Mad Max

“I’ve run this loading dock for 15 years but I never saw it like I saw it today. I hate it and it’s going to change!”

Max was mad. He was the most experienced foremen in the 250 employee warehouse operation. When he ran the loading dock, he made sure that the trucks got out when they were supposed to.

It was the end of the two-day long Loading Process Improvement Kaizen Event. Three teams, composed of a manager, supervisor and associate had observed the dock for a day and were reporting back on their results. Each team, including Max’s, reported back the same results. The loaders were spending 80% of their time not loading.

They were busy, though. Busy re-stacking multiple smaller pallets into larger pallets. Busy wrapping stretch film around full pallets to make sure they were sturdy enough for the trip. Busy trying to find the next pallet to be loaded.

They were doing what they did every day. What had Max seen differently?

Waste.

If the only thing the customer was willing to “pay for” was to have the product put on a truck, why were all of the other activities being done?

More waste.

Didn’t those things need to get done? If the truck was too full, product needed to be stacked higher. If a pallet was starting to tip, it had to be straightened and more stretch film used. If the dock was full, it took time to find the next pallet. Didn’t these tasks need to be done?

Still waste.

That day, Max saw things differently. He saw the waste. He saw it how the customer saw it. Work that they shouldn’t be paying for through increased product costs. His team were doing things that they wouldn’t have to do if the pallet had been built at the right height the first time, if the pallet had came to the dock sturdy and well-built, and if the dock had the space for the pallet to be placed close to the truck.

Continuous Improvement and Lean are about seeing and eliminating waste. Be like Max. Get mad and challenge those processes and activities that do not provide value to your customer. If you don’t do it, your competitor will.

By Bruce Trippet, President, OpportunityLinks LLC. All Rights Reserved.