Improving ergonomics and automation in small parcel operations
Workstations in Johnson Controls’ Small Parcel department were redesigned around the work-to-operator principle and combined with automated box closure. The result is a more ergonomic setup and a more efficient material flow. ergonomie-en-automatisering-ver…
Sector
Industrial operations
Approach
Analyse and redesign
Deliverable
Workstation redesign
The Small Parcel operation at Johnson Controls’ Enschede site processes high volumes every day. The existing workstation setup, however, required frequent operator movement and involved repetitive manual activities that increased physical strain.
The opportunity was therefore not just to make individual tasks easier, but to rethink how work moved through the station and reduce unnecessary handling altogether.
The challenge
Johnson Controls needed a practical concept that could be implemented directly on the shop floor. Work had to move towards the operator rather than the other way around, box closure needed to be automated and the overall material flow had to be redesigned to remove unnecessary movement.
Blackbear's role
Blackbear helped narrow the assignment to physical workstation design, box-closure automation and process flow, while IT integrations and staff training remained outside scope. An on-site specialist then carried out time and motion studies, ergonomic assessments and process mapping before redesigning the workstations and introducing automated case sealers. Baseline and follow-up measurements were used to assess the impact.
Result
The Small Parcel department now works with stations designed around the work-to-operator principle and operational automated box closure. Measured improvements show better ergonomics and a material flow with fewer unnecessary movements and handling steps.
