Integrating Makigami Methodology and Digital Automation for Non-Conforming Material Recall: The Tetra Pak Case Study

In modern manufacturing environments, managing non-conformities efficiently is essential to reducing operational waste and maintaining production flow continuity. This thesis focuses on the analysis and optimization of the non-conforming packaging material recall process—from the warehouse back to the production line—at the Tetra Pak plant in Rubiera. Within the framework of World Class Manufacturing (WCM), the project addresses critical operational inefficiencies in both physical and information flows. The initial diagnostic revealed that legacy procedures—characterized by manual Excel-based tracking, lack of system integration, physical document handovers, and unstructured transfer locations—resulted in a baseline process lead time of 1,620 minutes (27 hours), alongside high rates of duplicated requests and material vulnerability. To eliminate these non-value-added activities, the Makigami methodology was applied to create a detailed current-state map and classify process losses. Root causes were isolated using 5-Why analysis and evaluated through the ECRS (Eliminate, Combine, Reduce, Simplify) framework. On the information flow side, a new digital tool integrated with SAP and P2 systems was developed. This tool reduced manual input fields from 15 to 5, enabled multi-user concurrent access, automated email notifications and PDF printing, and restricted recalls strictly to available stock. On the physical flow side, a weighted risk matrix balancing safety, hygiene, time, and cost guided the selection of dedicated storage zones and leveraged the existing Laser Guided Vehicle (LGV) infrastructure for material handling. The combined digital and physical countermeasures eliminate duplicate recall requests (84 recorded in 2025) and recalls of unavailable pallets (25 recorded in 2025), mitigate contamination risks, and drastically compress overall process lead time. This study demonstrates how coupling visual stream mapping tools like Makigami with digital automation generates measurable performance improvements in industrial supply chain operations.