Plant Layout Model for Improving Footwear Process Times in Micro and Small Enterprises

Abstract

The manufacturing specifications used by small leather and footwear businesses are neither up to date nor based on innovative production and new technologies. Consequently, their production times are higher, rendering them unable to sufficiently compete against other developed countries. Thus, this study seeks an innovative way to reduce times that do not add value to the product, such as reducing travel distances between stations, and proposes improving procedures for a better monitoring of the resources required. As a whole, this proposal focuses on designing a model to minimize the displacement of different processes. This practice is currently being implemented in the manufacturing sector, but not in the footwear sector. The proposal provides broad results, saving around 33% in transfer times and 85% in distance traveled in footwear production.