Automotive Seat Production in Just in Sequence (JIS): Kanban System Integration for Lear Corporation Italy - Caivano

The constant focus on improving production processes and the supply chain is an essential factor in the success of any company. In an industry like the automotive sector, better resource management can make a significant difference. This thesis analyzes the current material management model related to seating production at Lear Corporation's Caivano plant and defines precisely a Kanban system for the procurement of specific components. The project aims to transform the procurement model, which is based on push logic, into a pull model, which can respond dynamically to actual production demand. The thesis adopts a DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) approach for the implementation. The Define phase highlights the limitations of Push logic, which generates inefficiencies in the warehouse with high levels of immobilized stock and poor reactivity to variations in demand. In the Measure phase, key KPIs are analyzed. The Analyze phase looks at identifying the root causes of inefficiency. In this case, the 5 whys tool was used, in which the low demand forecast accuracy and the rigidity of the supply chain management system emerge. The Improve phase proposes the implementation of a Kanban Procurement Batch System to monitor material consumption in real time, allowing to reduce the average stock level, improve operational flexibility and respond more accurately to actual material consumption without basing it on a consumption forecast. The results that emerged show potential savings in capital assets through reduced average inventory and improved reactivity and inventory management. Finally, the Control phase defines a continuous tracking system with daily and weekly audits to monitor and ensure adaptation of the new process and maintenance of performance. This work is the result of a constant search for improvement and demonstrates how the application of a Kanban Procurement System is a real opportunity to improve materials management and reduce the risk of stock-out or overstock. The proposed analysis can be used as a Benchmark to evaluate the application of this system on other Lear suppliers, making the solution scalable and applicable across a wide range of components Taking into consideration that it must be transformed into an E-Kanban in order to have full integration into the company’s existing IT systems, improving their overall efficiency and reducing human error.