A group of business and engineering graduate students from U-M’s Tauber Institute for Global Operations worked with Mastronardi Produce in Livonia to evaluate and introduce operational improvements through multiple lean kaizen events. Kaizen events are short duration improvement projects with a specific aim for improvement.
The 14-week project began in May 2016 and was focused at the company’s 380,000 square-foot distribution center. The Livonia facility employs approximately 1,700 people in various departments such as receiving, inventory and shipping.
The team of three students were led by Business Faculty Advisor Kyle Handley and Engineering Faculty Advisor Oleg Gusikhin. Each event was challenged to maximize improvements while focusing on safety, customer service, product utilization and cost.
The first event focused on inspection in the production area, the second event on inspection at the shipping docks, and the third on establishing a structured, well-rounded training program for new inspectors. After concluding each event the team delved into finalizing and initiating implementation of the solutions with cooperation and support from relevant teams.
The expected savings from their recommended improvements amount to approximately $1.7M per year.
