Cross-docking time window

Cross-dock order lines that must be generated must be for inbound order lines that have a planned receipt date that tallies with the planned delivery date of the outbound order line, taking into account the cross-dock lead time that lies between these two dates. If the cross-dock lead-time is subtracted from the planned delivery date of the outbound order line, the result is the planned receipt date of inbound order lines that can be considered for linking to a cross-dock order.

Being expressed in seconds, an inbound order line's planned receipt date will never exactly match the planned delivery date of an outbound order line. Therefore, inbound order lines must be taken into account with a planned receipt date that is shortly before or after this calculated date. For this purpose, you can specify minimum and maximum time tolerances in the Generate Cross-dock Orders (whinh6200m000) session, which creates a time window for the planned receipt date. As a result, all inbound order lines that have a planned receipt date that is within this time window are taken into account for cross-dock order line creation.

If you set both the minimum and maximum time tolerances to zero, LN ignores the time window.

Example

The following figure shows lead-time calculation without a time window.

Explanation

  • The cross-dock lead time is planned backward from the planned delivery date of the cross-dock order (= outbound order line) to obtain the calculated planned receipt date.
  • The inbound order line that is received on this date/time (only one) is taken into account for creation of cross-dock order lines.

Example

The following figure shows lead-time calculation with a time window.

Explanation

  • The vertical line to the left of the calculated planned receipt date indicates the minimum time tolerance, while the vertical line to the right of the calculated planned receipt date indicates the maximum time tolerance.

  • In this case, other inbound order lines are taken into account as well for creation of cross-dock order lines. Some goods might be received before the calculated receipt date, others after the calculated receipt date:

    • Goods that will be received earlier can be cross-docked and shipped earlier, or will have to wait at the receiving or staging location to be shipped on the planned delivery date.
    • Goods that will be received after the calculated receipt date, but within the time window, will also be cross-docked for this cross-dock order. These goods are already too late for shipment, but still cross-docking is faster than in-bounding and out-bounding the goods.
  • Inbound order lines with a planned receipt date that falls outside the time window will not be taken into account for this cross-dock order, but might be taken into account for another cross-dock order. This other cross-dock order is for another outbound order line that might have another planned delivery date. This results in another calculated planned receipt date and a shifted time window.

The order in which inbound order lines are linked to a cross-dock order is as follows:

  1. Inbound order lines that were already received.

    The time window is not taken into account.

  2. Remaining inbound order lines.

    These lines are linked according to their planned receipt dates. Inbound order lines with the earliest planned receipt dates will be linked first. Here, the time window is taken into account.

Note: 
  • Your line of business determines how time tolerances are set. Best results will be achieved by trial and error.
  • Time tolerances can be expressed in hours or days.
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