Development of remanufacturing quality practices framework for Malaysia automotive industry

Abstract

Remanufacturing is the ultimate process of recovering old products to function like new products in its original condition. One interesting research area for remanufacturing is in the automotive industry. This is because it is a known fact that there are components/parts from end-of-life vehicles that are being reused while others are dumped into landfills, causing a major issue in all countries including Malaysia. One of the most significant discussions found in this area is the quality distinction between reused and remanufactured products of used vehicle components called the ‘core’. Reused is a weak traditional approach that brings back the value of ‘core’ without guaranteeing quality and safety. However, there is no established framework for remanufacturing product that takes into account quality and safety aspect for the ‘core’. The aim of this study was to develop a Remanufacturing Quality Practices Framework (RQPF) for Malaysia automotive industry. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analysed sequentially to achieve the research objectives. Hence, the RQPF and criteria for the Malaysian automotive industry were established. A focused group discussion was held at the Malaysia Robotic and IoT Institute (MARI) to get experts’ views on the criteria to develop the RQPF. Ten factors and 38 items that affect the quality of remanufacturing to be certified are key instruments for subsequent quantitative measurement. The respondents comprised of industrial players, policy makers and academicians who have experience in automotive, marine and heavy machinery. Purposive sampling survey using a questionnaire was conducted to confirm the final factors and underlying items to interpret the current best practices on remanufacturing ‘core’ which ended with the snowball effect at the end of the survey. Important factors and items were then finalised through exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (EFA-CFA). The data was then filtered to strengthen the model. Next, a program consists of nine factors and 21 items was conducted to rank the importance of the factors and items towards the needs of the remanufacturing industry in Malaysia through the analytical hierarchy approach (AHP). Finally, the RQPF framework for the automotive industry in Malaysia was proposed. The produced framework is expected to assist the Malaysian government and industry to draft possible regulations that will help regulate remanufacturing practices.