The ramp interface still in focus
At retail warehouses the ramp is the central point of interaction between transport services providers and retailers. It has never been such a frequently and intensively addressed topic at lectures and discussions as it was in 2008.
The main reason for this are the new EU regulations concerning driving personnel introduced in April 2007. Very long idle times outside the ramp have long been a bone of contention between consignors, transport services providers and retailers. In light of the new regulations governing working hours, driving and rest periods, as well as the stringent documentation obligations in Germany, the topic is becoming even more contentious.
The problem of long waiting times outside and at the ramps – especially of full-range suppliers – has several causes:
- Time slots are too narrow and inflexible; if these are not adhered to exactly, on-time goods handling cannot be guaranteed.
- Not enough warehouse staff; drivers have to see to unloading and the handling of exchange pallets themselves.
- Coordination deficits between purchasing and logistics. These mean that in weeks containing a bank holiday or peak periods (special offers) staff handling incoming goods are unable to cope.
Waiting times and the additional costs they generate are often passed on to transport operators. DACHSER Food Logistics is looking to find solutions through constructive discussions. In 2008 these took the form of presentations at the EHI Retail Institute and GS1 Germany annual logistics congress, in the German BWVL industrial association, at the DVZ logistics newspaper symposium, as well as the transport logistics committee of the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics, IML.
However, it won’t be possible to effectively optimize the overall logistics process as long as supply chain participants are only interested in realizing short-term cost benefits for themselves. Optimization requires all stakeholders to cooperate trustfully and accept that it generates costs which must be fairly distributed.
The following measures can increase efficiency, even without consolidation gains:
- More extensive and flexible delivery times (also at night)
- Full-coverage bilateral agreements on fixed time slots for regular deliveries
- Online booking of delivery time slots and IT-assisted infeed control
- Separation of information and goods flows
- Communication of general consignee-specific delivery specifications (times, equipment)
- Advice note containing consignee-specific prescribed information (purchase order number, delivery note number, consignee ILN)
- Foresighted unloading staff planning
- Separation of pulling units from the load containers at the warehouse
- Separate delivery of refrigerated and dry goods ranges or combined unloading of mixed ranges
- Advance information about special offers in good time
- Capacity-optimized goods ordering
The extra effort is worthwhile. Procurement logistics concepts based on a detailed analysis of the process chain and showing clearly defined processes and stakeholder responsibilities can be useful pointers for possible solutions. For shipments handled by DACHSER Food Logistics alone, even a half-hour reduction in waiting times would generate a productivity gain of several million euros a year.
overview eLetter 01/2009
