How can companies help with their Food logistics save costs? Answer A: with the use of multi-chamber systems in the vehicles. Answer B: with the optimisation of processes prior to delivery, more precisely with the Order picking in the depot. The solution lies in a combination of A and B! Intelligent route planning software optimally coordinates the processes of transport and warehouse logistics so that the entire supply chain can run smoothly.
Mastering complex requirements in food logistics
Ordered today - delivered tomorrow: In line with the challenges that the transport of (frozen) chilled and fresh food poses to the Route Planning a high degree of complexity goes hand in hand with food logistics. Nevertheless, the quality must be right, especially in sectors that work with food. This already begins with the ordering of goods. Since the orders are released in a continuous process after they are placed, continuous picking is necessary in the warehouse. So the warehouse employee assembles the ordered food and brings it to the truck loading bay - in other words, a gate where the tour usually departs. Sounds quite uncomplicated, but it only works in theory. Because this is where the loading of multi-chamber vehicles - i.e. the optimal distribution of the required frozen, chilled and fresh capacities - comes into play. In view of fluctuating orders and variable assortment sizes, this becomes all the more complex. Manually rescheduling the daily logistics is a feat that those responsible cannot and do not want to do all the time.
Automatically calculate capacities for food logistics
Frozen, chilled, fresh: the size of these three units can be variably adjusted in a multi-chamber vehicle. Depending on the ordering behaviour of the customers and the services offered, the logistics requirements vary daily. Depending on the situation, dispatchers have to decide, for example, whether twelve frozen and six fresh elements are needed on a tour or vice versa. And this calculation and adjustment task is taken over by the route planning: a conventional solution works exclusively with static vehicle capacities; intelligent route planning software, on the other hand, analyses the orders and makes use of the fact that the individual chambers can be tempered as desired. It is therefore already clear in advance how the vehicle must be loaded and the contract logistics can be planned more easily. The recipient can thus adapt his picking processes at an early stage.
TransIT provides comprehensive digital support for temperature-controlled transports: the software has algorithms that can be used to configure the loading of the vehicle individually and in the best possible way every day. The basis for the planning is always the customer orders. In addition, TransIT identifies the number of rollies or pallets to be delivered and the capacity of the variable fillable chambers of the trucks. The delivery quantities in the different temperature ranges can change dynamically from day to day, but also between individual gates. The gts solution then decides how best to reallocate the chambers in the vehicle and which goods are stowed where. Basically, the better the route planning, the lower the transport costs and the fewer manual corrections to the routes are required in day-to-day operations. This also reduces manual errors in logistics to a minimum.
Optimum utilisation of vehicles for food logistics
For this, however, the framework tour planning must first be in place. For companies, this means clearly defining the assignments: from customers to tours or vehicles as well as the assignment of these tours to gates or ramps of the warehouse based on historical order data. This way, the picker knows the right door for the respective orders and TransIT can adequately schedule all goods the evening before. To ensure that not too many customers are assigned to a tour and that the driver can accommodate all the foodstuffs, the planning of the framework tour is based on average order quantities. As a rule, this allows the driver to stow all the products provided to him in the vehicle and deliver them. The result: a utilisation rate of 80 to 90 or more percent. A consistently high level of utilisation, but not overload, speaks for the quality of the framework tour planning. It also means that all tours are utilised as evenly as possible in terms of time and are optimally divided geographically. Nevertheless, rescheduling can sometimes occur in day-to-day operations. If a vehicle is overloaded or underloaded despite optimised framework tours, TransIT manages this automatically with the help of intelligent algorithms. In other words, the software decides for each tour which orders are to be shifted to other tours. The system generates repacking lists for this purpose. The result: less chaos when repacking, minimally rescheduled tours and continued maximum efficiency of the entire logistics!
You work in food logistics yourself? And your multi-chamber vehicles could be better utilised? Get in touch with us Contact: Together we develop a concept for getting your food to the customer in the best possible way.
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