Redesigning Order Preparation through Ergonomics and Method Engineering: Evidence from a Case Study in Retail Logistics

Storage layouts that do not align with workflows and poorly designed workstations often lead to poor performance in distribution centers in emerging markets. Earlier research has looked at picking accuracy, travel time, and related problems, yet it rarely brings those findings together with insights on what hurts workers over a shift. In response, the authors built a broad improvement blueprint that targets every step of order preparation while keeping people comfortable and alert. Their approach combines workload measurement, task simplification, clear work standards, and proven ergonomic rules, so throughput rises and fatigue drops at the same time. Field trials showed that labor output climbed 31 percent, orders left on schedule 20 percent more often, and overall handling costs fell by 14 percent. These gains demonstrate that coordinated changes can achieve productivity gains without compromising health. On the scholarly side, the work presents a step-by-step framework that low-budget firms elsewhere can copy, and on the economic side, it shows how better conditions can drive higher revenues. Follow-on studies are invited to test the model in receiving, returns, and other areas and to examine tools such as sensors and dashboards that could make the gains even more sustainable.