FACILITY LAYOUT DESIGN TO EFFICIENT SPACE UTILIZATION AND INSPECTION PERFORMANCE: CASE OF MODJO DRY PORT

Abstract

Ethiopia is landlocked country which uses the Ethio-Djibouti corridor the main outlet to the sea. However, this generates high demurrage cost at Djibouti port. To overcome these challenges, Ethiopian government established about eight dry ports in Ethiopia. From those, the Modjo dry port is large and 95 % of goods are flow through it. This makes congestion in the warehouse and terminal due to lack of suitable facility layout for inspection performance. So, this paper proposes an alternative facility layout design of warehouse. This done by using primary and secondary source of data which collected from warehouse managers, drivers, loading and unloading labors, customers of Modjo dry ports. However, the researcher use surveying, different journal, website and report from dry port as basic inputs for models to propose modified alternative layouts. The models used were classified in different levels regarding their compatibility to execute paper works as per requirement. Those were mathematical, Computer aided design model (AutoCAD) and simulation Model. The mathematical model was mainly used to calculate areas, volumes of existing and modified alternative layouts of the warehouse. The AutoCAD model was used to draw out the alternative facility layouts by feeding the input data collected from field survey by using Global Positioning System GPS and dimensions measured by using standard meter. The results of the study were validated by descriptive event simulation software which is known as any logic software. Finally, depending on the result of simulation, and model output of AutoCAD the alternative layouts were proposed. The capacity of space dedicated for existing warehouses could accommodate the 120 TEU. However, for the alternative layouts of I, II, III & IV are 564, 752, 556 & 796 TEU respectively. Depending on these results the alternative scenarios were proposed in order to mitigate the challenges facings to Modjo dry port. The contribution of this study is to realize the gaps of knowledge in using pallet racks for space utilization with aisle or passageway in the warehouse and point out the future research directions in facility layout design to efficient space utilization and inspection performance around the dry port area