|
|
Comprehensive Shipment Scheduling and Consolidation Solution
For Advanced Logistics Management
|
The definition of quality shipping process has been changed, it is not just about
meeting delivery times at any cost. As a customer, you probably would be irritated
to see a half-empty container or trailer at your gate, asking rhetorical question
"Who is paying for all that air ?".
Instead of insisting on a particular delivery date and time, you would rather offer
your carriers a reasonable flexibility, letting them consolidate your shipments and
may be shipments of your neighbors, so you can share the savings all together.
|
|
|
Easy to say - not so easy to do. Shippers want to play it safe. No one will re-load a
whole trailer to re-arrange the shipments just because a few boxes didn't make it in.
Add an extra complexity for drop-offs sequencing, various priorities for shipments,
special handling rules, and the whole situation is almost out of control.
If all that sounds familiar, ShipmentPlanner is for you. One man said:
"Don't work hard, work smart" - that is what we will help you to achieve.
|
|
ShipmentPlanner defines a new category among business process management and
optimization tools - an Intelligent Shipment Scheduling and Consolidation Solution.
|
|
ShipmentPlanner was built around LoadPlannerTM -
an advanced load planning and optimization system, designed to handle a complex variety
of business rules and constraints.
While LoadPlanner addresses the fundamental problem of any transportation process - 3D
Load Configuration, ShipmentPlanner takes it one step further, expanding the scope of
traditional load planning by bringing a new dimension into its problem domain - the TIME.
|
|
|
Life is not just black-and-white, or yes-or-no; it's more complex than that.
There are plenty of other colors, "maybes" or "whynots" - use them at your advantage.
Instead of a fixed shipping time, ShipmentPlanner encourages its users to define
for each shipment a set of time windows with different priorities.
For example: assume that for a given shipment the "ideal" shipping date is "2008-02-15".
Delaying this shipment by one day is acceptable, advancing the shipment by one day is
less preferred, and as a last resort we can delay the shipment by two days.
|
| -2: |
2008-02-14 - |
2008-02-14 |
| 0: |
2008-02-15 - |
2008-02-15 |
| 1: |
2008-02-16 - |
2008-02-16 |
| 3: |
2008-02-17 - |
2008-02-17 |
|
|
A numeric index is used to define the relative priority of a time window. Zero value
of the index indicates "ideal" shipping time. Negative index values define priorities
for "advancing" shipping times, positive index values define priorities for "delayed"
shipping times. Greater absolute value of the index means lesser degree of preference
for this time window to be used by the shipment.
|
|
We use "color coding" for the time window according to the index values.
Negative (cold) colored as blue, positive (warm) colored as red, zero (neutral) is
colored as green. With multiple values of the index coloring of the time window will
use proportional mix of green and a blue or red, depending on a signum of the index.
In this example the first time window is 2/3 blue and 1/3 green; the second is pure
green; the third is 2/3 green and 1/3 red, and the last time window is pure red.
|
|
During shipment consolidation, "prime" time windows will be used as a first choice.
If for some reason "priority" date cannot be used (for example when it is impossible
to build a full truck load) the next alternative time window will be tried.
A typical set of shipments projected in time may look like following:
|
| Shipment |
2008-02-14 |
2008-02-15 |
2008-02-16 |
2008-02-17 |
2008-02-18 |
2008-02-19 |
2008-02-20 |
2008-02-21 |
2008-02-22 |
2008-02-23 |
| A-123 |
-2 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
|
| B-234 |
|
-2 |
-1 |
0 |
1 |
|
| C-345 |
|
-2 |
-1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
|
| D-456 |
|
-2 |
-1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
| E-567 |
|
-1 |
0 |
1 |
|
|
|
ShipmentPlanner will combine all shipments for a "green" date into a single
consolidated shipment. If combined shipments are not enough to satisfy constraints
for a full load, additional shipments will be added to the combination according to
the defined priorities. This process will continue until all shipments are scheduled
and properly loaded.
|
|
ShipmentPlanner creates detailed load configurations for all scheduled shipments
ensuring feasibility of the shipment plan and maximum utilization of the available
load space of the trailer or container.
ShipmentPlanner will honor other business rules and constraints, such as sequencing,
priority, grouping, compatibility, stackability, orientations and many others.
|
|
|
Diagrams for created load configurations can be evaluated using interactive 3D graphic
tools, and supplied as a part of the standard shipping documentation, simplifying load
handling and customs clearance procedures.
ShipmentPlanner enables its users to take full advantage of every opportunity in the
complex shipping process, making it efficient, manageable, sustainable and predictable.
For additional information contact us at
info@shipmentplanner.com
|
|
|
Copyright © 2008 Optimum Logistics, LLC
|
|
