One of the main issues with distribution system design is product loss. One of the key causes is the significant financial loss caused by defective products. Simply defined, lean manufacturing or lean warehousing refers to the systematic elimination of waste within a process. Managing the waste of handled goods is one method businesses try to “Stay Lean”. It’s a concrete field where financial investment may yield excellent results through material handling equipment.
Order fulfilment, manufacturing, packaging and shipping, pallet handling, and other operations are just a few of the services we engage with as independent integrators on behalf of a range of clients across several sectors. Customers that have managed to maintain a constant amount of product loss are frequently the subject of talks.
One e-commerce client, for instance, saw that product loss was kept to 1%. One percent may not seem like much, but if a factory ships out $10,000,000 worth of goods annually, it translates to $100,000 being left on the table each year! Due to operator-related problems or accidents, not all of that is always totally recovered, but if you could invest a small sum of money to regularly minimise product loss by 50%, that might equate to a $50,000 return that goes directly to the bottom line.Let’s look at some strategies for preventing and minimising product loss.
Operator involvement and training
For both new hires and seasoned workers, uneven training is not unusual. A monetary investment in training carries the risk that your employee will quit, but it demonstrates to your team that you value their contributions and, more significantly, that you value them.
Utilising visual reminders is a quick yet effective strategy. Visual cues are an effective way to remind staff members about training. It aids in everyday reinforcement and keeps them considering the procedure. Simple instructions that are easy to read and/or see at work, giving examples of common occurrences or harm, and directions on what to do if a problem is seen or discovered are all examples of visual reminders. Examples of visual reminders are frequently found at fast food restaurants, where pictures show how to assemble specific dishes or serve-yourself reminders to add napkins, plastic cutlery, etc. for carryout meals, for instance.
Process Improvement That Is Constant
Continuous Process Improvement, or CPI, is another aspect connected to quality. The art of CPI has its own programmes, such as the Kaizen approach and Six Sigma training courses. Building on data to prioritise and validate efficacy, CPI programmes must be designed for long-term success.
Nevertheless, you may begin modestly. Create a predetermined plan that is straightforward and repeatable with the intention of finishing. Finishing is more important than doing everything quite right. There is always room for development.
The Right Material Handling Tools
How can you tell what tools are best for your application? What factors ought to you consider when deciding whether a process needs to be automated? These are difficult questions, but “which solution is the least expensive?” is more frequently used in their stead. Unfortunately, just as with any capital acquisition, if the buyer does not comprehend the problem being solved, the purchase turns into a pricing exercise rather than an application exercise.
It is even more crucial that management takes a good, formal training programme into consideration for increasingly sophisticated machinery. For adequate training, working with the system integrator may be quick and efficient. Working with knowledgeable trainers on your installed and linked systems can assist with team training and early detection of other possible issues. In any case, there is always the option of turning to a consulting firm or hiring the equipment makers to conduct training sessions if spending business funds in a full-time training manager is too expensive.
