INTEGRATION OF WORK STUDY WITH LEAN MANUFACTURING FOR PRODUCTIVITY ENHANCEMENT: A CASE OF RETAIL WAREHOUSE

Abstract

In the dynamic landscape of Indian retail logistics, a warehouse serves hundreds of offline stores, it faces immense pressure to deliver timely, accurate, and cost-efficient shipments, as it is impossible to understand the Indian consumer behavior. This has increased pressure on retail warehouses to optimize their operations by enhancing productivity and efficiency to ensure timely delivery and optimal management of goods across the supply chain to maintain competitiveness in this dynamic environment. This research focuses on integrating the classical principles of time and motion study with contemporary lean technologies to identify inefficiencies and enhance productivity and operational efficiency in a central warehouse supplying over 500 offline retail stores across India. Time and motion study offers a quantitative framework to analyses operation execution times and eliminate unnecessary motions, while lean technologies such as 5S, Value Stream Mapping (VSM), and Just-in-Time (JIT) provide systemic approaches to reduce waste and enhance process flow. A case-based methodology is conducted in high-throughput SKU variety, FMCG products, and non-apparel. space constraints and labor-intensive processes, and evaluated operational bottlenecks and proposed lean operations based on empirical data. The study utilizes tools such as stopwatch time study, work sampling, spaghetti diagrams, and lean techniques to redesign workstations and workflows. Key findings: reveal a significant 25 to 30 % reduction in cycle time, a 15–20% increase in manpower utilization, a 25–30% improvement in process efficiency, and a notable reduction in non-value-added activities. Combining traditional industrial engineering tools with lean thinking makes a robust pathway for achieving operational excellence in retail logistics and warehousing. The research offers a replicable framework for supply chain professionals who seek continuous improvement in multi-store warehouse operations.