07/30/2025
Lean Thinking in Action: Solving the "Missing Pallet Jack" Problem
I recently wrapped up a Lean Manufacturing training session with a long-time client I’ve worked with for over 14 years. They regularly tap into state grant funding to invest in developing their team—and this time, the topic was workplace organization.
During one session, I asked the 20 participants:
“What’s the most frustrating part of your job?”
The unanimous answer?
“We can never find a pallet jack when we need one.”
📦 This company operates a 100,000 sq. ft. facility with shipping, receiving, returns, and production all under one roof. Pallet jacks are essential to move materials, and yet—they were constantly being lost in plain sight.
So we started with the basics: Grasp the situation.
We walked the floor, traced the current process, and quickly realized:
No one knew how many pallet jacks actually existed
They weren’t assigned to departments
People just grabbed and left them wherever was convenient
Through root cause analysis, the team identified the core issue:
No designated home or ownership for pallet jacks.
We made it fun—everyone guessed how many pallet jacks were in the building. Guesses ranged from 15 to 28.
🎯 Actual count? 35!
Incredible how much time was spent searching instead of working.
The solution was simple and effective:
✅ Assign pallet jacks to departments
✅ Use color-coded labels for ownership
✅ Begin creating permanent “parking spots”
Since implementing this, the chaos is gone. No more hunting, hoarding, or buying more equipment unnecessarily.
💡 Lesson: Buying more isn’t always the solution. Root cause thinking leads to real, sustainable improvements.
