How to start outsourcing in an automated way via geo-fencing
Downtimes represent a considerable cost factor in the loading of trucks. Reducing these downtimes is therefore a frequently discussed topic in our yard management workshops. With the help of our track-and-trace solution myleo / tntwe have created a possibility to handle the steps of two-stage commissioning in the warehouse depending on the distance of the truck, thus both increasing the capacity utilization in the warehouse and reducing waiting times for trucks.
How to determine the arrival time of trucks and use this information to trigger the picking process is explained in this blog post.
Where does the real-time information originate from?
In our case the incoming transports are ordered from SAP ERP (LE-TRA). The carrier accepts the freight order, integrates it into his route planning and books a time slot for the tour in myleo / slot. When the onboard unit of the carrier’s trucks is connected to our myleo / tnt, up-to-date information about the current position of the vehicle is available in real time. With the help of this information, the arrival time at the site can now be determined and made available in myleo / tnt. As soon as the truck is in direct access, the geographical position of the truck can also be displayed.
Telematic systems and suppliers
Among other things, telematics systems are used in vehicles of transport and logistics companies to determine position data. This data can be used at any time to provide information on the expected time of arrival. By connecting common telematics systems (such as Fleetboard and Spedion), not only can the relevant position data and waypoints of the truck be read out, but depending on the telematics system, direct push messages can also be sent to the driver for information.
Integration of gps information
The basis of the integration is the connection of the telematics systems to myleo / tnt via a standardised API. The provision of arrival data based on GPS information from the telematics unit creates a transparency that can provide advantages both for the carrier through reduced waiting times and for the shipper through more efficient planning.
In order to be able to use the telematics data of the carriers, the topic of data protection plays an important role at this point. It is therefore ensured that the data transmitted by the respective telematics system is filtered according to customer and delivery relevance and that only this data is made available to the user in myleo / tnt with regard to the expected arrival time.
Booking of a time slot
As part of the route planning, the dispatcher of the carrier books a time slot for delivery or loading. The notification of truck information no longer has to be carried out by the dispatcher, as is usually the case. Instead, the license plate number can be determined by integrating the Telematics unit.
Tracking and Tracing
Using the information from the onboard unit (telematics), GPS tracking of the truck and continuous calculation of the arrival time at the site for collection and delivery to the consignee is carried out.
So-called geo-fences describe the distance of the truck from a location in terms of duration. The size can be defined individually. As soon as the truck crosses the isoline (the boundary of the geo-fence), a message is triggered that can initiate an action in the receiving system (and in our case an automated removal). In the given example this means that a push message is triggered as soon as the truck is 30 minutes away from the loading or unloading point.
Limited space in front of the gate - the two-stage picking
If the picking process is divided into two separate stages, this is called two-step picking. The advantages are that, on the one hand, goods for several outbound deliveries are picked from the warehouse together in the first step and, on the other hand, the release order to the gate for loading can be precisely scheduled.
In our case, the two commissioning steps are specified by the track-and-trace system (myleo/ tnt):
- If the truck is one hour away from the site, the exceeding of the first isoline triggers the removal from storage in SAP EWM from a high rack storage area In this process, a conveyor system is addressed in order to move pallets to a picking point. Since the area in front of the loading gates often becomes a bottleneck, the scarce capacities are not yet occupied at this point. Should there be any delays in the further course of the tour, the shipper reserves all options to reschedule shipments. The triggering of the offloading process by the Track and Trace is also based on a set of rules that only allows the process to start if a time window for the estimated time of arrival has also been booked.
- When the truck crosses an isoline 30 minutes away from the site, the second picking step starts. The retrieved palettes are driven to the gate with the forklift and prepared for dispatch. A delay in the arrival of the truck as well as the loading is now most unlikely.
Dispatch with leogistics yard management
If the truck arrives on time at the start of the booked time slot, it can drive straight through to the loading gate. If the truck does not arrive at the booked time slot, it has probably already been rescheduled based on information from the Track and Trace. Delays are displayed to the planner in an overview UI of the time slot solution (leogistics slot, myleo / slot).
Advantages of the end-to-end supply chain solution
By providing coverage of the entire supply chain process, from ordering, time slot booking and notification, through to provision and dispatch in the yard, the above mentioned solution portfolio offers a whole range of advantages:
| Advantages | Description |
|---|---|
| Reduction of downtimes | By booking time slots in connection with the tracking of the truck, "scheduled" and "actual" are regularly compared. Delays can be reacted to quickly by rescheduling. |
| Optimized resource usage | In addition to the exact scheduling of loading and unloading processes, the often scarce areas at the gate can also be used optimally. |
| Transparency on the yard | The procedure of tour notification and truck dispatch is completely transparent and can be standardized and optimized to a large extent via management by exception. |
Are you interested in truck tracking with telematic connection? We would be happy to advise you on the analysis of your personal requirements!
If you have questions about this or other topics in the blog, please contact blog@leogistics.com.
Jan-Philipp Horstmann
Kathrin Janshen
Consultants SAP Logistics
