Shipping Process Workflow Overview and Key Components
Shipping Process - Current State
Key Components
- Submarine Areas: Mentioned areas include:
- Shipping: This aspect involves the logistics of transporting goods.
- Manufacturing (MFG): The process of transforming raw materials into finished goods.
- Procurement: The sourcing and acquiring of goods and services needed for the shipping process.
Process Flow
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Operations Makes Request
- This step indicates that operations teams initiate requests for items to be shipped, suggesting a centralized control over shipping needs.
- Idea: Implement a digital request system to streamline this process.
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Requested Items to Ship
- Once a request is made, it involves determining which items are needed for shipment.
- Thought: Maintain a real-time inventory list to improve visibility over available items.
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Checking Inventory
- A critical step where current inventory is checked before proceeding. Note indicates "Can't check inventory in the system!"
- Idea: Upgrading to a digital inventory management system could resolve this issue, ensuring that operations can check inventory seamlessly.
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Required to Budget Purchase
- If items aren't available, there's a need to budget for purchasing them.
- Thought: Set up alerts for low inventory levels to trigger budget requests proactively.
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Packaging
- Includes steps like creating packing lists and shipping documents.
- Suggestion: Standardize packaging procedures to improve efficiency and reduce errors.
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Verifying What’s Being Shipped
- Ensures that items being packed match the request.
- Additional Info: This step is crucial for accuracy during shipping phases.
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Preparing Packaging
- Physically preparing boxes and materials for shipping.
- Idea: Explore eco-friendly packaging options to enhance sustainability practices.
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Pulling Parts
- Final step where parts are collected for shipping.
- Thought: Implement barcode scanning to streamline picking and packing processes.
Visual Summary
The whiteboard diagram illustrates a linear flow of the shipping process, with clear dependencies between each step. The highlighted issue in inventory checking indicates a critical point of improvement for the entire process. By addressing this and optimizing each step, the overall efficiency and accuracy of shipping can be significantly enhanced.
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