Subjects: Ergonomics, task optimization, frugal design, ethnography, manual handling
This project comes from my master's thesis "Optimizing the task of shelf stocking in Colruyt supermarkets" for my studies Industrial Design Engineering Technology (Ghent University)
Short: Based on extensive ethnographic research i conducted into the work of sales clerks in Colruyt supermarkets, I designed a specialized shelf stocking tool to aid the Colruyt sales clerks in their tasks. The product received praise from the sales clerks across flanders for potentially reducing back strain and even saving time during the shelf stocking tasks.
CONTEXT
Within the retail sector in Belgium, the supermarket chain Colruyt Lowest Prices (under Colruyt Group) is known for its lowest price guarantee, whereby the company's strategy involves continuously simplifying and improving the efficiency of the distribution of goods for their customers to guarantee the lowest prices of sold goods. However, for the sales clerks employed in the supermarkets, the work which consists of manual handling of loads, also requires a high physical workload. This is partially due to this efficient supermarket design, where items are delivered in highly stacked carts and stored at heights far above the head.
RESEARCH
In this study, we studied the user (the sales clerk), the underlying work environment, and the task of stocking the shelves using ethnographic and contextual research. Hereby, various related sub-problems and opportunities for optimization were identified.
Sales clerks in Colruyt Lowest Prices
Map visualizing the unloading of delivered goods into the display shelves
PROTOTYPING
These studies resulted in an extensive generation of ideas, from
which a new tool and an optimized method of unloading were eventually developed that help the worker unload and move several products from the cart at the same time, lowering walking distances, and providing an ergonomic work surface for stocking the products in the shelves.
which a new tool and an optimized method of unloading were eventually developed that help the worker unload and move several products from the cart at the same time, lowering walking distances, and providing an ergonomic work surface for stocking the products in the shelves.
Difference without and with the shelf stocking tool. With the tool, the user doesn't have to carry loads during unloading, and can use both hands to unload products.
EVALUATION
This optimized task with the accompanying tool was tested and surveyed among the users and analyzed theoretically using a time calculation and a KIM-analysis to objectively measure the difference in work efficiency and physical strain. In our findings, we found predominantly positive user reviews, praising the device for potentially reducing walking distances and potentially reducing physical strain on the back. From theoretical analyses, we found a potential improvement in task efficiency between 20 and 30%, and a potential reduction in the physical
strain of around 10%.
strain of around 10%.
Excerpt from survey results. 48 sales clerks for 5 different branches spread across the region of Flanders where surveyed online.
Theoretical improvement of task efficiency (time taken to unload full cart), with "alpha" being the number of boxes moved each cycle with the tool.
End of the article
Disclaimer:
This article contains excerpts of my research paper "Optimizing the task of shelf stocking in Colruyt supermarkets". Due to confidentiality, certain results of this research have been deliberately hidden
