Att namnge platser i ett distributionslager : En fallstudie om att förändra ett adresseringssystem i ett distributionslager med hjälp av förändringsplanering.

Sammanfattning: Purpose – The purpose with this study is to increase the understanding of how storage locations should be named along with an understanding of how planning of change could influence a change process. In order to achieve the purpose of this study, two research questions were formulated. ▪ How should storage locations be named in a distribution center?▪ How could planning affect the introduction of a new location addressing system? Method – The study has been executed as a case study and has been incused by a deductive approach. To the study, a central warehouse that distributes spare parts to private cars has been selected as case company. In order to answer the study ́s research questions, a literature study has been accomplished and empirical data has been collected. All the empirical data has been collected through interviews and observations at the case company. Furthermore, all empirical and theoretical data has been processed and analysed in order to answer the study ́s purpose and research questions. Findings – To create a location addressing system in a distribution center and thereby name storage locations, three factors should be considered. The first factor to consider is regarding which system that should be used in the specific environment, numerically, alphabetically or alphanumerically. The second factor is that the storage locations names should be as short as possible, maximum between five and seven symbols. The third factor that should be considered is that the location addressing system should have an underlying logic to support an uncomplicated learning process. When the storage locations are being labelled in the business, the chosen colour combinations should support clearness. In order to achieve clearness, the chosen colours need to have a great contrast between each other. In order to simplify a change in a distribution center, a well thought out planning strategy should be used. There are two factors according to this study that should be considered during changes in a distribution center. First off, it ́s important to have a clear information flow during the change process. Without a clear information flow to everyone that are being affected by the change, the risk of resistance towards the change increases. It ́s also important to formulate a clear planning and an understanding of the change ́s consequences in an early stage of the change process. This to prepare for the consequences that other elements in the business environment could be affected by the change as well. Implications – The study combines already proven theories and apply these in a distribution environment. No new theories have been created, but how the proven theories have been combined could give a new angle of how changes of storage locations in a distribution environment should be implemented. The study ́s empirical contribution was to give an increased understanding of how storage locations should be named and identify which factors affecting the naming of storage locations. The empirical contribution was also to give an increased understanding of how employees could be affected by a change. Changing a namingsystem could result in reduced loading of the employee’s memory, both the long-term memory and the short-term memory. By using a well thought out planning process, the outcome of a change in a location addressing system would be benefited. Limitations – The study has been executed as a one case study. It ́s not possible to exclude that a multiple case study would have generated a different result. In the study ́s empirical data, seven interviews were conducted. These seven interviews represent the employees of the case company. A larger quantity of interviews could have increased the study ́s quality. No quantitative data has been collected. With quantitative data, the study ́s generalizability could have increased. At last, the study has been limited by the space of time. With a longer amount of time, all parts of this study would have been further developed and by that, created a more generalized result.