---
title: How can Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) support lean manufacturing
description: Discover how automated guided vehicles (AGVs) help manufacturers reduce transportation waste, improve efficiency and support lean principles.
image: https://blog.toyota-forklifts.co.uk/hubfs/A003%20(5).png
---

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How can Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) support lean manufacturing

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 October 19, 2026

# How can Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) support lean manufacturing

 8 minutes to read

[Blogs](https://blog.toyota-forklifts.co.uk/tag/blogs), [Lean Production](https://blog.toyota-forklifts.co.uk/tag/lean-production), [Automation](https://blog.toyota-forklifts.co.uk/tag/automation)

![](https://blog.toyota-forklifts.co.uk/hubfs/A003%20(5).png)

## **Key takeaways**

- AGVs automate repetitive material transport to help reduce waste.
- They can reduce unnecessary transportation, motion and waiting.
- Automated replenishment can support just-in-time material flow.
- AGVs create more consistent and predictable transport processes.
- They allow employees to focus on higher-value work and continuous improvement.
- AGVs are a tool to support lean manufacturing, not a replacement for lean thinking.

Lean manufacturing is built around a simple principle – create more value for the customer while eliminating waste from your operation.

From unnecessary movement and waiting to excess inventory and inefficient processes, the 8 forms of waste [\[HW1\]](https://blog.toyota-forklifts.co.uk/how-can-automated-guided-vehicles-agvs-support-lean-manufacturing#_msocom_1) – or *muda* – can have a significant impact on productivity and cost.

Introducing Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) [\[HW2\]](https://blog.toyota-forklifts.co.uk/how-can-automated-guided-vehicles-agvs-support-lean-manufacturing#_msocom_2) into their operations, is a way that manufacturers can tackle these sources of waste. By automating repetitive material transport, AGVs can help create a more consistent and efficient material flow, supporting many principles at the heart of lean manufacturing.

 

## **What is lean manufacturing?**

Lean manufacturing is an approach to improving operational efficiency by identifying and eliminating activities that don’t add value to the customer.

The Toyota Production System (TPS[\[HW3\]](https://blog.toyota-forklifts.co.uk/how-can-automated-guided-vehicles-agvs-support-lean-manufacturing#_msocom_3) ), which forms the foundation of Lean thinking, focuses on eliminating waste, or *muda*. Lean manufacturing commonly identifies seven traditional types of waste, with an eighth, underutilised talent, later added to the framework.

What are the 8 types of waste?

1. **Transportation** – unnecessary movement of materials
2. **Inventory** – holding more stock than is required
3. **Motion** – unnecessary movement of people
4. **Waiting** – people, products or equipment waiting for the next process
5. **Overproduction** – producing more than is needed
6. **Overprocessing** – carrying out unnecessary or inefficient processes
7. **Defects** – errors, damage or products that don’t meet requirements
8. **Underutilised talent** – failing to make full use of employees’ skills, knowledge, experience and problem-solving abilities

 

## **How do AGVs support lean manufacturing?**

### **1. Reducing unnecessary movement of people**

Material transportation can be a significant source of waste in a manufacturing environment. Forklifts and operators may spend considerable amounts of time moving components between production lines, storage areas and workstations. When routes are inefficient or materials are moved multiple times, this creates transportation waste that adds cost without adding value.

AGVs can automate repetitive transport routes and move materials according to predefined workflows. Instead of relying on an operator to manually collect and deliver materials, an AGV can transport the load between designated points following the most efficient route, helping to create a more predictable flow of materials.

This can help manufacturers identify and remove unnecessary journeys particularly where repetitive transport is involved.

 

### **2. Reducing unnecessary movement of people**

Lean manufacturing isn’t just about moving materials efficiently; it’s also about reducing unnecessary movement by people.

Employees can spend valuable time walking to collect components, searching for materials or transporting goods between workstations. AGVs can take on repetitive transportation tasks, allowing employees to spend more of their time on activities that require human skills and decision-making.

This doesn’t necessarily mean replacing people with automation. Instead, it can mean using people where they can add the most value and automation where repetitive movement can be standardised.

 

### **3. Reduced waiting time**

Waiting is another major source of waste. Production can be disrupted when materials aren’t available at the right station at the right time. Operators may have to wait for components, while production lines can experience interruptions when replenishment doesn’t happen as planned.

AGVs can support more consistent material delivery by operating according to defined transport requirements. When integrated effectively with production processes and material flow systems, automated transport can help ensure that materials are delivered when they’re needed rather than relying solely on manual requests or ad-hoc journeys.

The result can be a smoother flow of materials and less time spent waiting.

 

### **4. Creating a more consistent material flow**

Lean manufacturing relies heavily on standardisation and continuous flow. Manual material handling can be affected by changing priorities, operator availability, traffic and other operational variables.

AGVs follow defined routes and processes, creating greater consistency in repetitive transport activities. For example, an AGV could repeatedly transport components from a storage area to a production line at predetermined intervals. This helps establish a repeatable material flow that can be measured, monitored and improved over time.

 

### **5. Supporting just-in-time principles**

Just-in-time manufacturing aims to have the right materials available at the right place, at the right time and in the right quantity. This helps to reduce excess inventory and the costs associated with storing and handling materials.

AGVs can support just-in-time material delivery by automating the movement of components according to production requirements. Rather than moving large quantities of materials simply because a forklift is available, automated transport can be incorporated into a more structured replenishment process. This can help manufacturers move towards a more demand-driven material flow.

 

### **6. Reducing material handling variability**

Consistency is a key principle of lean manufacturing. When material handling processes vary from one shift, operator or day to the next, it can make production flow harder to predict and manage.

AGVs can help standardise repetitive transport activities by following defined routes, schedules and processes. This creates a more consistent approach to moving materials around the manufacturing environment. For example, instead of relying on an operator to decide when and where materials need to be transported, an AGV can be programmed to follow an established replenishment process.

Greater consistency can help manufacturers:

- Reduce variations in material delivery times.
- Create more predictable production flows.
- Standardise repetitive transport processes.
- Reduce reliance on manual transport decisions.
- Make it easier to identify process inefficiencies.

By ensuring more consistency, AGVs can help create a more stable and predictable material flow.

 

## **Combining people, processes and automation**

Lean manufacturing isn’t about removing people from the process. It’s about creating a system where people, processes and technology work together effectively.

AGVs can take responsibility for predictable, repetitive transportation while employees focus on tasks that require judgement, problem solving, quality control and other human capabilities.

This approach can also make operations more resilient. As production requirements change, automated transport systems can potentially be adapted to support different material flows and processes.

 

## **Where should you start?**

If you’re considering AGVs as part of a lean manufacturing strategy, start with the process rather than the technology.

Ask:

- Where are materials currently being moved?
- How often are they moved?
- Which journeys add value and which don’t?
- Where are operators spending time on repetitive transport?
- Where does production experience waiting or material shortages?
- Are there opportunities to create a more consistent material flow?
- Could automation reduce waste without simply automating an inefficient process?

By answering these questions, manufacturers can identify where automation could have the greatest impact.

 

## **AGVs can be part of a wider lean strategy**

AGVs aren’t a replacement for lean principles. They are a tool that can help put those principles into practice.

When combined with process mapping, data analysis, standardisation and continuous improvement, AGVs can help manufacturers reduce unnecessary movement, improve material flow, minimise waiting and support more efficient use of people and resources.

Ultimately, the goal is to create a leaner material flow that delivers what is needed, when it is needed and with as little waste as possible.

[Download the Lean thinking White paper](https://info.toyota-forklifts.co.uk/lean-thinking-whitepaper)

To find out more about automated guided vehicles and how they can support your business click below:

[Explore our Automated solutions](https://toyota-forklifts.co.uk/automated-solutions/)

 

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