Atwoods Distributing LP: Exterior layout enhancement

Abstract

Atwoods Distributing LP in Enid, Oklahoma, is one of two distribution centers (DC) for ranch and home goods. Both DCs in Enid, OK and in Tyler, Texas, service 60 Atwoods stores in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas. The Enid Atwoods DC recently expanded their exterior facility by adding a concrete slab area of 8.8 acres that includes a new entrance on the southwest corner of the property.

The Atwoods Team has requested the Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM) Senior Design Team (SDT) at Oklahoma State University to use this opportunity to design a new layout that improves the flow of inventory in and out of their DC. Their objectives were to improve the flow of incoming and outgoing trucks, maximize storage capacity of outside product, or picks, and improve the overall organization of outside picks.

In the following report, the SDT has provided the Atwoods Team with their methodology, analysis of the current situation, and several solution alternatives. They conclude the report with a list of final recommendations along with an explanation of the value added on how to effectively utilize the expanded area by:

reducing congestion with new vendor parking lots and a new truck route through the facility

minimizing forklift travel with an optimized, labeled product layout

relocating pallets, recyclables, and the propane tank away from the outside picks

maximizing overnight vendor parking within the bottleneck area outside of the new entrance.