Distribution Master Scheduling Software=Efficiency and profit
March 6th, 2009. Published under Software. No Comments.
For years, scheduling software has been optimizing job shops, labor, production lines as well as truck, airline and bus scheduling. It is nothing new. But what is new is an integrated look at scheduling the aspects of distribution – Distribution Master Scheduling. Distribution Master Scheduling sequences and decides everything: from where to put product as it comes off the production line, to the best place from which to ship a customer order, and what time the truck should be at the dock.
Distribution Master Scheduling software overcomes the complexity of dealing with: 1) Many data sources – for example, future orders that are in the order management system as well as current orders already in the warehouse execution system; 2) Multiple, and often conflicting constraints from a limited number of dock doors to warehouse opening time; 3) Managing the time it takes to perform actions – for example, getting product from a remote building requires time for loading, transit, unloading and quality check; 4) Different silos – people and departments that control everything from what gets produced to labor availability.
The Distribution Master Scheduling software must deal with the complexity while minimizing cost as well as meeting requirements for the customer from on-time delivery in full shipments.
This software provides some substantial benefits. Procter & Gamble announced a $3 million dollar annual savings at just one site. P&G together with Transportation | Warehouse Optimization developed scheduling software called AutoScheduler. This software will drive distribution decisions and tell the Warehouse Management System what to do and when to do it. But it does much more than that. A key factor for P&G, customer service improved as trucks contained everything that was ordered and left on schedule.
An additional benefit is being able to react to everyday changes in today’s just-in-time environment. Large ERP systems mostly work in daily time buckets. Hence, the ability to deploy product just in time is beyond their capabilities. Additionally, when things change, like a scheduled line does not run or a delivery is delayed, re-planning distribution operations are a manual nightmare. Distribution Master Scheduling software overcomes these issues.
The epitome of the best Distribution Master Scheduling software application is that it deals with a series of dependent events that include a chain of decisions made by the software. For example, to load a customer shipment, several factors have to be considered. Picking the product is the first thing, receiving it before that, etc., etc. The software has to manage around constraints such as: 1-labor availability on product shortages; 2-since a product ages, picking the product that ages first before it reaches expiration date and placing that in priority shipment order before newer materials; 3- interface with many different systems.
While it is clear that mostly large companies benefit from managing distribution with scheduling software, mid-sized and even small operations can gain huge benefits from the kinds of reports and pro-active provisions of information. After all, efficiently managing complexity is not just for the biggest companies.
Working for many companies in the top Fortune 50 ” like Procter & Gamble and BP ” they understand your unique problems and can help you solve them. Contact www.TransportationOptimization.com today.