Improving Warehousing process with Lean Management
Tran, Ha (2016)
Tran, Ha
Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulu
2016
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201603313723
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201603313723
Tiivistelmä
The purpose of this thesis was to conduct a case study on the implementation of Lean thinking in warehouse management. The result was how operations could be improved with help of lean management tools. Lean is commonly linked to manufacturing or non-manufacturing. However, the scope of this thesis was narrowed to warehousing only, which is one of the main logistics activities.
In this research, lean tools and techniques were studies and applied in a case study carried out in a warehouse of a Third Party Logistics company Kuehne+Nagel Vietnam. After the literature review on warehousing process and lean thinking, some tools of lean management were utilized, namely the 5S and value stream mapping. Besides, problems related to layout design, storage location, picking method are addressed in order to optimize the performance of the system. The final results suggest ways to eliminate wastes, reduce time and cost in warehouse management of the case company.
Drawing from interviews of warehouse personnel, a plan was developed to implement practical solutions. Lean is a powerful management approach which might be applied effectively in warehouse management in Vietnam. However, there are conditions and limitations of its applicability. The effectiveness of applying Lean depends largely on many factors. Such factors are e.g. the human factor and the nature of the products which have certain influences on the working procedures. The implementation is varied from one warehouse to another but in general there are few core areas where Lean can be seen as effective improvement approach. These areas are the layout planning, personnel trainning and continuous improvement.
In this research, lean tools and techniques were studies and applied in a case study carried out in a warehouse of a Third Party Logistics company Kuehne+Nagel Vietnam. After the literature review on warehousing process and lean thinking, some tools of lean management were utilized, namely the 5S and value stream mapping. Besides, problems related to layout design, storage location, picking method are addressed in order to optimize the performance of the system. The final results suggest ways to eliminate wastes, reduce time and cost in warehouse management of the case company.
Drawing from interviews of warehouse personnel, a plan was developed to implement practical solutions. Lean is a powerful management approach which might be applied effectively in warehouse management in Vietnam. However, there are conditions and limitations of its applicability. The effectiveness of applying Lean depends largely on many factors. Such factors are e.g. the human factor and the nature of the products which have certain influences on the working procedures. The implementation is varied from one warehouse to another but in general there are few core areas where Lean can be seen as effective improvement approach. These areas are the layout planning, personnel trainning and continuous improvement.