A Design Science – Informed Process for Lean Warehousing Implementation

Warehouses usually include a number of non-value-added activities that increase costs, so they are a suitable field for applying Lean Thinking. In fact, Lean Warehousing has recently established as a promising research topic. However, most of the available contributions lack a practical though generalizable and theoretically relevant approach. Additionally, Lean is currently not enough explored as a preliminary effort to pave the way for a smooth application of Industry 4.0, neither in manufacturing nor in logistics. Inspired by Desing Science Research, the present work develops a structured process for implementing Lean Warehousing aimed at fostering continuous improvement to facilitate the introduction of Industry 4.0 technologies. To this end, multiple Lean tools, such as Value Stream Mapping, Spaghetti Chart, 5W+1H, and 5S analysis, are integrated. The application to a warehouse in the food industry is illustrated. Future research will focus on carrying out a complete validation. Moreover, performance measurement through a set of warehouse Key Performance Indicators will be introduced to assess both wastes and the associated improvements after implementing the appropriate corrective actions.