Dock Layout

Location of warehouse and distribution facility or terminal receiving and shipping dock locations directly affects product flow and employee productivity.

Main objective is to reduce the in-house transportation distance between the dock area and the storage-pick area.

Best dock location is determined by the product storage aisle or position in the storage area.

3 BASIC TRUCK RECIVING AND SHIPPING DOCK CONCEPTS:

Combination receiving and shipping docks

Shipping and receiving docks are combined, activities performed in one building area. Few dock positions are used and both shipping and receiving activities utilizes the same building area, equipment, and employees.

Best results – requires effective truck dock schedule with inbound product delivered in the morning and outbound product loaded in the afternoon.

This concept is best used on small facility that handles a low volume, small quantity of SKUs, and product characteristics that are small or large.

Receiving and shipping docks on the same wall, product flows are either in a horseshoe/U pattern.

Separate receiving and shipping docks

Shipping and Receiving docks are separated, activities held in separated building areas, using separate equipments, employees and supervision.

Reduces in-house transportation requirements and activities.

This concept is best used for large operation that handles a high volume, has large number of SKUs [inventory], and has a large product mix.

This concept allows dock operations handle any product flow patterns.

Scattered receiving and shipping docks – Variation of the separated dock concept

Receiving docks located along one entire building wall which is assigned as the inbound side of the building.

Each dock is located directly across from the product storage area/processing area.

In this dock arrangement, the product to flow directly at the shortest distance in a straight line from the delivery truck dock area to the assigned storage area or production line.

Shipping docks are located along the opposite building wall, allowing the product to flow from the storage areas or production lines into the shopping dock area.

Best suited for a company with JIT implementation or across-the-dock product flow concept. The concept dictates a one-way straight product flow pattern.