Unlocking Warehouse Operations Productivity
Established warehouse management processes and improved supervisor capability increased and sustained productivity of warehouse operations
Context and Challenge
A global lubricants manufacturer lacking standard warehouse management processes and KPIs with limited transparency into real-time warehouse operations
A siloed workforce resistant to change and distributed across different functions led to inefficiencies, communication gaps and hidden bottlenecks
The lack of a full-time warehouse supervisor led to unclear process responsibility, lack of ownership, employee frustration, and chronically high employee turnover rate
Despite utilizing a 3rd party logistics (3PL) provider, the operations was riddled with late delivery performance and communication gaps across the network
Approach
Defined standard operating procedures and documented processes while establishing clear cross-functional Roles & Responsibilities for the warehouse staff (cross-trained, flexible). The team was now motivated by quantifiable results that have proven sustainable over time
Correlated leading indicators of warehouse and logistics performance to structure new KPI tree and while installing a fit-for-purpose and visible warehouse scorecard that identified and tracked root causes to drive continuous improvement actions
Deployed integrated warehouse and logistics management system establishing a clear understanding of performance while rolling out a more effective meeting cadence to align key stakeholders (Operations, Warehouse, Logistics, 3PL)
“Working with a team of dynamic people toward a set goal leads to success. I have learned that change brings fear, but not changing can be more scary.”