Concept Note Project

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FINAL YEAR RESEARCH PROJECT

CONCEPT NOTE
NAME REG.NO COURSE EMAIL/CONTACT
MUCUNGUZI 2020/A/KME/2129/F BSc. mucunguziboneventure@gmail.com
BONEVENTURE Mechanical +256771372665
Engineering
PROJECT TITLE: OPTIMIZATION OF MATERIAL FLOW AT GLOBAL

VILLAGE TEA FACTORY, UGANDA
Introduction
The tea factory is a complex system that involves various processes, from tea leaf harvesting to
packaging and distribution. One of the crucial aspects of ensuring efficiency and productivity in
this system is optimizing material flow. Material flow refers to the movement of tea leaves,
products, and resources throughout the factory, Optimizing material flow can lead to reduced
waste, increased productivity, and improved product quality. This project aims to identify
bottlenecks and areas for improvement in the current material flow system and propose solutions
to optimize it.
Background:
The tea factory is a large-scale production facility that produces various tea products for local and
international markets. The factory receives tea leaves from various suppliers and processes them
through several stages, including withering, rolling, oxidation, and packaging. The factory
operates 24/7, with multiple shifts and a large workforce.
Currently, the material flow system at the factory is largely manual, with minimal automation and
technology integration. This has led to several challenges, including: Inefficient transportation of
tea leaves and products, Long waiting times and bottlenecks in processing, High labor costs and
manual errors, Inadequate inventory management and storage, Limited visibility and control over
the production process.
Recent trends in the tea industry have highlighted the need for optimized material flow and
efficient production processes. The increasing demand for high-quality tea products, growing
competition, and rising labor costs have made it essential for the factory to streamline its operations
and improve productivity.
This project aims to address these challenges by analyzing the current material flow system,
identifying areas for improvement, and proposing solutions to optimize the system. The proposed
solutions will focus on automation, technology integration, and process improvements to increase
efficiency, reduce costs, and improve product quality.
Problem statement
The manufacturing industry has over the time grown and is shifting towards increasing resource use
of material. Most contemporary tea companies are facing many dilemmas, the essence of which is
the determination of the ways of acquisition or maintenance of their position in the competitive
environment. These companies have to continuously increase their resource use efficiency through
research and development. One of the ways to get competitive prevalence is analysis and
optimization of material flow which contributes to the reduction of the company costs. Currently
the company faces the challenges of varying throughput rate and the production of second quality
products. The continued failure to enhance the process incurs high production cost, generation of
rework, scrap and time wastages characterized by the long durations. The second quality products
can however be sold but at relatively low prices compared to prime quality products or recycled
to generate new products. The process of recycling itself is expensive in terms of transportation
and the cost of production for all products is the same.
Objectives of the study General objective

The main objective of this study is to identify options for material/energy improvements and
handling of material in the production area with consideration of internal transport program and
facility layout.
Specific objectives
• To identify bottlenecks in production process
• To examine the extent to which the internal transport program affects material flow.
• To assess the impact of plant layout on the material flow for the company
Justification of the study
• The enhancement of material flow is considered as the means to accelerate the energy
efficiency and reduced material wastages
• Addressing gaps in material flow will help reduce the company costs in long run
• Generate vital data that shall inform the manufacturing plant on the appropriate course of
action in regard to resource use.
• This would result in an increase in resource efficiency, productivity and reduction in
wastes.
Methodology
This chapter will present the research design, case study, sampling procedure, sampling
technique, source of data, data collection procedure, data analysis, interpretation and
presentation.
Research design: The study will employ a descriptive research design that’s both qualitative
and quantitative research methods will be used
Case study
The research method used in this research project will be a case study design. The case study
research is based on one case company that’s global village tea company located in Bushenyi
District along ishaka kasese road. The case study will be conducted at the company’s facility
where the material flow will be investigated. The material flow will be analyzed between
storage and production area. The manufacturing layout will be studied concerning its impact
upon the material flow.

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Concept Note Project

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FINAL YEAR RESEARCH PROJECT

PROJECT TITLE: OPTIMIZATION OF MATERIAL FLOW AT GLOBAL

Objectives of the study General objective

Justification of the study

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