stores. Both of these methods can only be used on very high-volume items. Most products cannot be delivered in this manner, and pallets or even individual boxes must be broken down and divided. Once a full pallet must be broken apart, the costs of handling the product can increase quickly. Many distribution centers use large sortation systems with miles of conveyor to move products through the facility and into a truck. They may also have automated equipment for de-palletizing and re-palletizing product. Some of the most sophisticated systems can convey product directly into storage racks and then convey out of the racks to trucks, all automatically. With a wide variety of product sizes and weights, these systems are designed to handle a specific range of products. Very large, small, heavy, or light products require varying degrees of manual handling. As the process of handling involves more steps and becomes increasingly manualized, the cost increases. Storing products instead of receiving and immediately shipping them adds cost. Firms must determine when lost sales due to not having product on the shelves are balanced by increased handling and storage costs. Conversely, automating these additional manual steps can reduce the labor and costs associated with these processes. For example, automatic box-opening technology makes the process of opening individual boxes for re-packaging much faster. Distribution center organization All distribution centers have three main areas and may have additional specialized areas. The three main areas are: the receiving dock, the storage area, and the shipping dock. In small organizations it is possible for the receiving and shipping functions to occur side by side, but in large centers, separating these areas simplifies the process. Many distribution centers have dedicated dock doors for each store in their shipping area. The receiving area can also be specialized based on the handling characteristics of freight being received, on whether the product is going into storage or directly to a store, or by the type of vehicle delivering the product. Distribution center planning A number of components go into the overall planning of a distribution center in order to maximize its efficiency. If the distribution center relies on a conveyor system suspended from the ceiling, consideration needs to be given to the weight-bearing capacity of the ceiling joists. If the conveyor system runs along the floor, then consideration needs to be given in the design stage to the placement of columns,