The Reduction of Paint Defects Through DMAIC Approach to Improve Product Quality in the Automotive Industry

Abstract

Indonesia is one of the largest four-wheeled vehicle producers in ASEAN and has experienced rapid growth in the automotive sector. The challenge currently faced by the automotive industry is how to continuously improve product quality and reduce waste in the production process in order to remain competitive amidst the intensifying market competition. Lean Six Sigma is a systematic, data-driven methodology that combines two effective business improvement approaches to enhance product quality and reduce waste. This study applies the Lean Six Sigma framework with the DMAIC methodology to improve process quality and reduce defects in the four-wheeled vehicle assembly line. The case study was conducted at a four-wheeled vehicle manufacturer in the GIIC industrial area in Indonesia. The research began by identifying waste through value stream mapping and collecting defect data over 20 working days in October 2020. The results of the implementation showed a reduction in product defects from 2004 DPMO to 1304 DPMO, along with an improvement in the company's sigma level from 4.37 to 4.53, indicating significant improvements in both product quality and process efficiency.