Case Study: How Lean Management Cut Packing Time in Half, Doubled Production

The food pantry, located in Greenville, SC, serves the community by providing essential meals to families in need. Staffed by a small team and supported by volunteers, the pantry distributes boxes of food designed to sustain individuals and families through periods of financial difficulty.

"The food boxes could be for somebody who hasn't eaten in two days, or for somebody who knows that they aren't going to have food for their kids that night. They know they can come here and get it right then," said Kelly Holzer, Assistant Director of Social Services at The Salvation Army of Greenville, Pickens, and Oconee Counties.

Over time, the pantry’s layout affected efficiency and organization. Holzer said the lack of organization made it difficult to assemble the food boxes quickly, and searching for supplies required excessive walking and bending.

“When I needed to do food boxes, it was taking me a long time, and people who needed them often had to wait," Holzer said. 

Additionally, people who volunteered at the food pantry reported difficulty in understanding the layout.

"The biggest issue that I ran into being the volunteer person was there wasn't really a set place for food items specifically. People would often come up and ask me, ‘Where does this go?'” said Special Events and Volunteer Manager Justin Heisey.

• The food pantry layout lacked organization, making it difficult for staff and volunteers to locate items quickly
• Assembling food boxes required excessive walking, bending and squatting
• Food intake, storage and pulling processes were not standardized, reducing efficiency and consistency
• Volunteers often struggled to understand the pantry layout and where items belonged
• Limited space was not being utilized effectively to support safe and efficient workflows

• Conducted an intralogistics lean assessment to evaluate current conditions and identify areas of opportunity
• Implemented the 5S methodology to organize the facility, establish clear standards, and improve safety and efficiency
• Redesigned food intake, storage, and picking processes using standardized workflows and visual management
• Provided Lean Basics Training to equip The Salvation Army staff with tools to sustain improvements
• Donated electric pallet jack and facility organization equipment to support long-term standardization

Carolina Handling has taken our proven internal process improvement expertise to market with the launch of lean consulting services through the Continuous Improvement Department.

Carolina Handling’s Continuous Improvement Department has been a valuable resource for internal teams, partnering across departments to identify process improvements. Building on that success, the Continuous Improvement Department now offers external customers the same lean consulting support to uncover and solve process challenges, resulting in more efficient business operations, increased profitability and improved safety and morale.

“This unique offering stands out because of our approach and the way we engage with our customers. At its core, our work is about partnership. We take a consultative approach by listening, learning and collaborating to uncover new ways to optimize operations and drive lasting business success,” said Justin Benson, Vice President of Intralogistics Solutions at Carolina Handling.

Raymond Lean Management (RLM) is at the core of the Continuous Improvement Department’s philosophy. Built on the proven foundation and principles of the Toyota Production System (TPS), the RLM program combines tailored training, collaboration and consultation.

Before implementing changes, the Continuous Improvement team conducts an initial intralogistics lean assessment of a facility or process to evaluate the current conditions and identify areas of opportunity for improvement. In-person lean training, taught at the customer’s location or a Carolina Handling branch, covers the foundational lean principles and their application within manufacturing, warehousing and distribution environments to enhance operational efficiency.  

“Any customer could ask for a 5S audit, a lean consulting trip, or an intralogistics lean assessment. All of it is correct. At its core, we want to reduce and eliminate waste,” said Ashley Watkins, Continuous Improvement Manager at Carolina Handling.

Following the intralogistics lean assessment of The Salvation Army food pantry, the Continuous Improvement Department documented areas of opportunity, forming the roadmap for implementing the 5S methodology:

• Sort
• Set in Order
• Shine
• Standardize
• Sustain

The first area involved strengthening the overall 5S condition of the facility to ensure the space is organized, safe and efficient before introducing new processes. The second area focused on opportunities within food intake, storage, and pulling, using 5S principles to establish clear standards and create more sustainable food management workflows. The final focus area addressed volunteer processes, with an emphasis on improving the volunteer experience so time on-site is efficient, tasks are clear and the environment encourages volunteers to return.

The Continuous Improvement Department conducted Lean Basics Training with The Salvation Army staff to equip them with the tools to drive the implementation of lean practices in the facility. Carolina Handling also donated an electric pallet jack and provided user and maintenance training to support safe and efficient operation.

Additionally, Carolina Handling associates spent an afternoon assisting The Salvation Army staff in removing and disposing of unnecessary materials from the food pantry and assembling new racks. 

“We don’t just send one person to a customer. We bring an entire team of experts. It allowed us to look at The Salvation Army's operations from multiple angles. So not just efficiency and flow, but the safety, the space optimization and the long-term sustainability. We bring the right people together to solve a customer's challenge,” said Louise Preston, Continuous Improvement Lead at Carolina Handling.

In order to provide the foundation needed to maintain standardized work areas, improve visibility and support long-term operational efficiency, Carolina Handling donated materials to support the new layout: 

• Storage and Organization
  • 9 Gladiator racks
  • End-rack storage units for tools and supplies
  • Slip sheets for all racking, both new and existing
  • Clear labels, two per shelf

• Material Handling
  • Chrome picking cart

• Facility Essentials
  • 5S stations
  • Floor marking tape
  • Floor labels