Improvement of material supply system through kitting concept and IT solutions.

The performance of every assembly line depends on the availability of a large number of components which have to be supplied in a coordinated and precise manner, if a company doesn't have a well-constructed material feeding system it will not achieve good operative results. This paper is the result of a project developed at Daimler Buses Mexico where chassis are being assembled for Mercedes-Benz Buses with an existing high cost due to rework process on units with missing parts. Through Lean Logistics and PDCA Cycle Methodology the kitting concept was redefined and different proposals involving the kitting method were established; several IT solutions in the material supply process and in the material control system were also an important contribution. In addition, a discrete-event simulation to gain insights about the needed resources was developed. Results of the different applications are provided.