ASPHALT PAVING PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT: A CASE STUDY OF SLS COMPANY IN THAILAND

Abstract

This study is a case of a road construction company in Thailand. The company was facing a higher lead time for laying asphalt. The total amount of production of laying asphalt from July 2022 to April 2023. The standard time is 206.84 hours, while the actual time is 573 hours, resulting in an extra 366.16. This research aimed to identify problems, find solutions, and implement appropriate measures to improve the production time of laying asphalt. Recommendations, solutions, and preventive actions were provided to improve the production time of laying asphalt and prevent recurrent problems. This research applied the DMAIC concept to define the problems, measure the actual performance, analyze the root causes of the problem by applying the Fishbone diagram and Pareto chart, and identify the improvement of the current process. The main root causes of this issue were machines, the environment, and people. The result after implementing the improvement plan was successful. Since the implementation started, the asphalt laying production time has gradually decreased. In comparison to the actual time with the standard time, indicating a satisfactory outcome as the actual time is lower than the standard time. The DMAIC concept can improve the production time for laying asphalt. As a result, the DMAIC is an effective tool to improve the company's production process.