General Packaging Industries (GPI)

Introduction

General Packaging Industries (GPI) is producing household and catering products which started with the founder who immigrated to Ghana in West Africa in 1926. In the 1960s, Elias Abound founded a plant in Ghana for the production of aluminum cooking pots and pans. In 1974, the Abound family started an individual venture in Lebanon, with the creation of general metal processing company (GEMPCO). Until this day the company continues to produce a wide range of kitchen and household products. GPI is the leading Lebanese industry in the field of disposal packaging material for food use. GPI product line includes aluminum food containers, aluminum foil rolls, Nylon bags, plastic trays, sealable clear plastic containers and more.

GPI is a pioneer in the production of polypropylene sheets which are used in a wide range of disposable. Today, GPI remains the only manufacture of Aluminum foil containers in Lebanon. GPI manufactures Aluminum foil rolls and cling film rolls for domestic and catering used. The consumption of which is increasing day by day.

Production
GPI’s production department is equipped with automatic high-speed lines for customers’ rolls and semi-automatic machines for long meter age catering rolls. This department is also equipped with an embosser-sheeted for embossing, corrugating and sheeting foil for chocolate wrapping. GPI manufactures plastic cutlery, trays, cups, containers lids and more. The factory is equipped with a 5 extruder sheet line capable of manufacturing multi-layer with oxygen barrier. The capacity of the sheet line was increased to cover the needs of both GPI, as well as the local thermoforming companies. The injection molding department operates with more than 10 modern injection molding machines. The pressure forming department has different types of thermo and vacuum formers with series of dies for plastic products. Plastic cups, containers and lids are printed by 2 printers with 5 colors offset and UV drying features.

Analyze
After analyzed the production of this company, we found that GPI had used a product-oriented layout for their production line because they used automatic high-speed lines and semi-automatic machines to produce their products. This layout takes advantage in repetitive works. especially assembly line and provides efficiency speed and low cost per unit. Besides, it can produces in high volume which will meet customers’ demands. But, product-oriented layout will lead to boredom and dissatisfaction and lack of flexibility. The high-volume of manufacturing products will cause the inventory waste too when the inventory is over that which is necessary. This will increase the cost of capability and labor.

Conceptual view of a product-oriented layout

Solution
To solute these problems, we will find a few solution model to eliminate waste and add value to products. In order to eliminate waste, the solution that we suggest is using lean system. Lean systems accomplish waste reduction by improving process productivity, reducing inventory, improving quality and increasing worker improvement too. The waste reduction accomplished by lean systems had effect on costs and enhances profitability. To reduce inventory waste, we can use one of the inventory-focused techniques, that is matching production to demand.

Besides the company can also eliminates non value adding steps of the production. The elimination of non-value adding steps is at the root of every productivity improvement effort. Processing steps that do not add value is one of the most common wastes in business. Eliminating the non value adding steps will increase the capacity and reduces costs.

GPI used product-oriented layout to produce their products, but it caused lack of flexibility. GPI can change their layout to cellular layout. Cellular layouts utilize work cells, which contain small groups of machines that provide all the capability necessary to produce a family of products. Small scale equipment will increase the ability to adjust demand changes.

Corporate Social Responsibility
Now, we will look at the aspect of Cooperate Social Responsibility (CSR) of company GPI. Products produced by GPI such as Nylon bags, plastic trays, sealable clear plastic containers and polypropylene sheets which are used in a wide range of disposable are all consider as plastic products. Polypropylene is a thermoplastic polymer, made by the chemical industry and used in a wide variety of applications, including packaging, textiles, stationery plastic parts and reusable containers of various types. In CSR environment components, plastic especially polypropylene cannot be recycled and will cause pollution to environment. This had proofed that GPI did not to their CSR as well as possible. GPI should change their packaging with raw materials that can be recycled or can be biodiversity and good to environment.

On the other hands, GPI had used product-oriented layouts as their products lines. This will lead to boredom and job dissatisfaction for the employees. In the CSR workplace components, GPI did not play their role well. GPI can apply employee involvement so that knowledge and talents of employees will not be wasted. GPI should also provide employee cross-training. Cross training teaches employees to do several different jobs, offers an alternative to having idle employees.

As a conclusion, GPI should improve the qualities of products and eliminate waste of the As a conclusion, GPI should improve the qualities of products and eliminate waste of line.

Source: http://www.gpilebanon.com/home.html