Materials Handling Management: a Case Study

The highly competitive environment, linked to the globalization phenomena, demands from companies more agility, better performance and the constant search for cost reduction. The present study focused on improvements in internal materials handling management, approaching the case of a large company in the automotive industry. Materials handling is intrinsically associated with production flow. Because of this, it has direct influence on transit time, resources usage, and service levels. The objective was to evaluate, in a systematic way, the impact of implemented changes in materials handling management on the internal customers’ perceptions of cost, safety in service, service reliability, agility and overall satisfaction. A literature review preceded a case study in the company’s manufacturing unit and the questionnaires were completed by 26 employees directly involved in the process. Analyzing the answers, it was possible to suggest that internal customers understood that the new materials handling management system enlarged service agility and reliability and reduced costs, which caused an improvement in overall satisfaction.