his seasonal mail order DC ships gift items to customers; typical quantity is 1.1 lines per order. Since 90% of this DC’s volume occurs in the October to December timeframe, the focus is on obtaining extremely high productivity (approximately 7,500 orders per single shift). Incoming goods arrive in pallets, which are staged in single-deep pallet racks adjacent to the receiving dock. Pallets are used to replenish an extremely fast pick-to-belt operation, consisting of carton flow racks. Picked items travel by conveyor to a packing station, where they are put into cartons and an address label applied. Given its harried pace during the busy season, the DC has paid particular attention to the dock area. It has employed several safety systems, including an advanced inside/outside dock communication system that provides a continuous update of the status of all dock operations.

• Locating receiving adjacent to shipping promotes an efficient U-shaped flow of product

• Flexible hydraulic dock levelers allow the facility to accommodate a wide variety of truck sizes, avoiding bottlenecks and delays

• Vehicle restraint systems promote safety by eliminating the potential for a driver to inadvertently pull away during loading and unloading activities

• For further flexibility, one receiving and one shipping dock are equipped with “Versa Dock,” a leveler that offers 9-ft wide access for below dock loading

• Counterclockwise flow of truck traffic at the facility offers truck drivers maximum visibility of the dock when backing their trailer

• Picking from carton flow rack directly to an in-aisle conveyor achieves extremely high picking throughput

• The fastest moving SKUs are set up with multiple pick locations within the pick-to-belt operation

• The picking aisle is intentionally long, so that additional people and pick locations can be added as volumes increase and also to reduce congestion

Facility Layout

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