workers can complete133batches 145 on
140 the
135same152 day142because
135 the
137 templates are eas-
Normal workload 4
Total ily recreated.
201 As shown 268 in Table 5, some 553risks and countermeasures
566 for their153avoidance
160
611
158 140

Kits/hour
were observed during the first month of implementation. The team developed an adapta-
19 25 23 28 32 30 33 36 35 34 38 36 34 34 40 38 40 35

tion plan before the workers started work, but the plan was adjusted based on perfor-
mance.
4.6. Workers
Financial worked three hours per day and three days per week for the first two
Effect
weeks, Thewhich was not of
cost analysis enough to supply
the project all he factories
is detailed in Table 7. with The a most
kit. After evaluating
relevant the
suggestion
efficiency,
is the company
the addition of another expanded
personthe to working hours tobut
the workforce, 4 h the
per new day and 4 days per week
incorporation of the
in order to complete
technology is cheaperall theanother
than required kits. Table
salaried 6 shows
employee. Asthe
theadjusted
goal wasplanned not a cost and actual
reduction,
production kit quantities. In the first two weeks, the kit only had
this project made some resources available to increase the production, mainly in terms of defects related to external
issues,and
space such as labeling confusion, misplaced items, and insufficient materials. Once all
time.
the issues are corrected, no errors were logged for the next four months, which means that
the first
Table passanalysis
7. Cost yield (FPY)
of theofproject.
the improved workstation increased from 98% to 100%. In the
end, the team decided to hire full-time staff (6 h per day, 5 days per week) and schedule
another
Descriptionfuture project to increase the workload of the workstations and Cost
Item other similar
(EUR)
tasks.
Cost of the materials for the workstation design Bench, computer, printer 4.000
Salaried employees cost of project execution 60 h (EUR 30/h) 1.800
Table 5. Risks
Cost of and countermeasures
additional employee (withininthe
the first monthPart-time
of implementation.
contract 1.200/month
inclusion plan)
Risk Countermeasure
The workstation does not include all of
The impacts of theOther picking
process can beworkstations continue
seen by observing thetofollowing
operate asindicators:
usual
the factory’s kits
1. Space: free up 8 m , transitioning from 11 m in three different locations to 3 m2 in
2 2
The template and cards are most likely in- During the first week, small quantities of all the different kits are used and
one location.
correct another worker double-checks the quality of the kits
2. Productivity: a 63 s bottleneck for three production lines, enabling increased production.
3. Quality: increase the yield rate from 98% to 100%.
4. Inventory: transition from three places to one place, so that the volume is reduced by
40%. Initial cost: EUR 2200.
 Sustainability 2022, 14, 11020 17 of 19

The direct savings of the project amounted to EUR 3180, mainly due to the freeing
up of space (see Table 8). In the long term, the time saved (at 2.000 units/month) and
quality claims (6 claims/month) were estimated to save EUR 100/month. It is difficult to
estimate these costs, but the most relevant impacts of the project relate to inclusiveness,
space, and predictability.

Table 8. Benefits and savings of the project.

Sustainability 2022, 14, x FOR PEER REVIEW 18 of 20
Impact Item Savings (EUR)
Space 8 m2 freed 8.000
Assembly time in the line 63 s/unit 0.4/unit
Inventory reduction 40% of EUR 2200 880
Inventory reduction 40% of EUR 2200 880
Quality claims
Quality by missing
claims parts
by missing parts 5 claims/month
5 claims/month 500/month
500/month

4.7. Human-Centered LSS Framework

4.7. Human-Centered LSS Framework
For organizations
For organizations today, LSSLSS
today, is the most
is the mostpopular
popular methodology
methodology forfor
streamlining
streamlining op-opera-
erations and improving customer satisfaction. Although LSS has many
tions and improving customer satisfaction. Although LSS has many expected benefits, it expected benefits,
it hashas
oneone
major
majorunintended
unintended consequence.
consequence. DueDuetotoitsitsfocus
focusononprocess
processsimplification,
simplification,em- employ-
ployees often feel marginalized. By combining the powerful
ees often feel marginalized. By combining the powerful tools and techniques oftools and techniques of LSS
LSS with
with those
thoseavailable
availableusing
usingaahuman-centered
human-centeredapproach, approach,asasshown shownininFigure
Figure13,
13,thetheraised
raisedissues
issues can be addressed. This integration enables organizations to engage
can be addressed. This integration enables organizations to engage all different types of all different
typesemployees,
of employees, partners,
partners, and customers
and customers in a more
in a more effective effective and productive
and productive manner. manner.
Integrating
Integrating
LSS tools LSS tools
and and technology
technology with a human-centered
with a human-centered design anddesign and management
management involves:in- (1) uti-
volves: (1) utilizing VSM to create a more powerful and insightful tool
lizing VSM to create a more powerful and insightful tool for better understanding current for better under-
standing current
frictions withfrictions
customers,withbusiness
customers, business
partners, partners, or(2)
or employees; employees; (2) using the
using the customer voice to
customer voice to develop the customer mental model;
develop the customer mental model; and (3) developing an employee mentaland (3) developing an employee
model for
mentaleachmodel for each key
key employee employee
role role in the re-engineering
in the re-engineering business process.business process.
This This will
will ensure that the
ensure that the
process process
guides them guides
on a them
journey on that
a journey
leads that
to a leads to a new process.
new business business Inprocess.
doing In so, the
doing so, the employees
employees will bewilling,
will be ready, ready, willing,
and ableand able to
to serve serve customers
customers and business
and business partners as
partners as needed.
needed. LSS the
LSS adopts adopts the perspective
perspective that any
that any effort effort tosystems,
to improve improveprocesses,
systems, pro-products,
cesses,
or products,
services mustor services mustthe
begin with begin with the
customer andcustomer
the people andperforming
the people performing
the work. The thetools
work.andThemindset
tools and mindset of a human-centered approach can support
of a human-centered approach can support performance improvements and performance im-
provements
take them andtotake
thethem
next to the in
level next leveltoinunderstand
order order to understand
ambiguous ambiguous
challenges challenges
and develop
and develop
innovative innovative
solutionssolutions
to address to them.
address them.

Lean Six Sigma Human-Centered

(LSS) Human- Approach
•Build operational Centered •Leverage interpersonal
excellence LSS experiences
•Removal of waste •Improve human well-
•Streamline of value- being, accessibility and
added processes sustainability

Figure 13. Human-centered

Figure LSS framework.
13. Human-centered LSS framework.

5. Conclusions
5. Conclusions
Adopting a complementary
Adopting LSSLSS
a complementary approach expands
approach expandsthethe
toolbox
toolboxand
andoffers
offersthe
thepro-
prospect
spect of continuous improvement for many industries that have already implemented lean
of continuous improvement for many industries that have already implemented
lean principles. Using VSM 4.0 as a tool, managers can focus on value and develop appro-
priately, and changes in the production processes can be quickly detected and planned.
LSS’s DMAIC strategy is a holistic approach that ensures a thorough understanding of
potential problems and continuous improvement. We proposed an improvement model
based on DMAIC and VSM 4.0 for a truck cooler manufacturer to improve the picking
Sustainability 2022, 14, 11020 18 of 19

principles. Using VSM 4.0 as a tool, managers can focus on value and develop appropriately,
and changes in the production processes can be quickly detected and planned. LSS’s
DMAIC strategy is a holistic approach that ensures a thorough understanding of potential
problems and continuous improvement. We proposed an improvement model based on
DMAIC and VSM 4.0 for a truck cooler manufacturer to improve the picking workstation
design with a human-centered approach.
The case study provided a step-by-step process framework for, and in-depth analysis
of, the implementation of our proposed improvement model. This model allows the
company to generate available space on the assembly lines, thereby enhancing the ability
to assemble more units and, of course, productivity. In addition, the electrical kit used
for the installation achieved 100% FPY, successfully enabling the participation of mentally
handicapped workers and raising the company’s standards to provide better workstations.
The direct savings of the project amounted to EUR 3180, mainly due to the freeing up of
space. After the project was completed, not only was the financial performance satisfactory,
but the planning capabilities and employee engagement were also improved, and the
quality complaints, costs, and deliveries were reduced.
The presented paper is based on a single case study, and the results are limited
to this company only. However, the approach of this paper offers a generic learning
perspective. Through the effective application of LSS quality initiatives, the means by
which the direct savings of the project could be obtained have been demonstrated. Thus,
this paper could serve as a unique roadmap for practitioners and academics to improve the
material productivity in terms of both product and process.

Author Contributions: Conceptualization, F.-K.W.; formal analysis, P.R.R.; investigation, P.R.R.;

methodology, F.-K.W. and B.R.; project administration, B.R.; resources, P.R.R.; supervision, F.-K.W.;
validation, F.-K.W. and P.R.R.; visualization, B.R.; writing—original draft, B.R.; writing—review &
editing, F.-K.W. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding: This research received no external funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement: Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable.
Data Availability Statement: No data are available.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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