First, due to the predictive nature of most dock scheduling software, your staff can become more prepared for surges or dips in expected activity. With prior knowledge to expected daily activity staffing levels can be adjusted to an appropriate level, where no labor is wasted. This may help reduce overall labor costs in your facility.
Implementing dock scheduling software also helps to increase the productivity of your dock area overall. With more efficient scheduling using software an increase of up to 50% may be possible.
Dock scheduling software is implemented, in many cases, as a tool to simplify existing processes. When attempting to manage multiple docks using a paper-based process, many details can fall between the cracks and making changes to existing plans are, in many cases, more difficult. Dock scheduling software is highly adaptive and allows users to make changes to plans much more easily than when using paper and pen. It also makes setting up shipping appointments simpler for shippers using an online portal rather than calling your office.
Costs may also be reduced by using dock appointment scheduling. Driver retention fees are common and easily avoided by comparing recorded data of check-in, unload time and departure with shipper records. Businesses not utilizing dock appointment tracking tools have no record to compare against when paying fees from shippers. Costs from out-of-stock fees may also be reduced by maintaining more accurate inventory forecasting. Knowing what is arriving in advance helps significantly.
Lastly, dock congestion can be reduced by a more accurate and up-to-date schedule of inbound and outbound deliveries. More accurate slotting reduces trucks waiting at dock doors and in parking areas. This congestion slows the processing of expected shipments, delaying all following shipments.