Towards Principles for Designing Lean Intralogistics Systems: Systematic Transfer of Lean Thinking to Reduce Waste in Intralogistics

In lean production, the five well-known design principles of value specification, value stream orientation, flow, pull, and pursuit of perfection have proven successful [1]. However, these principles cannot be directly applied to intralogistics since logistics does not create value in the same manner as production. From the traditional perspective of lean production, large parts of logistics are considered wasteful. However, research and industrial practice have shown that well-designed intralogistics systems are essential for ensuring efficient and robust production processes [2]. The aim of this paper is, therefore, to develop principles for designing lean intralogistics systems that enable the systematic elimination of waste, thus supporting lean intralogistics goals. To this end, six types of waste specific to intralogistics are identified, with the key goals for intralogistics system design being discussed. Combining the waste and goals identified through literature on lean logistics and the principles of lean production, five system principles for lean intralogistics are derived: efficiency, holism, robustness, simplicity, and transparency and the overarching principle of effectiveness (i.e., user focus). Together with cultural principles like perfection and people focus, they form the basis for three design principles (process thinking, flow orientation, pull orientation). Expert interviews with industrial companies ensure the practical relevance and applicability of the results. The principles form the novel basis for deriving specific design guidelines [3] that support the development of efficient, goal-oriented, and waste-free intralogistics systems-similar to the design guidelines of lean production, which have proven both effective and efficient in the value stream method [4].