Six sigma application in warehouse for damaged bags: A case study

The purpose of this paper is to examine the problem of damage of HDPE bags in carbon black industry which not only results in direct economic losses to the manufacturer but also causes customer dissatisfaction and deterioration of company´s brand image. This study follows DMAIC approach of Six Sigma to examine the problem. Root causes were identified using fish bone diagram. Weightage of each root cause was calculated using analytical hierarchy process. Pareto chart helped to focus attention on the most important root causes. Accordingly, a brainstorming session with experts from the warehouse, logistics and quality control department was conducted which helped in formulating the solutions by analyzing the process map. This study is the first attempt to identify and analyze the root causes of the problem of HDPE bag damage in carbon black warehouse and suggest solutions to reduce damages using DMAIC approach of six sigma methodology.