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It used to be that dock layout was an afterthought in facilities planning. And after the docks were installed, they were expected to permanently cope with all changing conditions in manufacturing and distribution. Crisis management was the only philosophy that applied to docks.
Nag number of factors are affecting the of new docks and the upgrade older facilities.
"Some trends are working in opposition," says Audrey Templer, vice president, marketing, Kelley Company, Inc. "Users want faster turnovers of merchandise; but they want the product to be handled safely. Companies want to handle more shipments--but still avoid dock congestion."
Also, companies are able to handle more loads with fewer docks, notes consultant James Tompkins, president, Tompkins Associates. "By using drop trailers, you don't need as many docks because you're not loading on the first shift exclusively," says Tompkins.
Cross-docking--moving containers or palletloads directly from receiving to shipping in a distribution center--is another dock planning strategy.
"What you try to do is not only minimize transit time from supplier to ultimate consumer, but, in the process, also reduce the dollar amount you have invested in inventory," advises Bill Steinle, industrial engineering manager, J.C. Penney Distribution. (See "Cross-Docking: A Proven Plan for Profit," page 93.)
Users are looking for flexibility in dock design and operation, says Paul Maly, director of marketing for the Rite-Hite Division of Rite-Hite Corporation. "They want to service the mix of trucks and trailers that arrive at their docks, and do it safely and efficiently," Maly explains. This truck mix varies by company and industry, says Maly. More 42-inch-high truck beds are arriving at the dock.
Automatic truck loading is a concept that's receiving new attention due to systems integration, observes Jim Thiem, executive vice president, Applied Handling. Previously, automatic truck loading couldn't be justified economically by comparing it to, say, loading by lift truck. "Now clients are talking seriously about total control and operatorless handling with an AS/R system that retrieves loads automatically from storage and feeds them to an automatic truck loading system." (See "Automatic Truck Loading: Automation Across the Dock," page 99.)
Dock mechanization that prevents injury to workers as well as improving productivity is easier to justify economically. "Compare the cost of mechanization against the cost of Workers' Compensation claims,"...