Lean Warehousing and Distribution Operations

Bring a team. Walk the gemba. Leave with clear next steps.

In this highly interactive two-day workshop, you and your team will engage in a gemba (on-site) walk, simulations, practical exercises, and lectures and group discussions to experience how lean principles apply in a traditional distribution environment. You’ll also have the opportunity to engage directly with leaders from the host facility during a Q&A session, gaining insight into their lean journey. Learn through this workshop how applying lean principles improves a distribution center’s efficiency, quality, safety, and space utilization.

During the workshop, you and your team will participate in an experiential learning environment through a series of rapid plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycles to understand the phases and steps needed to improve service, reduce costs, and create a problem-solving environment for continuous improvement.

Through a three-round simulation, your team will identify operational inefficiencies, implement targeted improvements, and quantify the business impact of applying lean tools and principles to distribution processes.

• Round 1: reflects a conventional distribution center and its impact on customers, associates, and management
• Round 2: reflects a distribution center after a lean benchmarking trip taken by management
• Round 3: reflects an operation after lean storage techniques and processes have been implemented

You will evaluate and compare traditional and lean operating systems for on-time delivery, lead time, quality, efficiency, space usage, equipment utilization, and cost per shipping line.

This hands-on learning experience will teach you the key steps for applying lean principles to transform a traditional warehouse operation, including how to apply the principles and tools so you can repeat the application in your environment.

Proven Impact for Organizations Like Yours

Companies that have adopted these lean warehousing principles report:

• Reductions in internal damage and workplace injuries
• Streamlined workflows and improved space utilization
• Measurable improvement in service delivery and cost efficiency
• Improved storage and operational efficiencies of 15% to 30%

Who Should Attend

All levels of management, from vice-president to supervisor, change agents, professional staff, and hourly associates from organizations at any stage of a lean journey.

Bring this workshop to your team or explore enterprise-level engagement through LEI’s Co-Learning Partner Program. Learn more.

Unsure about bringing this on-site to your organization? Join the public offering to experience the value firsthand and determine if a customized, on-site session is the right fit for your organization.

Discounts

• Register three or more students from your organization and save 12.5% off every registration. To receive a group discount, register as a group through the registration link and the discount will automatically apply.
• LEI Co-Learning Partners: Partners receive 25% off current pricing. No group discount can be applied.

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel your registration for in-person workshops four weeks before the course’s start date for a full refund. A cancellation occurring within four weeks of the workshop dates will be subject to a $350 fee. Cancelling less than two weeks prior to workshop start is subject to no refund. To cancel, please call LEI at (617) 871-2900 or email registrar@lean.org.