Productivity improvement in logistical work systems of the genuine parts supply chain

Within the entire value stream of spare part supply, packing is one of the main issues in the distribution system and its productivity is mainly affected by a particularly high proportion of manual work. Considering the total value stream of supplying original spare parts, picking and packaging are two of the most important activities in the distribution system and they are mainly performed by intensive manual tasks. As practice shows, the methods Value Stream Design and Methods-Time Measurement (MTM) have proven to be suitable for improvement work and consequently for increasing productivity especially in work systems with manual work. This paper shows how the process building block system “MTM logistics data” contributes to planning and specifying parameters of target-conditions of value streams. It also presents a methodical approach to support practical improvement work in logistical value streams and within their work systems.