Title: Reducing packaging material defects in beverage production line using Six Sigma methodology

Authors: Supratim Dutta; Sanjita Jaipuria

Addresses: Indian Institute of Management Shillong, Mayurbhanj Complex, Nongthymai, Shillong, 793014, Meghalaya, India ' Operations Management Department, Indian Institute of Management Shillong, Mayurbhanj Complex, Nongthymai, Shillong, 793014, Meghalaya, India

Abstract: In beverage manufacturing plants, the glass bottles are primarily used as packaging material for distribution of the beverage. In some countries after consumption of the beverage, glass bottles are collected back from the market, cleaned, refilled with the fresh beverage, and resold. In this returnable glass bottle (RGB) production line, breakage of glass bottles happen due to various reasons and the company has to face loss. To highlight this issue a bottling plant of a leading beverage manufacturing company in India has been considered in this study. This bottling plant is operating at 4-sigma level and facing an average loss of ₹9,810,637.333 INR per year due to breakage of glass bottle in the RGB line. Hence, this study highlights the effective implementation of Six-Sigma DMAIC (D-define, M-measure, A-analysis, I-improvement and C-control) process to significantly minimising the breakage of glass bottles to control the losses.

Keywords: Six Sigma; DMAIC process; beverage manufacturing company; returnable glass bottle; RGB; production line.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSCA.2020.107477

International Journal of Six Sigma and Competitive Advantage, 2020 Vol.12 No.1, pp.59 - 82

Received: 06 Jan 2019
Accepted: 10 Sep 2019
Published online: 29 May 2020 *

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