TRIZ and Lean Philosophies applied to Management Activity

In the current market, the Portuguese industry faces strong competition from countries with substantially lower operating costs. The agri-food industry is also subject to increasing competitiveness, both nationally and internationally.
The utilization of methodologies that, in addition to continuous improvement, provide the development of creative and innovative solutions may be relevant for highlighting and differentiating between organizations. In this work, Teoriya
Resheniya Izobretatelskikh Zadach and Lean Philosophies have been implemented together. Methodologies as Matrix Ideality, Matrix of Contradiction, Single Minute Exchange of Die, 5S and the Substance-Field analyses were used as complemented tools to improve the production management activities of agri-food sector. Strongly focused on the issues of time wastage and the organization and management of the filling line, the implementation of these methodologies led to a reduction of setup times, of the operators’ movement and an improvement in the line’s management and organization, and improve the results of 5S audits, depending on the work station.