How can you improve distribution center efficiency with a continuous improvement program?

Eu percebo que a defini??o dessas metas precisam considerar as dualidades existentes ao negócio: nível de servi?o X custos, que acabam por gerar trade-offs durante a jornada. Meu conselho é levar essas dualidades na defini??o das metas e métricas.

Identificadas as áreas a serem trabalhadas, metas ousadas, mas factíveis devem ser desenhadas. Além de tudo, essas metas devem ser mensuráveis, com métricas bem definidas, onde possa ser aferido o momento atual e onde se deve chegar. Essas metas devem ser associadas ao planejamento e objetivos da empresa e compartilhada entre os envolvidos no plano.

Melhorar a Logística de distribui??o é necessário criar itens de medi??o e controle para tomarr a??es rápidas. Normalmente o maior desafio quando se fala em Centro de Distribui??o é a famosa " Logística do Last Mile" (Logística do último Kilometro) essa é um grande desafio, porque muitas vezes enfrenta as dificuldades das entregas pulverizadas nos grandes centros. Esta última "pernada" logística tem que ser muito bem vigiada, medida e controlada e com a??es de respostas muito rápidas para n?o impactar no Fluxo Logístico do CD e consequentemente no Fluxo Total.

Starting with your customer is a must. At the end of the day, improvement is only as good as our ability to deliver to our customer. If we save money, but miss customer expectations than we are backwards. Starting with Customer Demand (aka Takt) can provide a very clear lens on how to decide where to go next and what needs to be improved to elevate the entire system. The next is to look at the entire system and how it is interconnected. Just because we can improve one element of the system doesn't mean that will allow us to reduce cost or improve customer delivery - we have to know how it all works together. When we have those two elements understood, we can make strong target conditions and then KPIs to help us measure success.

Antes de mejorar, debemos saber en qué etapa estamos y definir los objetivos. Estos deben ser alcanzables y claros. Para medir y gestionar podemos utilizar KPI referente a los puntos que queremos medir y mejorar. Pueden ser referente a la rotación de inventario, pedidos, entregas completas, flora de vehículos, etc. No podemos mejorar lo que no se mide!

From my experience adding human perspective and teamwork is crucial to get results. Improvements can't be designed without cooperation of proccess executors, open, honest communication with them is a key. They know very often shortcuts or bottlenecks in the process. Encouraging executors to share they toughts, visiting floor by improvement team will give great ideas for improvements.

Assessing the current situation gives you a base line. I think actually working each job in the warehouse for a day will quickly show you areas that are slowing down the operation. Work as a picker for a day and you'll see that there are processes which seem counter intuitive but 'it's the way we've always done it'! Identifying all of these bottlenecks give you a clear picture of the easy wins which can have an instant impact!

A avalia??o da situa??o atual precisa priorizar quest?es de curto, médio e longo prazo e estar alinhado com os objetivos definidos. Com o foco no objetivo, levar o mapeamento de gargalos da forma mais simples possível, clara e objetiva, entendendo exatamente em que pontos do processo as dualidades se tornar?o mais impactantes. Esses ser?o processos muito críticos.

Measure the key performance indicators (KPIs) that reflect the efficiency and productivity of the distribution center, such as cycle time, accuracy, throughput, etc.

Document the entire process, including the problem identification, chosen solutions, implementation steps, and the results. This documentation can serve as a valuable resource for future projects and continuous improvement efforts. Communicate the outcomes and learnings from the process to all relevant stakeholders. Celebrating successes and acknowledging contributions can foster a culture of continuous improvement.

Os problemas atualmente envolvidos com a logística s?o complexos e exigem velocidade na tomada de decis?o e muita assertividade. Os métodos PDCA, Kaizen e ferramentas clássicas para a análise de solu??o de problemas (brainstormings, benchmarks), podem reduzir a precis?o das a??es, tornando o processo lento e burocrático. Recomendo uma abordagem mais focada em resolu??o de problemas complexos, com testes de hipoteses Curtis que levem a aprendizados mais rápidos.

I recently read the Lean start-up book by Eric Reis and it showed a great way of quickly finding out if a plan is working. Although it is based around a new business or product, the principles can work with any new process. Come up with a hypothesis for change -> Run an experiment -> Check results -> Adjust -> Experiment etc. It's similar to PDCA but the key is running an experiment on every assumption until your decision making is based on facts alone and no assumptions. The idea is that you don't create this huge process flow and spends hours on it when fundamentally it won't work. It's about testing as soon as possible!

Analyze the data and identify the root causes of the gaps and problems in the current state.Implement solutions and improvements that address the root causes and align with the desired future state, such as adopting new technologies, optimizing workflows, training staff, etc.

Spend the majority of your time understanding and using tools that will accelerate learning. Once we start meddling with the process and system, it will change. There is significant time wasted with over planning and trying to change too much at once. Reduce the scope and aim for true continuous improvement - a little change everyday - to better learn from mistakes, understand the system, and test hypothesis. It will only feel slower, but the results will be better and the team will learn more.

To ensure the success of continuous improvement in DCs, like with RFID implementations, focus on three key areas. First, technical performance assesses RFID read rates for operational accuracy. Second, business performance evaluates enhancements in process efficiency, data accuracy, and inventory visibility, crucial for operational excellence. Third, project and user satisfaction should be monitored through milestone planning and periodic reviews by a steering committee, aligning the project progress with the initial goals. Exception-based interventions address underperforming areas, leading to a comprehensive debrief. This approach guarantees a thorough evaluation of new system deployments, balancing technical, business, and user outcomes.

Crie formas de acompanhar os resultados o mais rapidamente possível, para fazer mudan?as de rota onde necessário. O resultado precisa ser simples e tangível ao negócio. Exemplo: reduzir o atraso precisa gerar alguma métrica mensurável que impacte o negócio: ou aumenta as receitas ou reduz custos e perdas.

Monitor and evaluate the results and impact of the implemented solutions and improvements on the KPIs and the customer satisfaction.

By consistently applying the below strategies and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, distribution centers can enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and better meet customer demands by applying the following: 1) regular assessments 2) employee involvement 3) improving process through means of a kaizen program 4) lean principles 5) technology integration 6) training and development 7) performance metrics 8) feedback mechanisms

Repeat the cycle and seek for further opportunities for improvement and innovation.Always strive to maintain the acheived results and try to document the results and make a standard procedure to be followed by the team

Review effectiveness. ... Warehouse layout. ... Forecast ahead. ... Track your products. ... Keep on top of stock. ... Take advantage of technology. ... Reduce shipping errors. ... Train your staff.

Sustainment is a bit of a misnomer. Process, Culture, environment rarely - if ever - remain constant in one point. They are either moving forward or moving backward. The best offense to "sustain" is to continue to improve instead of trying to maintain. The system you are building also has to support the direction and behavior you are trying to create - if you want to improve every process every day than time has to be given to do that, team members have to be coached, and problems need to be surfaced immediately.

In every distribution has lot of challenges where inbound and outbound of goods. Distribution centre challenges are depends on the product type, product self-life, qty,etc for example FMC distribution centre has different challenges and pharma distribution centre has different challenge, so here we understand every distribution should has a unique strategy under continuous improvement process. But every distribution centre ultimate goal is agile distribution in terms of cost, space utilisation,order process, inbound and outbound logistics,documentation and data management. Conclusion is when we look at continuous improvement in distribution we should set performance parameters for all functions and reviewing in time can help us a lot..!!

Cada dia mais os negócios puxam necessidades de melhoria que levam a benefícios que possam gerar diferenciais competitivos reais. Que gerem a capacidade de colocar seu negócio sobreviver frente a alguém que fa?a o mesmo um pouco mais barato, em novos entrantes que surgem aos montes. Toda abordagem clássica de melhoria contínua leva a uma vis?o para dentro que n?o necessariamente coloca o negócio para sobreviver e concorrer com outros maiores. é preciso ter uma abordagem do cliente, mercado para dentro sempre. As novas ferramentas de IA est?o disponíveis para novas formas de analisar e combinar os dados. Usem para que isso melhore a gest?o e direcione melhores decis?es

There is not a one size fits all. Each customer, business, facility, value stream has its own problems and expectations. What works somewhere may not work somewhere else and what problems exist in one building may not exist in yours. You can't always compare one to another. Learning from other people and facilities is tremendously beneficial and necessary for improvement. But, at the end of the day we all have to learn ourselves as well and understand our environment to be the most effective. If you know your customer, your current condition, and where you are trying to go (Target Condition), then you have the best information you need to know if you are making progress.

En mi experiencia me ha sido de gran utilidad la aplicación del ciclo de Deming y la metodología de las 5 S. Ambas relacionadas forman un conjunto de procesos establecidos junto a un lugar para cada cosa, que genera trabajar bajo cierta organización y optimización, generando una cultura de mejora continua de todo el centro logístico.

Our approach involved establishing a Continuous Improvement (CI) department led by an expert, tasked initially with assembling a team of trainers and CI specialists. This team gradually trained the Operations staff in CI methodologies and tools based on DMAIC framework. Collaboratively, they pinpointed areas for enhancement, prioritized them, and initiated projects. Initially, the CI team spearheaded projects, gradually transitioning leadership to the Operations team with CI guidance. Additionally, methods such as Kaizen and Gemba walks were introduced to promote the CI mindset and empower all interested employees. Over two years, several projects were completed, and numerous small improvements were implemented through Kaizen initiatives.