This document summarizes a presentation given at the Courier & Parcel Logistics Conference Post Expo in London from September 29th to October 2nd, 2008. The presentation discusses challenges with cross docking centers and the "black hole" effect where goods get stuck. It also reviews how companies like DHL and Schenker have implemented integrated systems using RFID to track goods and trucks in real-time, improving visibility and efficiency. Looking to the future, the presentation envisions a fully integrated approach using radio identification and automated systems to continuously track goods and coordinate truck and dock operations from arrival to departure.

1. Courier & Parcel Logistics Conference
Post Expo
London Excel, Sept 29th- Oct 2nd 2008
Cross Docking Centres:
The Black Hole
Sébastien Leichtnam
Business Development Manager
Crawford Group

2. About Crawford :
Crawford offers expertise to solve Flow and
Facility Management issues at Logistics
facilities
Organisation / Project 2

3. About Crawford :
Our roots are in the Door and Docking equipment
business.
To support our customers we have
developed an extensive service
organisation.
Organisation / Project 3

4. Supply Chain Performance :
Superior performance is
attainable when a company can
integrate the Plan, Source,
Make, Deliver, and Return
processes of its supply chain
operations.
Source: PMG Benchmarking: Supply chain performance indicator
Organisation / Project 4

5. The Integration
Process managed
Organisation / Project 5

6. So what?
• The flow of goods is managed.
• The flow of trucks is managed.
But the coordination
between these two is poor!
Organisation / Project 6

7. Impact on the supply chain infrastructure
We see the following having considerable cost impact
• DC and Transport and Distribution process alignment
• Waiting times 88% Longer then 60 minutes
52% Between 60-90 minutes
36% Over 120 minutes
• Destination / Flow focussed preparation
• Resource utilization
• Daylight or (low congested) night time operations
• Idle time management
• Industrialization
Source: Agility
Organisation / Project 7

8. 44 Major Warehouse Management Systems
have been reviewed:
Support dock management 55%
Knows the content of the trucks arriving 59%
Is able to lock time of arrival 52%
Is able to lock time of departure 64%
All of them have undoubted value but in isolation only.
None of them provide a fully integrated approach.
Source: Frauenhofer IML
Organisation / Project 8

9. 44 Major WMS reviewed:
The same situation exists in the assignment of dock and doors
Manually 75%
Automatically by agreed time 23%
Consider delivery of urgently needed goods 14%
Consider driving distance in warehouse 25%
Source: Frauenhofer IML
Organisation / Project 9

10. The DHL set up:
Source DHL/ Andrew Kings RFID at DHL
Organisation / Project 10

11. The DHL Sweden set up:
Real time input bay activity
Real time input truck activity
Organisation / Project 11

12. Warehouse manager & transport planners have full visibility.
Organisation / Project 12

13. The Schenker Sweden set up:
Schenker integrated the system into their Facility Managment Software
Organisation / Project 13

14. Data is now available to transport planner & maintenance managers
Organisation / Project 14

15. How do we see the Future ?
Organisation / Project 15

16. The Future:
Truck with Radio Identification
Truck with ID card
Input:
Input: Identify the truck
Identify the truck arrival
Gate Gives Estimated Time of Arrival ( ETA)
Card Reader Gives Time Arrival ( TA)
Input:
Antenna Truck in position/ Not in position
User Door Open / Closed
Gate / Card System Terminals Shelter On / Off
System
Usage / Error Signal
User Terminals
Gate screen Info:
Info: Incoming Trucks
Load house nr: … PTA,ETA, TA
Go to Parking Control Box Outgoing truck:
Contact Transport Leader Planed time of
Door Door processing
Destination
Manual Input
Dock Leveller
Shelter
Dock Terminal Info:
ID Panel
Incoming Trucks
Programmed time of Arrival ( PTA)
Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA)
Time of Arrival ( TA)
Outgoing truck:
Planed time of processing
Destination
Organisation / Project 16

17. The Future:
Organisation / Project 17

18. Delayed trucks Planned loading Time line
Programmed transport
Docking stations
Organisation / Project 18

19. Organisation / Project 19

20. The Future:
Organisation / Project 20

21. By concentrating on the root cause of the issues we can
design, in Partnership with the Users, solutions that will
improve not only visibility and effiency on cross docking
operations but also work quality of the planner and
shopfloor personnel.
Organisation / Project 21

22. Thank you!
For more information do not hesitate to
contact me:
Sebastien Leichtnam
Business Development Manager
Crawford Group
Sebastien.leichtnam@crawfordsolutions.com
+46 705 80 12 40
Organisation / Project 22