Internal logistics management: Brazilian warehouse best practices based on lean methodology

Abstract

In Brazil, a developing country, companies must continuously improve and specialize. Thus, in order to mitigate threats from competitors, logistics warehouse management has become a contributing factor for organization success and part of strategy. In this sense, the more space and optimizing inventory operation, the better material flow from production line up to service level, deploying profitable and productive results. Therefore, technical improvements in internal operations are critical for the studied organization survival. In this study, we intend to demonstrate how best practices and tools based on lean manufacturing methodology are able to increase efficiency by reducing costs and waste in a company of Oil & Gas industry. This qualitative research integrated in a field research comprises company's warehouses visitation, non-invasion observation and employees interviews. The result of this paper proposes solutions with low costs, mitigating waste performance to outline a production enhancement.