Title: Cost and benefit analysis of implementing TFMEA in tea industry: a case study

Authors: M. Angeline Geetha; R. Suresh Premil Kumar; S.R. Devadasan; A. Pal Pandi

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Marthandam College of Engineering and Technology, Kuttakuzhi – 629177, Tamilnadu, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stella Mary's College of Engineering, Aruthengavilai – 629202, Tamilnadu, India ' Department of Production Engineering, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore – 641004, Tamilnadu, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bharath Niketan Engineering College, Auntipatti – 625 536, Tamilnadu, India

Abstract: Tea is an aromatic drink commonly consumed by the people worldwide. Tea manufacturers face a serious threat in controlling the failures in its manufacturing process. Failures in the manufacturing process affect the quality of the tea produced. The cost of the tea varies with the quality of the tea. The tea manufacturers are more concerned about the internal failure cost incurred in its manufacturing process as it determines the cost and quality of the tea. In this background, a new approach namely cost-based total failure mode and effect analysis (CTFMEA) was applied in the research reported in this paper. In this research, a maiden attempt is made to implement this new approach by conducting a case study in tea manufacturing company. After implementing TFMEA technique its cost benefit analysis was conducted. The outcome of this research indicated that through the application of CTFMEA, the quality of the tea could be improved by reducing the failures thereby assuring cost benefits to the tea manufacturers.

Keywords: tea manufacturing; internal failure cost; continuous quality improvement; total quality management; TQM; fault tree analysis; FTA; failure mode effect analysis; FMEA; CTFMEA; cost benefits.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPQM.2019.098366

International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management, 2019 Vol.26 No.3, pp.305 - 329

Received: 09 Jun 2017
Accepted: 24 Jan 2018
Published online: 18 Mar 2019 *

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