In other words, lean warehouse management aims to ensure that your team never uses more resources than they need to complete a specific task.
By adopting a lean approach to warehouse management, you can achieve several benefits, for example:
To apply lean warehouse management it is necessary to start from the 5S methodology for all operations.
What is it about?
The original “five S” that give the name to this method referred to five Japanese words – Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu and Shitsuke – which can be translated as sort, simplify, set in order, standardize and sustain.
Each “S” is essential to optimize all warehouse processes and make their management “lean”.
Sort
Identifying and separating what is necessary from what is not in the warehouse is the first step.
The goal is to understand which aspects of warehouse operations prevent the team from exploiting their full potential. Identifying these elements is the first step to work to optimize them, or to eliminate them completely.
Simplify
At this stage we begin to optimize the various warehouse processes and eliminate operations that hinder the team’s efforts.
If it is possible to eliminate certain parts of the workflow without sacrificing productivity levels (and ideally improving productivity levels at the same time) you need to do so as soon as possible.
Set in order
A dirty or cluttered warehouse does not promote productivity. Even worse, a poorly maintained warehouse certainly has a number of safety risks.
No matter how intuitive and accessible your warehouse is “on paper”, it won’t do any good if the actual warehouse isn’t tidy. A clean warehouse where everything is in place, on the other hand, allows for maximum productivity.
Standardize
From now on it is possible to develop concrete procedures and protocols. These standardized procedures should include contingent workflows to be followed when things do not go according to plan.
In order to facilitate the process of assimilation of new processes it is important to provide structured training for all warehouse staff and to draw up customized workflow documentation for each department in the warehouse.
Sustain
Maintaining productivity requires to follow existing procedures and continuous improvement over time.
Supporting the lean management approach involves regular formal and informal assessments with individuals, requesting feedback from staff and constant communication that encourages following established procedures.
Lean warehouse management ensures that production is maximized and resource consumption is minimized. By adopting the 5S approach throughout the warehouse, your team will always be able to work to the maximum of their capabilities. If you would like to know more about reorganizing your logistics area please contact us now!
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