-

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING, TECHNOLOGY,

APPLIED DESIGN AND FINE ART
FINAL YEAR RESEARCH PROJECT PROPOSAL
PROJECT TITLE: ENHANCEMENT OF MATERIAL FLOW AT GLOBAL
VILLAGE TEA FACTORY, UGANDA

NAME REG.NO COURSE SUPERVISOR

MUCUNGUZI 2020/A/KME/2129/F BSc. ISAAC NDAWULA

BONEVENTURE Mechanical

Engineering

A RESEARCH PROPOSAL PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT

OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT FOR THE

AWARD OF BACHELOR OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING AT KABALE

UNIVERSITY

DATE: 20/05/2024
DECLARATION

I, MUCUNGUZI BONEVENTURE, certify that the research done is unique and has never been
submitted for a degree at another university. As a result, I have properly cited all additional
information sources. The study used classified data from the Global Village Tea Factory, and by
signing this agreement, you acknowledge that you have read and understand the terms and
conditions of the Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), which protects the confidentiality of the
data used in the study. You also agree that the research results will only be used to STIL and will
not be used for any other purposes outside of the academic community.

Signed ……………………on this……………day of...........................2024

MUCUNGUZI BONEVENTURE

This report has been submitted with the approval of following university supervisors

Signed ……………………on this……………day of...........................2021

MR ISAAC NDAWULA

Main Supervisor

pg. i
DEDICATION

. I dedicate my research proposal to my friends, family, and parents for their unwavering guidance
and support throughout my study. I express my profound gratitude to all the individuals listed
above, and I pray that the All-Powerful God may abundantly reward them.

pg. ii
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to thank everyone who helped and cooperated in any way over the various stages of
my study project. Sincere gratitude to Mr. ISAAC NDAWULA for his supervision of this
research project proposal and his guidance and suggestions. I would also like to extend my
sincere gratitude and appreciation to my parents for providing me with financial support while I
conducted the research. In addition, I want to express my gratitude to God for giving me the
health and ability to complete this research project.

pg. iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION............................................................................................................................. i

DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................... ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .......................................................................................................... iii

1.3 Problem statement .................................................................................................................... 2

1.3 Objectives of the study ............................................................................................................. 3

1.3.1 General objective ................................................................................................................... 3

1.3.4 Justification of the study........................................................................................................ 3

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................ 5

2.1 Material flow analysis, MFA definitions .......................................................................... 5

2.3 Tea Plant ................................................................................................................................... 6

2.3.3 Harvesting or Plucking ...................................................................................................... 6

2.3.6 CTC Method (Crushing, Tearing and Curling) ........................................................... 7

2.3.8 Drying or Firing............................................................................................................... 8

2.4 Material flow ....................................................................................................................... 8

2.5 Internal transport program ............................................................................................... 9

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................... 11

3.2 Case study ..................................................................................................................... 11

3.3 Data Types and Sources ............................................................................................... 11

3.3.1 Data Collection techniques and Procedures ........................................................... 11

3.4 Energy Flow Analysis Methodology................................................................................ 12

3.6 Cycle time analysis ....................................................................................................... 15

3.6.1 Throughput analysis ............................................................................................ 15

References .................................................................................................................................... 16

Appendix III: Sampled-Interview questions ............................................................................ 19

PREAMBLE ......................................................................................................................... 19

pg. iv
 LIST OF ACRONYMS
MH – Material Handling

MHS – Material Handling Systems

GVTF –Global Village Tea Fact
MEFA. Material and Energy Flow Analysis
MFA. Material Flow Analysis
UNDP Uganda National Development Plan

pg. v
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1: 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. solutions to optimize it.
1.2 Background:
In Uganda, tea (Camellia sinensis) is a significant cash crop grown for export (Taulo and Sebitosi,
2016). According to Taulo and Sebitosi (2016), the tea business contributes 11% of national
employment, 8% of foreign exchange profits, and 1.5% of Uganda's GDP into its coffers. The
factory processes tea leaves through multiple steps, such as rolling, oxidation, withering, and
packing, after receiving them from different vendors.. For smart factory is a future goal of
industrial manufacturing and consists of fully automated production systems with digital
technologies(Larsson and Sjöö, n.d., p. 40). The company’s factories can be considered smart
factories due to their high level of automated and connected processes(Kusá et al., 2011)
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(Kusá et al., 2011).
Recent trends in the tea industry have highlighted the need for optimized material flow and
efficient production processes (Mathisson-Öjmertz, 1998b).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 (Lasa & , 2008.,).
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. .. It is generally acknowledged that one
crucial and essential step in lessening the effects of human activity on the environment is material
pg. 1
and energy flow analysis (MEFA) (Lemlem, n.d.). MEFA characterizes material consumption and
emission within and between processes using process material and energy input-output data.
In the manufacturing industry, the extent of material and energy use as well as material and energy
losses mainly depend on the design of the processes which are performed to produce a certain
product. It is necessary to choose the best option in order to achieve the desired goals of high
material and energy efficiency and cheap costs (Kusá et al., 2011). Analysis of the flow of
materials and energy is widely acknowledged as a critical and essential stage in minimizing the
environmental effects of human activity (Brunner and Rechberger, 2004).The expenses of the
material flow are assumed to be related to the number of times materials are moved, and the
distance; increased movement leads to increased expenses (Aiello, et al., 2002). MEFA utilizes
process material and energy input-output data to characterize the use of materials within and
between processes. It can be used to reduce the consumption of energy, raw material, water and
discharge of effluents by pursuing systematically internal flows of energy and mass in
manufacturing processes (Binder, 2007). Steel industry contributes about 10.7% to the global
gross domestic product between sectors(Godden, 2019).

1.3 Problem statement

The manufacturing sector has expanded over time and is now using more resources to produce
goods. The majority of modern tea firms are faced with a number of challenges, the most
important of which is figuring out how to gain or keep their place in the market. Through research
and development, these businesses must constantly improve the efficiency with which they
employ their resources. Analyzing and improving material flow is one strategy to gain a
competitive advantage while also cutting expenses for the business. The company is now dealing
with issues related to fluctuating throughput rates and subpar product production. Continuous
process improvement failure results in high production costs, scrap, rework, and time waste with
lengthy lead times. However, second-quality products can be recycled to create new products or
sold for comparatively less than prime-quality ones. Transportation costs are high for the recycling
process itself, and production costs are the same for all goods.

pg. 2
1.3 Objectives of the study

1.3.1 General objective

The main objective of this research is to provide solutions for handling materials in the production
area and improving material/energy efficiency while taking the internal transport program and
facility layout into account.
1.3.2 Specific objectives

a) To identify bottlenecks in production process

b) To examine the extent to which the internal transport program affects material flow.

c) To assess the impact of plant layout on the material flow for the company

1.3.3 Research question

a) Are their challenges in material flow processes in manufacturing process?

b) Are there areas of opportunity for improvement in manufacturing company?

c) How does the current facility layout affect manufacturing cycle time and throughput rate for
company?

1.3.4 Justification of the study

a) The enhancement of material flow is considered as the means to accelerate the energy
efficiency and reduced material wastages
b) Addressing gaps in material flow will help reduce the company costs in long run

c) Generate vital data that shall inform the manufacturing plant on the appropriate course
of action in regard to resource use.
This research shall be carried out with the guidance of the concepts and relationships presented in
the conceptual frame work presented in figure 1

pg. 3
 Optimization of material
flow at global tea factory

 Manufacturing cycle
time analysis
 Throughput rate
analysis
 Current state of
internal transport

Interpretation Enablers
-Pareto analysis of factors  Availability of data
contributing to high NVA  Compatibility with the
time, results from cycle time management system
analysis  Technical advantages
of MFA
-Root cause analysis for low
 Top management
and varying monthly commitment
throughput rate at
STIL,results from throughput

Methods

 Time studies Method

using stop watch
 Cycle time measuring
and Heijuka tool-v2
 Material flow analysis
method, MFA
procedure

Figure 1 conceptual framework

pg. 4
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Material flow analysis, MFA definitions

It is crucial to acknowledge the definitions used in order to comprehend the MFA approach's
construction and quantifications. The definitions used in the review are taken from (Brunner and
Rechberger's (2004)

Table 1Terminology used in material flow

Term Definition

The movement of components, work-in-progress inventory, finished goods, and raw

Material materials from inbound to outbound along the manufacturing chain .

flow
Material phrase used to describe products or substances that are moving through the system

Process The transformation, transport or storage of material

An inflow (input) is entering a process and an outflow (output) is exiting a

Flow Process.
The division of a substance in a process. The percentage of a process’s input
Transfer that is directed to each output
coefficient
The data used for describing the process, that is flows, concentration, area and
Parameter mass
System The geographic or organizational border of the defined system
boundary

2.2Material used in gvtf

 Tea leaves. This is the primary material used in tea factory. It comes from gardens
and estate.

pg. 5
  Fertilizer. This is used to promote healthy growth of tea bushes.
 Pesticides. These are used to control pests and diseases that damages tea leaves.
 Water. This is used for irrigating tea leaves and cleaning equipment.
 Packaging material. This includes papers plastics, tins to package tea.
 Energy source. Tea factory uses electricity,
 Machinery equipment. Tea factory uses various machinery and equipment like tea
rollers, dryers and sorters to process tea leaves.
2.3 Tea Plant

. The tea plant typically reaches a height of 35 feet in regions that are tropical or
subtropical. The plantations are grown at an elevation of 2460 meters above mean
sea level. The bushes are kept at two to two and a half feet in height for ease of
plucking and pruning, allowing the shrub to spread and expand broadly (ANON,
1974).

2.3.1 Processing of Tea

. Due to tiny variations in the processing stages, there are several kinds of tea that
varies in color, scent, flavor, and appearance (ANON, 1974).

2.3.2. Types of Products from Tea

Products from tea are broadly classified into
i. Conventional teas
ii. Nonconventional tea products

2.3.3 Harvesting or Plucking

. This process is a crucial stage in figuring out the tea's final quality. The young, uniform terminal
bud and two shooting leaves (or just shoots with three leaves) of the tea plant are often picked
twice a year. Fine tea is hand-picked; the skill of the picker has a major influence on the tea's
quality, but this is a costly operation. There are a lot of broken leaves and partial flushes generated
even though mechanical plucking of tea flushes and leaves is also done. However, when the timing
is right, mechanical harvesting can yield excellent teas. It is imperative to scrupulously avoid
plucking coarse leaves as it taints the tea's quality.
2.3.4 Withering
. After being plucked, the tea leaves are first allowed to wither to eliminate any last traces of
moisture. There are two typical methods for withering.

pg. 6
. 2.3.4.1Natural method of Withering
The newly harvested tea leaves are laid out in extremely thin layers on wire-meshed racks
stacked one on top of the other, and they are then left to dry naturally for at least 20 to 24
hours.

2.3.4.2 Artificial Withering

The tea leaves are harvested and spread out in layers of 18 to 20 cm on wire-mesh tables
set inside a tunnel that is pushed to circulate warm air mixed with fresh air. With a 60–
62% residual moisture decrease and a much shorter withering period due to this procedure,
the withered tea leaves are suited for tea processing.

2.3.5 Breaking Up
One phase in the preparation process is rolling the dried tea leaves, or breaking them up. This is
accomplished by using a circular table with a center cone and battens, which are lateral slat-like
arrangements. There is a cylindrical jacket with a pressure cap attached to the top of the table.
Withered leaves placed within the jacket twist and roll on the surface of the cone and battens in
a manner akin to hand rolling since the table and jacket are designed to rotate eccentrically in
opposite directions.
2.3.6 CTC Method (Crushing, Tearing and Curling)
The CTC machine consists of two metal rollers rotating at different speeds that are separated yet
kept at a minimum distance from one another. The broken-up and withered tea leaves are twisted,
torn, and cut by this movement. The fermentation process is started as a result of the tea leaves'
juice being forced to the top.
2.3.7 Fermentation
During fermentation, the oxidation process which had begun during rolling is continued.
Fermentation takes place in separate fermentation rooms, which need to be kept extremely
Keep the tea clean to prevent bacterial contamination. On metal trays, the tea leaves are arranged
in layers of 3.5–7.5 cm. The room temperature affects how thick the layers are. The tea has reached
the proper level of fermentation when it turns copper red, and this is when the process needs to be
stopped by drying. During the fermentation process, the tannin level drops from 20% in new tea
leaves to 10%–12%. The fermentation process oxidizes unsaturated fats, carotenes, and amino
acids, which results in the creation of fragrance molecules.

pg. 7
2.3.8 Drying or Firing
. Using a four-plate system drier, the drying operation was conducted. After the leaves have
reached 80 °C, hot air up to 90 °C is blown against them. At that point, I command the appropriate
inactivation of the polyphenol oxidizing enzyme. When the moisture content drops to 3.5%, the
leaves start to take on their characteristic black color and the scent becomes established (ANON,
1974).

Table 2 Tea processing

2.4 Material flow

In this proposal, the term flow refers to any dynamic variation of material and energy with
time. Material flows present the dynamic movement and transformation of materials including
tea leaves and finished product. Material flow involves describing the physical flow of
materials and Material flow is a term describing the physical flow of materials and the way it
is moved and transported (Harrison, 2014). (Mulcahy, 1999) argues that the materials handling
and movement should support an effective material flow throughout the whole facility. The
design of material handling and flow should ensure low operating costs (Mulcahy, 1999). Green
et al. (2010) describe the importance of a well-working flow of material in manufacturing
processes in order to meet customer demand on time and maintain customer satisfaction.
pg. 8
The choice of a suitable material handling system is very important, which can increase
productivity (Green, 2010) and reduce the total manufacturing costs (Drira, 2007).“Materials
handling is a system or combination of methods, facilities, labor, and equipment for moving,
packaging, and storing of materials to meet specific objectives” (Mathisson-Öjmertz, 1998a).
According to (Mulcahy, 1999) reduces a proper structured way of handling and moving material
unnecessary double handling over the same path, lowers waiting time for machines and
employees, reduces damage of products and equipment, and injuries of employees. Material
handling can be costly and is regarded as a non-value adding function (Green, 2010), however
necessary to ensure that material is delivered to the appropriate location (Drira, , 2007.) at
required time (Mathisson-Öjmertz, , 1998b).
A material handling activity can be value-adding, as stated by (Mathisson-Öjmertz, ., 1998a) “an
activity has a value-adding component if it contributes to the materials approaching the state
desired in the final position” (Mathisson-Ojmertz, 1998a), why it should not only be regarded as
waste argues however that not all materials handling activities add value and that those activities
should be reduced.

2.5 Internal transport program

Mechanization of internal transport program is an important factor in many industrial companies
to a significant extent for determining organization of production and its costs. Optimization of
transport paths and selection of its devices are factors that it possible to reducemanufacturing
costs. Material flow diagram including Sankey diagram is important in identifying in efficiencies
and potential for saving in respect to resources. An important aspectof proper functioning of
companies is well organized internal transport program influencing optimum material flow and
minimization of costs involved in it. transport of materials involves relocation, packing and
storage of materials.
2.6 Facility layout
Businesses always strive to meet consumer expectations, be cost-effective, and strive for progress
(Mathisson-Öjmertz, 1998b). Logistics operations need to be efficient to enable a company’s
competitiveness in a market with a wide product variety and short response times (Rouwenhorst,
2000.). This increases the pressure on manufacturing companies to optimize their production by
lowering costs and increasing productivity (Denkena, 2014.),where the costs of logistics
operations is a part of the overall production costs (Rouwenhorst, et al., 2000). The costs are
dependent on inventory and the way material is monitored and managed (Christopher, 2011).
Depending on the layout of the facility there will be different costs related to manufacturing, work

pg. 9
in progress, productivity and lead times (Drira, 2007). The efficiency of material flow and
handling is also affected by the layout of the facility (Aiello, 2002). A facility layout can,
according to Drira et al. (2007) relate to the arrangement and location of a production group or
manufacturing cell where production of goods or services are performed. Designing a facility
layout is a complex task for two reasons; the constraints of the facility and its necessity to support
and ease the materials handling and movement (Mulcahy, 1999). In a manufacturing system there
can be different types of layout problems, often related to the location of facilities, for instance
machines, in a plant. Finding a suitable location of facilities will increase the efficiency of
operations as well as reducing its expenses (Drira, et al., 2007). The best design of a layout should,
according to Drira et al. (2007), be a combination of the most efficient related to the interaction
of different facilities, such as production units, and the material handling system. The expenses of
the material flow are assumed to be related to the number of times materials are moved, and the
distance; increased movement leads to increased expenses (Aiello, et al., 2002). Production units
should be placed so that the available space is highly utilized and that the location of machines
and production groups should bring as low costs of material handling and slack area as possible
in order to be optimized and increase efficiency (Drira, et al., 2007). The layout should also suit
the material handling system and the material flow through and between facilities (Aiello, et al.,
2002; Drira, et al., 2007), since the shape of the facility impacts on the efficiency of the movement
of material and the materials handling system (Mulcahy, 1999)

pg. 10
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research Design

The research shall be carried out following quantitative and qualitative research designs.
Involvement of cross-sectional research design shall be considered to capture the time elementin
the study. The research shall rely on quantitative and qualitative data related to stages in
steelprocesses. Data collection shall be done through primary and secondary sources.
Observations, Interview and questionnaire techniques shall be used to capture information in
relation to material and energy flow. Document review approach shall be considered in the study.
Analysis will be mainly by descriptive one with involvement of diagrams and figures toanalyze
key information from data collected
3.2 Case study
The research method used in this research project is a case study design. The case study research
will be based on one case company; Global village tea company. The case study will beconducted
at the company’s facility in Kyamuhunga where the material flow and energy flow will be
investigated. The material flow will be analyzed between storage and production area, and the
way the material is handled in manufacturing section. The manufacturing layout will be studied
concerning its impact upon the material flow and handling. The choice of case study design will
be based on its appropriateness for studying one specific case, with the possibilityof in-depth
information gathering and trying to solve one specific problem. The problem identified at the
case plant can however, be related to other companies operating in similar markets and structured
ways of working in a manufacturing process.
3.3 Data Types and Sources
Both primary and secondary data will be collected and analyzed for this study. Primary data will
be collected through multi-stakeholder engagements. The data includes the tea leaf quality,
employee productivity, in the industry, material and energy flows and so on. Secondary data will
be obtained from the existing literature in research articles. The data to be collected duringthe
detailed study includes; energy consumption by type of energy, material balance data Process,
energy and material flow diagrams, processing time, material handling and cycle times and
throughput and industrial wastes.
3.3.1 Data Collection techniques and Procedures
Tools will be designed in tandem with the study objectives. The selection of data collection
techniques will be based on the case study design and the case company. Multiple techniques

pg. 11
will be used to increase the validity of the research by triangulation (Cohen, et al., 2011).
Describes the advantage of triangulation where strengths and weaknesses can offset each other
from different methods. Relevant sources of data in case study research are documents,
interviews and observations (Cohen, et al., 2011), therefore these techniques will be chosen for
this research. Secondary data of qualitative and quantitative nature, will be collected using
literature review guide to support document review, information and documentation from the
company on top of qualitative data to be collected during study. Qualitative data is will be
relevant for the analysis of material flow and energy flow. The interviews will be required to
first explain to the respondent the purpose of the study. This will include an assurance to them
that the data obtained from the industry will be kept confidential.
3.4 Energy Flow Analysis Methodology
Definition of the system boundary under study

The first step of energy flow analysis shall be the identification of the industrial plant. This
shall involve the qualitative analysis of the selected process: identification of its limits,
definition and description of its stages, and analysis of inputs and outputs and internal flows.
This analysis will be based on technical visits to the plant and on bibliographic review.

3.4.1 System description

The energy flow analysis system under consideration will be defined with regard to space,
processes, time horizon for example control flow, data, 2021 and materials where necessary, the
system will be divided into subsystems.

3.4.2 Data acquisition

The flows and stocks shall be determined by direct measurements, expert judgment, best
estimates, and interviews, databases of the manufacturing company and technical handbooks.

3.4.3Modelling and scenario building

Energy and material balances shall be performed on those processes where no data is available.
Given the physical and chemical energies, B of energy and material carriers for each step of a
given production process, we can calculate energy and material losses according to the
following energy balance, depicted in Fig. 1,

Binputs= Bproducts + Blosses + Bwastes. (a)

pg. 12
 The energy and material resources is denoted by B inputs. The main product and byproducts
are included in B products. The energy embodied in air emissions, water effluents and solid
wastes is denoted by B wastes. The term B losses includes irreversibility’s.

Figure 1 Material/energy accounting for a process step, which can represent any industrial
system such as a particular production step, a tea plant or the production route of a reference
tea product.
3.4.4Results and discussion.

The results obtained shall be compared with the ideal/expected output from the Literature
reviewed. All of them shall contribute to design control measures, to identify new problems
and best of all, new solution

Figure 2 material flow assessment framework

3.5Assessing impact of plant layout on material flow

pg. 13
These criteria shall be used to assess the impact of the process layout on material flow for
Uganda’s teas industry, shall be analyzed using both Qualitative and quantitative methods. The
processing time, waiting times and material handling times shall be analyzed using SPSS and
Excel software applications and the cycle times and throughput shall be determined.

3.5.1Internal transport Program

The examination of the extent to which internal transport program affects material flow will
involve three stages and include;

Analysis of the current state. The first stage of the analysis will involve determination of the
current state and systematization of the input data. The analysis will be performed on
observations and questionnaire for assessment of internal transport.

Elaboration of the internal transport program. In the second stage, the data that will be
obtained shal be used to elaborate detailed program of internal transport. These will include
material flow diagram, transport and storing chart, and chart of transport cycles.

Optimization of internal transport program. On the basis of the results that will be obtained,
theanalysis in respect to the possibility of optimization will be performed. The analysis will be
based on the arrangement of strands, determination of internal transport means and transport
tas

pg. 14
3.6 Cycle time analysis
The time studies approach will be used to determine how long it takes a batch of items to
complete all of the production procedures. This will cover material handling, waiting, and
processing times. For the processes that have low cycle times and are highly repetitive, time
studies will be identified and carried out. The data collection tool for process and activity times
will be a stop watch. The average of five observations will be used to establish the observed time
for each process and activity. Equations 2 and 3 indicate how to derive the normal and standard
times from this, which are taken from Stevenson (Stevenson, 2009) and described as follows:
Normal Time NT = Observed Time OT ∗ Average Rating ..................................................... (2)

Standard Time ST = NT/ (1− allowances) ............................................................................... (3)

Where adjustments need to be made for fundamental tiredness, inevitable delays, and personal
demands, all stated as percentages. The start and finish times of each long-cycle process must
be noted, and the difference must be calculated to determine the times for long-cycle operations.
The sum of the times for each activity and process will determine the overall manufacturing
cycle time. For the chosen study process, Pareto analysis will be used to identify the critical few
elements causing a high Non-Value Adding time.

3.6.1 Throughput analysis

The process listed below will be used to ascertain the company's real throughput rate:
a) a) A three-month period of production records will be reviewed, and information
regarding the amount of each product produced each month will be gathered and
documented.
b) . b) Using the data from step one, the monthly total production will be calculated and
tabulated.
c) c) In order to determine how much the actual monthly throughput rate deviates from
the theoretical rate, the monthly throughput rate must be compared to the theoretical
rate.

d) To determine the underlying causes of low and fluctuating actual monthly throughput
rates in connection to material flow and material handling, root because analysis must be
carried out.

pg. 15
References

Aiello, G. E. M. &. G. G. .. ,. 4., 2002. An integrated approach to the facilities and material
handling system. International Journal of Production Research, Issue 40(15), pp. pp.
4007-4017.
ANON, (1974. Green Tea Leaflet. Tea Board of India, p. 16 pp.
Cohen, L., Manion, , L. & L, . M., 2011. Research methods in education.. 7th ed. ed. Abingdon:
Rouledge.
Cohen, L. M. L. &. M. K., 2011. Research methods in education. . 7th ed. ed. Abingdon:
Rouledge.
Denkena, B. e. a. .., 2014.. Interpretation and optimization of material flow via system behavior
reconstruction. Prod. Eng. Res. Devel., ,, Volume 8( . ), pp. . 659-668.
Drira, A. P. H. &. H.-G. S., 2007. . Facility layout problems: ,. A survey. Annual Rewiews in
Control, Volume 31,, pp. 255-267..
Drira, A. P. H. &. H.-G. S., , 2007.. Facility layout problems: A survey. . Annual Rewiews in
Control,, Volume Volume 31,, pp. pp. 255-267. .
Drira, A. P. H. &. H.-G. S., 2007. Facility layout problems:. Annual Rewiews in Control, ,, Volume
Volume 31, pp. 255-267.
Green, J. C. L. J. &. K. T. A. .., 2010. Managing lean manufacturing in material handling
operations. . International Journal of Production Research,, Volume 48(10), pp. , 2975-
2993.
Green, J. C. L. J. &. K. T. A. 2., 2010. managing lean manufacturing in material handling
operations. international journal book, Issue 48, pp. 2975-2993.
Harrison, 2014. material flow, s.l.: s.n.
Lasa, I. S. L. C. O. .. & . V. R. d. C., 2008.,. An evaluation of the value stream mapping tool..
Business Process Management, Issue 14(1),, pp. . 39-52..
Mathisson-Ojmertz, 1998a. A value-adding perspective on material. p. 5.
Mathisson-Öjmertz, B., 1998b. A method for determining the materials handling efficiency in
materials flows. Pre-prints of the 10th International Working Seminar on Production
Economics , Volume 2(, 16-20 February,), pp. pp. 205-218.
Mathisson-Öjmertz, B. ,. .., , 1998b. A method for determining the materials handling efficiency
in materials flows.. Pre-prints of the 10th International Working Seminar on Production
Economics, Volume 2,( 16-20 February,), pp. pp. 205-218.
Mathisson-Öjmertz, B. .., ., 1998a. A value-adding perspective on materials handling, s.l.: s.n.
Mathisson-Öjmertz, B., 1998a. . A value-adding perspective on materials handling. s.l.:s.n.
Mulcahy, 1999. ,Material Handling handbook, newyork: s.n.
Mulcahy, 1999. Material handling handbook, newyork: s.n.
Mulcahy, D. E., 1999. . Materials handling handbook. :. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Rouwenhorst, B., 2000.. Warehouse design and control:. European Journal of Operational
Research, , Volume 122, pp. pp. 515-533.

pg. 16
 APPENDIXES
Appendix1 Work Plan-Gantt chart
CTIVITY/TASK PERIOD

SEM 1 2024 SEM 2 2024

MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
PROPOSAL
DEVELOPMENT
LITERATURE
REVIEW
PROPOSAL
SUBMISSION
FIELD STUDY &
DATA
COLLECTIOM
DATA
ANAYLYSIS
MODELLING &
SCENERIO
BUILDING
REPORT
PREPARATION
FINAL
PRESENTATION
&REPORT
SUBMISSION

pg. 17
Appendex11. Project budget.
ITEM QUANTITY UNIT COST (UG TOTAL COST
Shs) (UG Shs)
Field study 5 20,000 200,000
Data analysis software 1 20,000 20,000
installation
Transport 5 20,000 100,000
Research materials and 50,000
SOP’s
Report printing 2 15000 30,000
Miscellaneous 50,000
Questionnaires 20 500 10,000
TOTAL COST OF THE BUDGET 460,000

pg. 18
Appendix III: Sampled-Interview questions

PREAMBLE

This survey is being conducted for the purpose of exploring options for material and energy
flow improvements on the company level for minimizing resource use and optimizing
economic benefits for Uganda’s tea manufacturing plants. We are collecting data on material
flow, process layout and material handling in regard to production costs, material and energy
wastes
You have been identified as a key contributor to this process. Please take a few minutes to
contribute to this research. The results will be beneficial to manufacturing plant. Your co-
operation will be highly appreciated.

This questionnaire you 10-20 minutes

Thank you

If you have any information regarding the questionnaire contact

0771372665(MUCUNGUZI BONEVENTURE)

[email protected] (Mr. ISAAC NDAWULA)

SN QUESTION ANSWER
1. Interview Subject:

2. Date of interview:
3. Name of the company: Optional
4. Name of the respondent: optional

5. Position in the company:

6. In your opinion, which are the main processes in the steel
Manufacturing?
7. Do you think that facility layout design could have a
relevant impact on the productivity and cost reduction of
the company? Why?

pg. 19
 8. What is your opinion about flow backtracking problems?
Do you have any?

9. Is there any movement that is unnecessary?

10. Would it be more appropriate to use any other

material?
handling equipment(s)
11. Could storing the materials closer to the machines
reduce the handling and movement?

12. In what way do you think the material flow can be

improved?
Why?
13. Can a change in layout design improve the material?
flow? If YES; in what way?
14. Do you think a flow pattern or the layout design was
developed over other considerations? Assessing the
Impact of Facility Layout Design over the Process
Productivity and Costs
15. There are several processes involved in the
manufacturing of steel processes. Could you relate this
processes with the activity relationship scale (shown to
the interviewee) between?

16. In your opinion, which of the following reasons for

closeness between departments are the relevant ones and
in which order would you establish them?

pg. 20
 17. There are two main costs in the transportation of
materials: the personnel involved and the equipment.
Which do you think is more relevant in the processes
mentioned? Why?

pg. 21
 18.
What size of unit load do you currently use in the
manufacturing process? Do you have more than one size
of unit loads?
19. The storage area is in the same place that the
manufacturing process, do you think this is a
disadvantage?
20. How many workers are assigned only to material
handling aspects and how many workers are in the entire
manufacturing process?
21. The steel manufacturing process, as any steel process,
leaves a large amount of chips and does this waste have
a negative effect on your product and does it affect any
other relevant issues?
22. Which of the current processes can be rearranged
without any problems? Is it feasible?

pg. 22