Effective warehouse management using Lean and Six Sigma

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis has been to explore how to effectively manage a warehouse using concepts from Lean and Six Sigma. Using a warehouse in Dusavik, Stavanger as a basis for the case study, it looks at the challenges faced by the warehouse.

Through the case study, observations and interviews have been sources of information to understand the warehouse functions and challenges. Current theory on warehousing and Lean forms the theoretical framework, which is linked and related to the observations. A foundation combining the identified challenges and theoretical solutions is created, from which a discussion is spawned. The discussion addresses implementation and affected processes, in addition to providing recommendations on tools to improve warehouse processes.

The key recommendations are in the form of 5S, planning and scheduling through kanban tools, and standardized processes. Furthermore, bottleneck processes are identified, their effects are outlined and discussed, and some recommendations are provided on how to elevate the bottleneck constraint.