igh productivity is the order of the day at this facility, which ships apparel goods in a flat format to retail stores. The strategy of segregating activity by product format (pallet vs carton) helps boost productivity and minimize congestion. Incoming goods in cartons arrive at one dock, where about 10% of the volume travels by conveyor to the shipping dock for immediate loading on to trucks. Incoming pallets are received at a second dock and travel to a pallet storage area consisting of single deep, 9- pallet high rack or a floor staging area for direct picking. Some batch picking is also done in the pallet storage area. Individual cases travel through the facility by conveyor. The facility uses a combination of lift trucks, including counterbalanced trucks for loading/unloading operations and reach trucks in the storage area.

• Dedicated receiving docks for individual cartons and full pallets reduce congestion and allows for optimization

• Crossdocking of incoming inventory eliminates handling steps and helps speed orders out the door

• Locating block stacking area for pallets at the receiving dock streamlines handling and reduces congestion

• Highly versatile counterbalance lift trucks perform double duty in both the trailer loading/unloading area and pallet replenishment operation

• Truck-mounted RF terminals boost operator productivity by facilitating directed putaway, picking, and replenishment

• Reach trucks can function in thinner aisles (9 ft) than conventional industrial trucks, allowing for greater storage density

• Reach trucks are provided with such features as fingertip control levers and electronic steering to boost operator productivity and comfort

• Segregating pallet picking by activity level helps to boost productivity and optimize replenishment/picking trade-offs

Facility Layout

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