Design demands
June 1st 2006

As throughput potential increases, so does the possibility that the loading bay will become a bottleneck. Crawford looks at how to avoid the problem

In recent years, the design and implementation of loading bays has become an increasingly complex process. With pressure on supply chain performance intensifying, so are the demands on the equipment that ensures a smooth flow of goods is maintained. Poor design, sub-standard product quality and long term unreliability are all likely to prove extremely costly in terms of disruption to the supply and despatch of goods. In addition, the health and safety regulations applicable to loading bays are more stringent and the penalties for breaching them are escalating.

Regardless of the size and scale of the application, the correct choice of loading bay equipment and the overall design now encompass a wide range of issues which make choice of supplier even more critical and it is fair to say that the priority is for suppliers to deliver fully integrated solutions based on an in-depth understanding of the clients requirements.

Too many companies rely on the building contractor to source the cheapest solution, with no regard to its impact on the overall performance of the logistics operation.

Given that the entire output of a warehouse has to pass through the loading bay, this can be significant.

Disastrous downtime

With developments in storage and retrieval technology continually increasing throughput potential, and JIT regimes demanding more frequent despatch, the potential for the loading bay to act as a bottleneck is considerable. Furthermore, with warehouses often operating around the clock, seven days a week, loading bay downtime can have a disastrous effect on service levels.

Quite often, the faults evident in some loading bay designs seem painfully obvious.

Dock levellers that are too steep to transfer loads over easily are all too common, for example. Another frequent complaint concerns provision of long term maintenance support. In particular, companies that fail to standardise on a single, specialist supplier can soon accumulate a diverse array of different loading bays.

For suppliers this means forging close, long term working commitments, analysing customers requirements, comparing features and benefits, identifying solutions and taking turnkey responsibility for delivery, installation and after-sales support.

The benefits for the customer are clear as full use is made of the suppliers specialist skills, ensuring the most efficient solutions are utilised. Furthermore, as a single point of contact provides the complete package, the supplier base is significantly streamlined.

Given proper consideration, the factors that influence the design of a loading bay can be surprisingly complex. Typically they encompass the size and profile of the vehicle fleet, the frequency of deliveries, the methods employed to load and unload vehicles, the nature of the loads being handled, plus a host of other concerns.

These might include security, or the particular demands of a temperaturecontrolled environment. With such factors taken on board, and a credible supplier engaged, potential problems can be addressed at the earliest possible stage and the most efficient solution implemented.

A good example of the benefits that a more professional approach to loading bays can achieve is provided by a new Comet distribution centre in Skelmersdale, West Lancashire. The solution provided by Crawford includes over 60 sectional overhead doors.

The 460,000ft2 regional distribution centre services the company's electrical goods stores and home delivery customers across north England, north Wales and Scotland. Crawford's ability to manufacture, install and support a solution that encompassed not just 66 of its 542 Series sectional overhead doors, but also 29 telescopic and swing lip dock levellers, 45 dock shelters, a range of steel hinged fire and exit doors and a fire resistant roller shutter led to their successful appointment, and helped to streamline the overall building programme.

Significantly, the loading bay has been designed as part of the overall material handling system, enabling the centre to meet the most demanding standards of service. When choosing a supplier there are key areas to consider, including the range of equipment offered, since the wider the choice available, the easier it is for the supplier to tailor the solution to fit the application. Is the supplier a manufacturer, or just an agent? In the latter case, there may be no guarantee that the company will still be supporting the products in question in a few years time, with obvious implications for service and maintenance.

Key ingredients

Ultimately, there are probably two key ingredients to successful implementation of loading bays. First and foremost is the basic need to take this area of warehouse and distribution centre design seriously. Once the impact that incorrect specification and layout can have is recognised, companies will naturally take more care over the choice of loading bay supplier. At this point, it is a matter of looking for those suppliers that are genuinely committed to long term partnerships with the customer, from the initial consultation right though to aftersales support. Even with these two relatively simple considerations taken on board, the prospects for a loading bay that supports rather compromises a more efficient supply chain is much closer to being realised.

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