Implementation of a logistics process improvement system : a case study

Abstract

The global market and the actual financial conjuncture have increased the fierce competition between organizations, either to financially survive or to gain competitive advantage. Bosch Car Multimedia Portugal S.A. identified improvement possibilities in its back office processes of the Logistics Department and that was the motto to undertake a business process improvement project. Whilst some organizations might have agreed in buying state of the art technology in order to increase its performance, Bosch Car Multimedia Portugal S.A. opted to make a more efficient use of its resources in a continuous improvement effort. Point CIP (Continuous Improvement Process) methodology is a continuous improvement philosophy created by Bosch Group which is commonly used in productive areas’ processes. The plant located in Braga, Portugal, pioneered the idea of implementing this philosophy in the back office areas and used a sample of five different processes from the Logistics Department. The results were motivating because Point CIP was able to structure a continuous improvement environment which led to a better and more efficient performance of the business processes.