Case study · Retail logistics
Line balancing in a retail logistics centre
Process flow, timing and non-value-added activity analysis to balance workstations and improve logistics process efficiency by 30%.
- Floor area
- 60,000 m²
- Operating team
- 50 operators per shift
- Scope
- Retail logistics centre
Starting point
The operational challenge
The process flow was unbalanced, and some of the information required was not integrated into day-to-day operations. Operational noise meant that an apparently obvious opportunity remained hidden.
- Tasks were unbalanced across the process flow.
- Essential information was not integrated into the process itself.
Solution delivered
Our intervention
The process was mapped and analysed to distinguish what added value, what did not and which activities genuinely belonged in the flow. A new balance was then designed using the process map and time study.
- Balancing of workstations in line with process flow.
- Reorganisation of activities between workstations.
- Reduction of non-value-added activities (ONVA) and idle time.
Impact achieved
Operational results
- improvement in process efficiency
- +30%
- improvement in profitability
- +20%
- estimated annual financial impact (10 people)
- €200,000/year
Structured analysis of the process and its timings made it possible to redistribute work, reduce idle time between stations and turn an apparently simple improvement into a measurable result.
The proposal compared the initial situation with a balanced flow between workstations and less accumulated idle time.
Your operation
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