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The "go green" movement may have seemed like a passing fad many years ago when it first entered mainstream consciousness.  To some, it resembled something that brought to mind the free-spirited and anti-establishment countercultures of the late 1960s more than it did a modern step toward environmentally responsible living.  Despite skepticism, sustainable living has become an integral part of our daily lives.

Principles and standards that guide eco-friendly ways of living and doing business are often referred to as "lean" principles, and the term is used most frequently in the manufacturing industry.  Essentially, operating under lean concepts means you're trimming the fat, so to speak, and reducing the amount of by-products and waste generated by your company during the production process.  Originally introduced by Japanese automaker Toyota Production Systems, lean manufacturing focuses on eliminating everything that goes into creating your product, from employee labor to raw materials, that does not add value in some way for your customers.

There are many examples where lean manufacturing has inspired a new and arguably better way to eliminate waste. To appreciate it, you have to understand what adherents of this paradigm mean by "waste." The term, put simply, refers to anything—tools, processes, materials, activities, personnel—that does not contribute to the value of a product or service as perceived by the customer.

But there are a lot of misconceptions about lean manufacturing that, when left unchecked, could devalue brands and companies committed to the paradigm. Here are some of those myths, along with the facts. Remember, making a well-informed decision—not blindly adopting just about any aspect of the paradigm—is the key to getting the most value of it.

We appreciate those who work within the warehouse environment as they overcome the pressures of deadlines and costs.  Each warehouse manager must be meticulous, technologically sophisticated, authoritative, organized and calm under pressure. 

The resources of a warehouse are space, equipment and personnel. The cost of space includes the cost of the building or leasing a space and the cost of maintaining the space. The equipment resources of a warehouse include data processing equipment, computers carts with portable power, dock equipment, material handling equipment, storage equipment and unit load equipment. 

According to experts, there are 'secrets' behind running a successful warehouse.

What drives better productivity is mobile power.  The PowerPack on Newcastle Systems' mobile workstations has changed the game for companies such as Ross Stores, Amazon and others. You can read the case studies here.  Contrary to a recent April Fool's email we sent out, batteries don't last forever.  To extend the life of a battery, recycle and/or replace the battery, we offer the following information:

While the public will never see the inside of a warehouse, people are diligently working to ship products at a rapid pace.  It is estimated that online sales will be $280 billion dollars in 2015. Everything happens because of warehouse workers.  It is important to look more closely at this segment of the business and the people who work in the warehouses, receive products, do the ordering picking and ship.  

Today we share insights about the best new technologies for warehouses, especially those including a small piece picking operation. What technology changes or enhancements are working for other companies now.

The order picking process has become an important part of the supply chain process. It is the most labor-intensive activity for almost every warehouse.  The cost of order picking is estimated to be as much as 55% of the total warehouse operating expense.  Considering the time and expense invested, even small improvements in the order picking process has an immediate impact on the bottom line.

The manufacturing sector has changed—bringing both opportunities and challenges. Neither business leaders nor policy makers can rely on old responses in the new manufacturing environment. 

The purpose of Lean is to deliver value to customers by removing all waste, overburden and variation from processes.   The first step is to create a Lean culture . . . and then continuously improve processes to exceed customer expectations. A true lean culture is when the first question is always why (purpose) and then what (action) so problems are solved by everyone (people).