Implementation of an inventory management system to improve the material flow of expanded polystyrene (EPS) products

Authors

Pérez Mata, Carlos Enrique

Romero Dessens, Luis Felipe

Abstract

The application of an inventory management system is essential for the subsistence of manufacturing companies because it plays a key role because it forms a great impact process that involves all operational and administrative areas of the company, becoming an aspect fundamental. This article presents the implementation of an inventory management system, with the objective of streamlining the flow of materials to reduce the delivery times of the inventory in process towards the production area. As well as facilitating the execution of a First In-First Out (FIFO) strategy, through the application of administrative and statistical tools to know the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of inventory management, the classification of inventory items through the ABC analysis method and the use of the System Layout Planning (SLP) methodology. Among the most outstanding results that were obtained once the project was completed, a significant reduction of approximately 50% of the deteriorated inventory in process was achieved; likewise, the average time for the inventory to leave the warehouse to the Insulpanel production area was reduced to 15 days, the time that the inventory requires to rest so that it can be used in production, and finally, the area (m2) used in WIP 1 was reduced by approximately 573 m2, which allowed to have a greater space inside the warehouse allowing the operating personnel to maneuver freely and carry out their activities comfortably.