Lets say you came up with this problem. (like me)
-Item crafter is crafting an item
-Stockpile/crate/chest is quite far away
-Other hearthlings are doing nothing
-Said item crafter goes back and forth every time, taking forever.
Solution
1: have crafted items be taken to specific places, have items go to the chest next to it, etc.
2. make it so that hearthlings can move items from one inventory to another, have specific inventories made so they are always going to be taken out and placed to another inventory(like a 1 way mailboxes without the post offices) , etc.
Those are my suggestions, say what you will and I hope you agree