A Combined Demand Management and Lean Tools Model at a Peruvian Meat Products Company

Managing perishable products throughout the cold chain is a challenge for companies that distribute these products because their short lifespan requires more accurate demand estimates to avoid overstock. In addition, in inventory management, product conservation must be considered as a main priority. This paper discusses a case study of a Peruvian meat importer which faces high levels of refrigerated meat returns due to product deterioration. For these purposes, this study proposes the application of three tools: Improvement in the Picking method, demand management forecasting and a Kanban system for an adequate product dispatch, thus reducing the current forecasting errors and implementing an agile system that reduces product times outside the refrigerated warehouse.