The benefits and challenges of a continuous improvement area in a manufacturing plant

The Continuous Improvement area is a part of the company that seeks to support the implementation and execution of tasks aimed at improving processes, which can generate greater added value in production lines. In this context, the objective of this work was to identify the benefits that the Continuous Improvement area provides to the plant's production, as well as the main challenges it faces during the application of its program at all levels of an aluminum coil manufacturing unit. The methodology used to achieve this goal consisted of qualitative interviews with 24 professionals from the company studied, including area leaders, mechanical technicians, electrical technicians, and first, second, and third-tier leaders, and data analysis based on a comparison with the literature. The main results of the work indicated that the benefits that the Continuous Improvement area provides to the plant's production are composed of waste reduction, workforce training, and the unfolding of corporate objectives into tangible objectives for the plant. Regarding the main challenges they faced during the implementation of their programs, they related to dealing with people who are unwilling to change the way they perform their jobs and finding the best way to communicate with those involved in the program.