One of the best ways to reduce costs, and sometimes one of the hardest to see, is the elimination of "waste". Do you see a waste that maybe others don't or may have forgotten about?

Waste is any action or step in a process that does not add value to the customer. In other words, waste is any process that the customer does not want to pay for.

• Wasted Motion: Carrying one pallet on a forklift instead of two, forgetting to scan a pallet tag, etc.

• Wasted Materials: Printing unnecessary reports, running propane forklifts when not in use, etc.

• Defects/Errors: Order picking errors, damaging product, incorrect inventory counts, etc.

• Waiting: Waiting for work assignments, waiting for a truck to back into a door, etc.

• Over Production/Over Purchasing: Having more equipment than is needed by the team, etc.

There must be a reason why we do some things the hard way, right? Maybe, but let us know if you see a better way. At the very least, we can share why things are done the way they are and why they add value. Asking these types of questions is one of the best ways to learn more about the business and our customer. We also want to learn from you.

• How can we reduce fuel or supply expenses?

• How can we eliminate wasted time during the receiving process?

• How can we reduce product damage when order-picking?

• How can we load a truck faster while still being safe?