Glossary -> Delivery Methods
Parts are delivered from the Warehouse to the Point-of-Use via a number of Delivery Methods. Some of the more common ones include:
Rack - Small Parts, prepacked into reusable plastic Containers at the Warehouse. These Containers go right on to the Racks at the Point-of-Use. The empty plastic Containers themselves serve as Kanban triggers.
Bulk - Larger Parts that arrive in larger containers. These Parts may go from the Warehouse to a temporary Marketplace location, before ultimately being moved to their Point-of-Use. Replenishment might be triggered by either Kanban cards or the empty Containers themselves. These large containers might be stored directly on the factory floor or on a Lift Table.
Bulk Carts - This is a variation on Bulk where one or more Bulk Parts are delivered by Cart.
Kits - This is a collection of Parts, grouped together to be usd as a single unit. The ultimate size of the Kit (and it's alternative Kits) will determine how it is implemented in PFEP.
Sequenced - Sequenced Parts are the way that we handle delivery of certain Parts that are not used often enough to simply be stored on the line and delivered via another method. In an automotive example, each car produced will have some sort of stereo. If it uses one of the three main choices, they are already at the Point-of-Use as Bulk Parts. If the car needs one of the hundred optional stereos, then the specific model needed for the next car needs to already be waiting at the Point-of-Use. It would not be practical to store Bulk Containers of more than 100 different models of car stereos at the point of use, especially when 98% of the cars use one of the standard three. Sequencing Parts involves extra work for everything from your ERP to you warehouse and factory personnel, so if a Sequenced Part can be handled as a Bulk Part, your costs will probably be lower and your operations will probably be smoother, but you need to examine all of the trade-offs involved when implementing your own Lean Manufacturing system.
Those are just five examples. Your milage will vary. The goal is to make your operation more efficient - it is not simply to go through a process of fitting each of your Parts into a pre-defined category. As a part of the Kaizen process you will need to determine what works best. You will then need to determine what you need from PFEP to help you implement your plan. (PFEP might need to produce some combination of Labels for Containers, Racks and Warehouse locations, Kanban Cards, Marketplace Posters, Special Handling instructions, etc. Along the way, some of the printed output will probably need to be bar-coded in order to enable your workers to notify your ERP and Inventory Management systems of Material moves.)
Rack - Small Parts, prepacked into reusable plastic Containers at the Warehouse. These Containers go right on to the Racks at the Point-of-Use. The empty plastic Containers themselves serve as Kanban triggers.
Bulk - Larger Parts that arrive in larger containers. These Parts may go from the Warehouse to a temporary Marketplace location, before ultimately being moved to their Point-of-Use. Replenishment might be triggered by either Kanban cards or the empty Containers themselves. These large containers might be stored directly on the factory floor or on a Lift Table.
Bulk Carts - This is a variation on Bulk where one or more Bulk Parts are delivered by Cart.
Kits - This is a collection of Parts, grouped together to be usd as a single unit. The ultimate size of the Kit (and it's alternative Kits) will determine how it is implemented in PFEP.
Sequenced - Sequenced Parts are the way that we handle delivery of certain Parts that are not used often enough to simply be stored on the line and delivered via another method. In an automotive example, each car produced will have some sort of stereo. If it uses one of the three main choices, they are already at the Point-of-Use as Bulk Parts. If the car needs one of the hundred optional stereos, then the specific model needed for the next car needs to already be waiting at the Point-of-Use. It would not be practical to store Bulk Containers of more than 100 different models of car stereos at the point of use, especially when 98% of the cars use one of the standard three. Sequencing Parts involves extra work for everything from your ERP to you warehouse and factory personnel, so if a Sequenced Part can be handled as a Bulk Part, your costs will probably be lower and your operations will probably be smoother, but you need to examine all of the trade-offs involved when implementing your own Lean Manufacturing system.
Those are just five examples. Your milage will vary. The goal is to make your operation more efficient - it is not simply to go through a process of fitting each of your Parts into a pre-defined category. As a part of the Kaizen process you will need to determine what works best. You will then need to determine what you need from PFEP to help you implement your plan. (PFEP might need to produce some combination of Labels for Containers, Racks and Warehouse locations, Kanban Cards, Marketplace Posters, Special Handling instructions, etc. Along the way, some of the printed output will probably need to be bar-coded in order to enable your workers to notify your ERP and Inventory Management systems of Material moves.)
