A Proposed Framework for Lean Warehousing

Lean warehouses can serve production or business systems and supply chains in general by contributing to the achievement of lower costs of operations and increased flexibility and efficiency. The work aims to present a 3-step framework for lean warehousing based on a conceptual analysis. The framework starts with 5Ws Analysis of 7 Wastes ("muda") for warehouse operations. The outcomes set a baseline for selection and effective implementation of lean tools. As the second step, the 5S lean tool is applied for waste control in warehouse operations for achieving an improved visibility, smoother material flows, work organization and standardization. As the third step, the Value Stream Map (VSM) technique is introduced as a mean to represent the material and information flows in warehouse operations. VSM shows the elements that control the time of warehouse activities and, thus, the lead time of the whole process. The proposed framework can help to control waste and increase efficiency in warehouse operations. Further research directions include an accurate validation of the developed approach by applying it to multiple warehouse settings, the analysis of human resources and information systems requirements as well as the development of design principles for lean warehousing.