Citation :

Diego Raul Ibañez-Alvarez, Diego Sebastian Zavaleta-Pachas, Juan Carlos Quiroz-Flores, "Lean-Driven Warehouse Model Integrating Slotting and SLP to Raise Fill Rate in Medical Equipment SMEs," International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT), vol. 74, no. 3, pp. 442-458, 2026. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/22315381/IJETT-V74I3P129

Abstract

Inefficient warehousing is still a problem for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in emerging economies, where research on how to improve fill rates is still lacking. This study looks at how to make order fulfillment more reliable in a Peruvian small business that imports medical equipment. We suggest a lean-driven warehouse model that combines Standard Work, multi-criteria ABC Slotting, and Systematic Layout Planning (SLP) and is specifically designed for places with limited resources. We used pilot testing and discrete-event simulation to evaluate the interventions. They led to big improvements: the fill rate went up from 89.02% to 92.70% (+3.68 pp), the total cycle time went down by 25.43%, the picking travel distance went down by 17.81%, and the warehouse occupancy went up by 14.67%. These results show that the proposed approach is both technically workable and practically useful in real warehouse operations. Beyond the efficiency improvements reported, the study adds empirical evidence to the still-limited literature on logistics in SMEs from emerging markets, and it provides a basis for future research on warehouse optimization strategies that can be scaled and sustained over time.

Keywords

Lean Warehousing, Slotting Optimization, Systematic Layout Planning, Fill Rate Improvement, SMEs in Emerging Economies.

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