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H A D T SHOWCASE S O F T W A R E N 2012 E C S T Centralized Dispatch Offices for Grocery Fleets FL H R C A SFEL 1S0T0U V EYN D O R D P T O E N O L O G Y D V I P R O E I f you believe that some of your dispatch offces are operating at less than full capacity, especially during evenings and weekends then you may want to consider centralizing dispatch operations. A Centralized Dispatch Offce (CDO) manages the dispatch operations of two or more traditional dispatch offces remotely. The most obvious beneft of centralizing dispatch operations is an immediate reduction in headcount. Additional benefts include a more standardized dispatch process and better scalability for new sites. How Does It Work? How does a centralized dispatch offce work? Depending on the model, planning for scheduling and resource assignments can be done centrally or remain at the local level. Either way, in the real world the actual dispatch event still occurs locally in real time. A driver is still going to need to have access to everything he required before centralization such as trip sheets, paperwork, keys, seal tags and whatever else you use in your operations. The dispatch event must be recorded centrally the moment it takes place locally. This is the notion of a remote dispatch. In an automated process, the driver can be informed of any last minute changes or additional instructions prior to leaving the DC. In this example, a driver walks up and swipes his ID badge to identify himself to the system. He is shown his assignment on the touch screen prior to printing it off. Optional confgurations allow for various driver rules such as the ability to select a trip from a list of available loads. Broadcast communication capabilities can help to standardize processes. For example, safety messages that the driver must acknowledge can be communicated consistently via an automated kiosk. Simultaneous Multi-site Visibility It is critical to understand the difference between a single multi-site system that 52 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 ��� FOOD LOGISTICS is centralized vs. several instances of a system run centrally. Understand whether or not your current Dispatch System is designed to support a Centralized Dispatch Offce before you start. Otherwise you may introduce the challenges of centralization without realizing any benefts. You���ll need a Dispatch System that integrates multiple distribution centers into a single multi-site database. This allows you to manage sites individually or take advantage of multi-site tools to manage multiple sites simultaneously. A centralized dispatch coordinator must be able to view, edit and dispatch trips for multiple sites, not only from a single location, but ideally from within a single screen of the application. Your dispatch system should support functions that promote the resolving of problems before they exist. For example, it would be good to know if you have 5 drivers coming into a particular site to start their shift in an hour but there are only 3 loads ready to go. Of visa versa where you may have 5 loads that need to leave in one hour but only 3 drivers scheduled to start within the hour, or you only have 3 tractors available, etc. Ideally your system can provide an enterprise overview to clearly indicate any imbalance of resources well in advance. Having this automated foresight allows a centralized dispatch coordinator a fghting chance to resolve these kinds of issues before they become critical. The dispatcher needs to be able to see what���s going on at each local site as well so multiple monitors are really a necessity. They���ll also need the ability to easily toggle camera views from one site to the next. Ideally your camera system will support a split screen view of each local dispatch offce simultaneously and allow the dispatcher to expand whichever view he requires. The result is enterprise visibility and control of all transportation data at the central dispatch facility while drivers still have access to the timely information they need to complete their jobs in the feld. A properly managed centralized dispatch conversion can greatly reduce a company���s need for full time dispatch personnel at multiple locations and dramatically reduce transportation costs without compromising customer service levels. 210-109 Braid Street New Westminster, BC V3L 5H4 Canada 1-866-699-CAMS (2267) www.camspro.com www.foodlogistics.com