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