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2015 Summer Internship Program:
Distribution Operations
Dock Office Process Efficiency Analysis and
Proposal
D’Andre Tolbert
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Introduction
• Georgia Southern University• Major: International Trade, Japanese Minor
• Distribution Operations, • Location: Tradewater Facility Dock Office• Managers: Travis Koebcke, Stacy Hopper• Coaches: Diana Eastman, Stan McCall, Trice
Brown, Farrah Whitaker
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Summer Internship Project Overview
• Process Efficiency Analysis Project• Analyze Shipping/Receiving Processes• Identify Inefficiencies• Propose Solutions
• 3 Areas of Focus• Welcome Center• Inbounds• Outbounds
• Paper Reduction Analysis
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Analysis: Welcome Center
• Beginning and Ending of Shipping/Receiving Process• Drivers check in• Drivers check out
• Inefficiencies:• Driver Congestion (20+ mins)• Double Data Entry (AS400 & PINC)• Double Work (Inbounds + Outbounds)
• Proposal:• Utilize associates in a different capacity. This will
reduce the workload for each person. Ex: One associate enters data, while the other tags/checks trucks
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Analysis: Inbounds
• Receive Freight from Customer• Bills of Lading Taken• Pallet Labels Printed• Freight Moved to Storage
• Inefficiencies:• Transportation Loads (T-Loads)• Tedious Data Entry• Must Receive all Freight Before Shipping• Delayed When Office gets Congested• Cause Drivers to be Late
• Proposal:• Communicate to all the warehouses that T-Loads
need to be prioritized. This will reduce delays in the T-Load shipping warehouses and driver wait times.
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Analysis: Outbounds
• Freight is prepared to be shipped• Outbound folders for next day are prepared• Bills of Lading Printed
• Inefficiencies:• Printing Pallet Builds• Require many sheets of paper (2-30)• Time consuming• Physically filed away for 3-7 years• Wasteful
• Proposal:• Begin printing pallet builds double sided. Reduces
the amount of paper used which also reduces costs. It is relatively simple to change and won’t interrupt day to day operations.
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Paper Reduction Analysis
• What change can be made in the dock office to make operations more smooth/reduce costs?• Simple to Implement• Immediate Results• Time Saving • Reduces Costs
• Simple Solutions to Seemingly Difficult Problems
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Paper Reduction Analysis Outbounds
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Paper Reduction Analysis Inbounds
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Internship Project Benefits• Welcome Center• Reduces associate workload (Happy Associates)• Faster driver check ins (Happy Drivers)• Reduces time wasted waiting in line
• Inbounds• Prioritizing T-Loads reduces the number of T-Loads
that have to be delayed• Outbounds• Reduces paper used to construct pallet builds• Allows associates to focus on other dock office
tasks• Paper Reduction Analysis• Reduces paper costs• Reduces amount of paper wasted• Can be applied to other Americold Facilities
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Key Learnings
Dock Office•The Heart of Americold’s Operations•Paperwork Central•Pallet Builds, Bills of Lading, Fees•AS 400•Red Prairie•First Line of Direct Contact
Americold•Customer Driven•Continuously Improving•Talented Associates•Takes Care of Associates•Plenty of Opportunities
Most Important Takeaways….1.Importance of Building Relationships2.Better Understanding of Future Career Goals
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Suggestions for the Future
• Improvements:• More structured day to day• AS400/Red Prairie Training• One-on-Ones• Facility Rotation• More Networking Opportunities
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Favorite/Least Favorite Part
• Favorite Part of Internship: The Associates
• Least Favorite Part of Internship: Mondays and Wednesdays
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Questions?
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