Lean in logisticsClear processes instead of everyday chaos

And that is exactly what I was able to demonstrate in a project with a logistics service provider.

The logistics service provider managed large volumes of materials every day, numerous orders, unclear interfaces, and a high operational pace. Employees were highly committed, but many processes had grown historically, were not clearly structured, and were difficult for many stakeholders to fully understand.

The result:

• frequent misunderstandings
• unnecessary movements and transport
• high search times
• missing process standards
• hardly any visible KPIs
• inefficient handovers

The question was clear:
Can Lean really help here?

Our answer: yes, and surprisingly well.

We did not communicate Lean as a “production concept,” but as a process and organizational principle that fits logistics perfectly.

Together, we:

• trained employees and leaders
• transferred Lean methods to logistics processes
• made process flows transparent
• developed standards for core processes
• made waste visible and understandable
• clarified roles and responsibilities
• defined shopfloor elements for logistics
• introduced a lean KPI system

Through interactive trainings, workshops, and practical phases, teams learned how to make their daily work simpler, clearer, and more structured.

One particularly powerful moment was when employees themselves realized:

• where waiting times occur
• how much search time they had unconsciously accepted
• how handovers can be handled more smoothly
• how simple visualization stabilizes processes
• how much potential lies in their daily work

Lean stopped being an abstract method and became a practical tool that genuinely made everyday work easier.

Through the Lean implementation, the logistics service provider achieved:

• significantly higher process reliability
• greater transparency across workflows
• clear standards
• reduced search and waiting times
• reliable KPIs for planning and control
• improved collaboration between departments
• a motivated team that understands how Lean works

And in the end, one key insight remained:

Lean does not need a product. Lean needs a process.
And every logistics operation has one. Every single day, every single minute.

Because it shows that Lean works wherever people create value.
Whether in production, digitalization, service environments, or logistics.

When introduced the right way, Lean does not become a foreign element.
It becomes a way of working that provides orientation, stabilizes processes, and strengthens teams.