How to keep an eye on incoming and outgoing shipments at all times
There are problems that we encounter in almost every client project. Difficulties in planning transports are actually always one of them. At peak times, trucks are backed up on or even in front of the factory premises, while at less busy times, shippers are up to their necks in traffic.
It is not uncommon to try to counteract this circumstance by optimizing handling at the door. However, the challenge and at the same time the solution is already in front of it, and is simpler than you think: efficient and effective time window planning!
The potentials of a time slot management system
In anticipation of stressful times, planning is key. With a time slot management solution like leogistics SLOT, you can allocate appointments according to your wishes and capacities. Increase planning reliability by allocating regular reservations of capacity to specific groups of process participants so that they can book part of the capacity exclusively.
In many cases, there are only a limited number of loading gates or entry quotas that must be adhered to. Limit your time slot offer to meet these restrictions. A time slot can also be determined by the availability of scarce loading equipment (pumps, lifts, etc.). In this case, it is not the door but the door and the loading equipment in combination that represents the capacity to be planned.
Do you also experience traffic jams in front of and on your plant premises? Here you will find an overview of our time slot management system.
Integration Into Upstream And Downstream Processes
The capacity of loading zones or loading columns “behind” the doors also offer potential for process improvements. Time slot management is integrated with documents from the upstream system. This is crucial for a correct overview of processes that are due for dispatch or receipt.
What other possibilities does exact slot planning offer you?
- Precise planning promotes internal adherence to schedules. For example, the provision of goods in the warehouse can be tied to a time slot, as can production control. Shift schedules and resource planning can be aligned with the planned volume of work at the ramp. All this leads to cost and time savings.
- However, booking time slots is not all that can be done to improve the overview. In addition, system-supported time slot planning can be used to implement processes for cargo space procurement and production planning. Instead of looking at each load individually, loads can be systematized and automatically bundled and booked per loading point. If several loading points have to be approached, the optimal loading sequence can be determined and booked using a business rule engine (e.g. SAP BRF+). The forwarder only needs to confirm the already planned transports.
- Just-in-time and just-in-sequence processes can also be supported with systematized planning. For example, automatic rough planning by the system can be supported by detailed planning by a transport planner. For this purpose, planners can set up a reservation for specific means of transport, products or carriers. This function ensures that required inbound processes can be planned efficiently.
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The systematic optimization of planned time slots through past and current data can also be of great interest: Data serves to be used effectively as information. Existing time slot information in the system and current loading point utilization can be used to further reduce standing and loading times. To achieve this, time slots can be assigned a score. The system simulates a loading point occupancy based on your data in order to achieve the best possible overall score for your loading points. The goal of this scoring can be, for example:
- to balance the occupancy of resources,
- to allocate time slots according to the lowest resource usage, or
- to achieve the fastest possible dispatch. -
Finally, it is a good idea to include actual data on deliveries and pickups in the forwarder evaluation. This evaluation is a possible variable in the ranking for tenders and preferential treatment:
- How exactly does a particular forwarder meet his booked time slot?
- Why are there always delays at certain times?
- How can you counteract?
Reporting
Detailed planning always requires feedback from reporting. Only through a constant target/actual comparison is it possible to make the results of planning measurable and to derive improvements.
Reassurance that the available capacity is correctly maintained at certain times can also be very helpful. Do you have too many resources on hand at certain times that could be doing other tasks during that time? Is there a regular shortfall despite planning?
Supply Chain Collaboration
The booking of time slots can save time and costs if the processes of the forwarder and the company are integrated: The time slot booking request can be sent automatically to the forwarder (for example, via EDI or e-mail). In particular, if additional information about the driver and vehicle is provided in addition to the booked time slot, this can lead to significant time savings during registration. A portal can also be set up with an overview of available gates and the option of jumping directly to the booking of time slots.
Who is allowed to change what?
In order to ensure a smooth process when booking and using time slots, rules of the game are indispensable: When may a time slot be booked and how long may it be changed?
It has proven advantageous if time slots can be changed several days in advance on the one hand, but only up to 12 or 24 hours in advance on the other. Only in this way can the shipper exploit the potential of time slot management and achieve increased planning reliability. After that, changes to the time slot are only permitted by the shipper.
User Management And Security
As soon as you integrate partners into your time slot booking process, the question of security arises. A sophisticated authorization concept must be set up to ensure that each partner only sees the information that is relevant to them.
We meet this challenge with integrated user management based on the SAP Business Partner Model.
But it is not only the unavailability of other information that should be taken into account: So-called Dark Data, which may be shared with outsiders by omitting certain information, should also be considered.
Our Conclusion: Planning Is Everything
The potential of a time window management solution can only be fully exploited if all parties involved pull together and the responsibility for the exact delivery and pickup time windows is borne equally by the forwarder, driver and client.
The possibilities offered by dovetailing processes and collaboration along the logistics chain represent an enormous potential for increasing efficiency (saving costs and time) and effectiveness (for example, in the use of resources and carrier selection).
For questions about this or other topics in the blog, please contact blog@leogistics.com.
Sascha Winde
Benedikt Martens
Jan-Philipp Horstmann
Consultants SAP Logistics
