Enhancing productivity: the impact of standardized work methods in the shrimp processing industry

Shrimp production, a major global industry predominantly in Asia, faces efficiency challenges due to labor-intensive methods, labor shortages, and rising costs. This research develops standardized peeling methods to enhance productivity and examines their impact, considering employee age, experience, and shrimp size. Data were collected from employees categorized by age and experience. The study proposed and compared two peeling methods, Method A and Method B, with various sizes of shrimp. Productivity was measured, and factorial ANOVA was used to analyze the main effect of standardized peeling methods and interaction effects between peeling methods and various factors, including employee age, experience, and shrimp size. Results indicate that Method A significantly improves productivity. Employee experience emerged as a crucial factor, while age had a moderate effect. Minor interaction effects between peeling method and raw material size, as well as worker age, were insignificant. No interaction effect was observed between the method and worker experience. Method A consistently outperformed Method B and current practices. The study underscores the importance of standardized work methods and individual characteristics in driving productivity. Findings support the adoption of standardized methods, investment in training, cost management, and technological integration alongside regular review of work procedures, as key strategies for enhancing productivity in labor-intensive industries.