Warehouse Management for Productivity Improvement of Aluminum Products: A case study of ABC Limited Partnership, Khon Kaen

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to study the production process and warehouse space layout, and to propose guidelines for space management by applying the systematic layout planning (SLP) principle in a case study of ABC Khon Kaen Limited Partnership. Data were collected with an observation form. The problems encountered included an improper warehouse layout, imprecise work process model, lack of a systematic layout design, and excessive noise during work, as well as hot and humid weather, leading to wasted time in the production process. In this study, the researcher applied the SLP principle to arrange positions in the warehouse space to optimize the space management and working process of the warehouse. The flow process chart (FPC), flow diagram (FD), and process-layout design were used to analyze work procedures and the waste reduction principle. The results of warehouse layout management and improvement were compared as well. After optimization, it was found that the distance for raw material transport was decreased from 110.00 m to 41.00 m (62.73% decrease), and the total working time was decreased from 3,955 seconds to 3,469 seconds, (12.29% decrease). This optimization of the warehouse layout would be helpful in decreasing distance and working processes, thus enabling the warehouse to optimize management and increase business competitiveness.