what are some problems you see associated with the present operations or the layout of the plant ?

>> MERCHANDISE The merchandise handled at the facility is considered dry goods, which can normally be found in any grocery store. This excludes dairy products, fresh fruit and vegeta- bles, meat, fish, and frozen foods. Those items are handled in different facilities due to the specialized storage and shipping and handling required for cach. The total vol- ume of dry goods handled in the main warehouse is approaching 450,000 pallets per year. There are 15,000 individual SKUs in the facility. Of the goods shipped, 60% are for quantities of 1 to 10 cases. There are many small box items (30% of the SKUs) such as baby foods, specialty crackers, and low-volume imported goods that account for only 5% of the volume shipped. Some of the bulky items are identified as pallet load quantities and are transported directly to marshalling via low-lift trucks. Dam- age is a considerable expense accounting for approximately 1% of total goods shipped due to handling and transporting within the facility. THE FACILITY The current warehouse, which was originally opened in 1963, is approximately 800,000 square feet in total area (see figure). Of this, 20% consists of the original structure with usable ceiling height of 16 feet. Approximately five years ago a mas- sive addition was made to the building, which has a usable ceiling height of 30 feet. hve facility is in good shape and both the old and the new floors can withstand the weight of the new high-lift reach trucks. Offices and support services are all in the new section and consume less than 3% of the total floor space. RECEIVING Goods shipped to the warehouse by rail are received directly from a spur line located on the east side of the old part of the building. Goods shipped in by truck are re- ceived through 12 docks in the north end of the plant. There is a dispatching area to hold the goods received in truckload quantities, which are then transported to their home location in the picking aisles or taken to the bulk storage area. Most received goods are taken by operator-controlled tow vehicles pulling trains of up to eight carts to the bulk storage locations. Lift truck operators unload the carts into bulk storage or directly into the home locations. The bulk storage area is located on the east side of the building in the new high-ceiling section. This area is used to hold any excess goods that can't be stored in the home locations. It also allows My Towne to obtain large quantity discounts on carload lots of canned goods and preserves in season