Lean management approach in warehouse operations: An application in a firm operating in food machines sector

It has become an inevitable necessity for businesses to keep their costs under control and to make improvement attempts for all kinds of cost elements in today's business world, where the size of competition is increasing day by day and operating under increasingly harsh conditions on a global scale. Warehouse management-oriented activities carried out by businesses within their supply chain structures make it possible to implement many different application alternatives in this area with its structure open to cost improvements. The realization of warehouse management-based applications in accordance with the lean manufacturing approach is one of the important elements that will create significant cost advantages for businesses and ensure that their processes operate more clearly. In the light of all this information, the first two parts of this research, which can be considered as a literature review, include elements such as warehouse management, warehouse management in the supply chain, and lean production techniques. In the third part of the research which is the application part, warehousing operations of a firm that operates in the food machinery manufacturing sector in Turkey are evaluated within the scope of lean production approach and the results obtained after performing necessary improvements are shared. As a result of the lean manufacturing practices implemented, significant benefits have been achieved in inventory costs, time costs spent in various activities related to in-warehouse operations, and costs for the use of human resources, thanks to the reduction in stock levels of the enterprise. Key Words: Lean Production, Warehouse Management, Supply Chain