Lean Planning Model to Reduce Returns of Heat-Sensitive Products in A Peruvian Chemical-Pharmaceutical Company

The growth of sanitary products shipped through cold logistics, in recent years, has been sustainable and significant. This increase brings with it challenges aimed at maintaining the products in the established temperature ranges which can assure and keep their temperature in optimal levels so that quality can be kept as this might affect the health of customers. The mismanagement deficiencies of the cold chain affect the profitability of the companies in the chemicalpharmaceutical sector, due to the returns caused by the delivery of low-quality products. In this context, this research proposes a solution that includes the application of three tools: Jidoka, the MRP II planning system, and the Standardization of Work to reduce the level of returns. The proposal is based on the improvement of the packaging process, by applying new inventory policies, optimal mechanisms for the management of packaging materials and the updating of the work protocols. After the implementation of the model through a pilot test, it was possible to reduce returns by 41.5%, increase the number of products delivered with no damages to 97.47% and, consequently, increment the number of perfectly delivered orders to 95.2%. After conducting the analysis, it can be concluded that having an optimal packaging process is important to maintain the quality of heat sensitive products throughout the entire supply chain.