Production Management Model Based on Lean Manufacturing Focused on the Human Factor to Improve Productivity of Small Businesses in the Metalworking Sector

Abstract

Micro and small businesses in the metalworking sector present a high percentage of informality, and the majority of their production processes are not documented nor standardized. The production approach of Toyota, the enterprise-resource-planning system, and the lean manufacturing system were created for large organizations with sufficient financial resources to successfully implement these models. However, the human factor is a critical component in implementing these models. Therefore, a production management model has been proposed, which is based on lean manufacturing and focuses on the human factor, to increase productivity in the production area of a metalworking company, a small business. The result was that the company’s mentality changed, reaching a productivity of 70% through the use of lean manufacturing tools in the production area.