Shipping and Receiving Areas These areas consist of the staging and load accumulation space used to support the shipping and receiving functions. These support areas may include a small office or desk for use by the shipping and receiving foremen. In general, they do not contain large amounts of Office space. Truck Dock Areas Certain areas aree used for loading and unloading highway trailers. They are located immediately in front of the truck dock doors that are used for securing the operating area. Battery Charging and Handling Areas These areas consist of the spaces allocated to the charging and handling of vehicle batteries used in the material-handling equipment. When electric vehicles mused, this support area can also include maintenance areas and other work areas associated with the mainte- nance and upkeep of the material-handling vehicles. Preservation, Packaging, Packing, and Crating Areas ‘These support areas consist of any area dedicated to the protection or packaging of any material being stored or handled in the facility. These areas are generally associated with the receiving function of presentation and the shipping funnction of packing, packaging, and crating areas. PLANNING THE OFFICE SPACE LAYOUT The ability to plan an effective and efficient use of office space will be a skill that is useful to you throughout your career. You can refer to Military Handbook, Facility Planning and Design Guide, MIL-HDBK-1190, for the space criteria to be used. Planning an efficient layout requires a great deal of thought, study, and a thorough knowledge of the functions for which facilities are to be provided. When a revised plan is not too radically different from the present layout, it maybe possible to make the changes at once. When extensive revisions are indicated, expensive changes may be required and may have to be postponed until a future date. Strive for the best possible solution at the least possible cost. Many times inexpensive substitutions can be made by using familiar items in a new way or by capitalizing on available talents. Some important items to be considered in preparing layouts are discussed in this section. No effort is made to present a magic plan that can be adapted to fit every situation. To some extent, a good layout depends upon having an efficient organization in the beginning. The effective use of office space is an important consideration of the supervisor. Like any other part of supply, the office should be designed for production. A poor arrangement of office space wastes time and energy by failing to provide the means for effective work habits. When conditions are such that there is no place to put needed documents or publications, the telephone is on the wrong desk or on the wrong side of the desk, lighting is inadequate, personnel are seated beneath a ceiling vent or facing a window or wall, the flow of work is uneven. Again, when personnel who do detailed or repetitious work are located so that they are constantly interrupted by traffic flow, then the result will obvious] y be less productive. An office could be defined as a work area for handling information or a production area with data processing equipment. Office planning could then be defined as determining the arrangement of all physical components into a coordinated unit that can most effectively handle the volume of work and the type of information necessary to carry out a mission. Workflow The movement of paperwork into and through the office is a fundamental consideration in determining the arrangement of the physical units. Careful planning is required to provide a minimum amount of travel from desk to desk and to prevent the basic circulation patterns from becoming clogged. In an office where large volumes of documents are handled on an individual basis, the flow of work will usually form a constant pattern. The arrangement of components, therefore, can and should be designed to accommodate the flow of paperwork. In contrast, in an office where there is less volume and/or the paperwork is batch processed, the flow of paperwork should not be the dominating factor in determining the office layout. Objectives Office layout consists of several objectives that should accomplish the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Produce a smooth flow of paperwork Use space effectively to assist good supervision Locate equipment, machines, and aisles conveniently Add to the comfort of the people who work there Present a favorable appearance 2-7