In the highly competitive environment of our modern world, every business is in a constant struggle to be successful and innovative. Not only do you have to identify a need and fill it; understand your core clients/users; and have a clear sense of direction for future growth, you need to be constantly evolving in order to remain efficient and profitable.
Maximum Productivity, Minimum Waste
A huge factor in achieving the goal of consistent and sustainable profitability is the minimization of waste, not only in consumables, but also in manpower, space and operational downtime.
The term ‘lean manufacturing’ has been coined based on the principles of maximizing productivity while minimizing waste in the context of a manufacturing operation and workflow. As an holistic ideology, the benefits of lean manufacturing include:
- An increase in the quality of output/products
- A decrease in lead times of manufacture/distribution
- A reduction in operating costs
- An increase in profitability
There are many tangents to achieving success as a lean manufacturing operation, but some of them are less complicated than others. You might be surprised to learn that revolutionizing your storage systems (or even just making small, vital changes) can play a valuable role in reducing waste and improving productivity.
The Role of Modular Storage
The implementation of an efficient, small footprint modular system of mobile workstations, cabinets with drawers, and heavy duty storage racking, for example, can be a massive factor in increasing the safety and well-being of your employees, improving efficiencies, and eliminating all manner of waste in a warehouse or factory setting.
Lean manufacturing adheres to five basic principles, all of which can and are affected by the efficacy of your storage systems:
- Identify the value (optimal manufacturing cost to maximize profits)
- Map the value stream (analysing resources and materials to identify waste)
- Create a flow (removing functional barriers)
- Establish a pull system (working on demand only)
- Strive for perfection (maintain standards and always innovate for improvement)
When the principles are set out concisely in black and white, it’s actually not too hard to see the connection between a highly efficient storage system, which is tailored to your individual needs in every aspect, and the success of running a lean manufacturing business. The ability to be flexible and, above all, customizable, offers significant benefits.
At Workspace NW, our range of modular storage cabinets and heavy duty storage racking can be added to and reconfigured to your evolving needs, giving you the agility you need to stay ahead of your competition.
Here’s how revolutionizing your storage system by allowing us to consult on and design a durable, customizable modular solution can become an integral part of your lean manufacturing ethos.
Reducing Waste
Wastage in the manufacturing process comes in many forms and at many stages, but the implementation of a robust, flexible and agile storage system can significantly reduce wastage, and prevent the potential of it occurring in the future. Shrinkage through theft, contamination, or damage is the very reason a lot of our clients come to us in the first place, and we’re happy to be able to provide a simple, but highly effective solution.
Our systems comprise durable, all-steel lockable cabinets (keyed, electronic or app-based locks) with or without drawers, and heavy duty storage racking that can be customized to accommodate sensitive, oversized or uniquely shaped tools and inventory. The ability to properly secure high-value items that can only be accessed by authorized persons drastically reduced the opportunities for theft.
We can also provide airtight, dustproof units so your high-value tools can be safely stored without risk of damage or contamination from water, dirt, or other environmental particles. This not only keeps them safe when not in use, it vastly increases their lifespan – reducing expensive replacement costs.
Finally, for businesses who deal in the storage (or transportation) of fragile or bulky, odd-shaped items, we can design cushioning or bespoke dividers to fit into our modular cabinets and heavy duty storage racking to protect them.
Optimizing Workflow
A well thought out modular system will ensure optimal workflow by providing fast, easy access to tools, consumables and inventory, so employees don’t waste valuable time searching for these items on a daily basis. Components can be categorized in terms of priorities like size, value, sensitivity, and frequency of use.
When the retrieval of critical items is simplified by fingertip access to concisely-labelled, high-density cabinets and heavy duty storage racking, it improves the morale, speed, and efficiency of employees and maintains the workflow without risk of downtime. They are able to intuitively locate what they need, when they need it, so familiarity is created, consistency of retrieval times is maintained, and staff training becomes simplified with a systematic, streamlined system.
At Workspace NW, when we design a layout, we take into account every aspect of your operation, from what items you need to store, how often they need to be accessed, how much heavy duty storage racking is optimal to the volume of tools and inventory stored, how critical the time for retrieval, and any other unique characteristics.
Our state-of-the-art systems also utilize the most innovative and up-to-date technology, which means you can maintain a centralized inventory database and monitor stock and production history at the touch of a button – allowing you to make changes and improvements to the workflow based on real-time data.
The key is that a modular system is a quick, easy and cost-effective way to begin optimizing your workflow immediately, and then scale up as and when needed to accommodate any changes.
Enhancing Productivity
Regardless of the industry, the installation of modular shelving and cabinets can afford a quicker and much more simplified and streamlined movement through all stages of the manufacturing process.
A well-designed layout reduces the physical distances between stages/processes that goods and employees move, not only improving the workflow in terms of efficiency, but also reducing delays in retrieval of time-critical tools, consumables, and inventory, and increasing the productivity of employees. Because, when tools, consumables, and data are readily available to your employees, their productivity will increase at the same rate as the workflow. Rather than wasting time trying to locate and access items, and travelling impractical distances within the workspace during the manufacturing process, they will be able to perform their value-adding responsibilities with greater ease.
The effect of a well-organized, optimally operating workplace is measurable by increased staff morale, enhanced positivity and pride in their work and, inevitably, a higher level of productivity. A customized, robust and user-friendly storage system should be at the very core of any business looking to operate under the principles of lean manufacturing.
Get in Touch
If you’re ready to make your business a lean, mean, profit making machine, start by transforming your workspace to make it more effective and profitable with a modular storage solution. Workspace NW can help you by designing a system tailored to your needs. Modular steel cabinets with drawers and bespoke heavy duty storage racking will optimize the way your employees work, reduce wastage of space and consumables, and take your business to the next level of efficiency. Get in touch and we’ll show you how to sustain the principles of lean manufacturing and reap the rewards.
