Revolution in the Warehousing Operation Industry

Malmo, Sweden, June 30, 2007 --(PR.com)-- The main challenge for supply chain professionals today is having the goods at the right place at the right time and for the right price. To make this happen, the bottleneck in the dock area, where carriers spend a lot of time waiting for available doors, has to be removed. As a solution, Crawford introduces Crawford 101 Dock Management - a system for efficient coordination of truck traffic and warehouse operations.

Efficient handling of goods saves time and money both for the shipping companies and the carriers. Many shippers have realized the importance of having a good relationship with the carriers, and offer them therefore a number of services to make the supply chain more cost efficient. Crawford 101 Dock Management is an excellent tool that supports these services and in the end improves warehouse efficiency by up to 20%.

Reduce waiting time
Carriers waste up to 25% of their time waiting for loading and unloading at available dock bays. To solve this problem, some shippers extend the opening hours of the facilities, making the most of the facilities’ capacity. Yet, this solution means additional costs, i.e. for hiring more personnel. Crawford 101 Dock Management makes the most of the facility capacity during regular opening hours, by leading truck traffic to available dock bays. Using an intelligent dock bay reservation system, it reduces the truck waiting time by up to 20%.

Plan capacity with transport forecasts
By forecasting the movement of goods, the carriers can plan their capacity according to the expected needs. Crawford 101 Dock Management collects statistics for the flow of goods, loading and occupancy time and sequences per loading bay at the warehouses or logistics centres. These statistics are an important input for estimating the capacity needed in terms of truck loads and warehouse space, giving more accurate forecasts.

Evaluate performance
To make the handling of goods more efficient, shippers not only evaluate the performance of the carriers, but also how well their own operations and facilities meet the requirements of the carriers. Using Crawford 101 Dock Management important information about the facility performance can be extracted and used in this evaluation.

Crawford 101 Dock Management - key benefits
All in all, Crawford 101 Dock Management is the perfect decision support software, fulfilling several crucial needs of supply chain professionals. Some of the key benefits are:

· Up to 20% improved warehouse efficiency
· Up to 20% reduced truck waiting time
· Environmentally friendly - reducing carbon dioxide emissions and energy losses
· Improved yard management
· Less than one year payback time

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