Introduction
In logistics, gates are essential for managing the movement of vehicles at warehouses, distribution centers, or loading docks. Proper gate management ensures operations run smoothly, minimizing delays and bottlenecks.
Poor gate allocation, on the other hand, could lead into the following challenges:
Congestion: Too many vehicles arriving at the same time can overwhelm gates, causing delays.
Inefficiencies: Rigid schedules often can’t adapt to real-world conditions like traffic or last-minute changes.
To address these issues, Mover introduces Flexible Departures and Post Gate Allocation - tools designed to improve gate usage and streamline scheduling.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
The differences between Fixed and Flexible Departures.
How Post Gate Allocation resolves scheduling conflicts.
Step-by-step instructions to configure these features in Mover’s TMS.
What Are Fixed Departures, Flexible Departures, and Post Gate Allocation (and Why They Matter) ?
Mover’s TMS equips you with three essential tools to streamline gate scheduling and optimize route planning. Here’s an overview:
Fixed Departures: Routes are scheduled to leave at specific, predefined times, ensuring a steady and consistent flow. This method is straightforward and works well for operations with predictable schedules.
Flexible Departures: This feature allows vehicles to depart within a designated time window rather than sticking to strict intervals. It prevents idle time and adapts to real-world changes like traffic or last-minute updates.
Post Gate Allocation: When vehicles are scheduled for the same gate at overlapping times, this tool automatically adjusts their departure schedules to resolve conflicts. It helps to eliminate scheduling clashes, ensures smooth operations, and maximizes gate usage without manual intervention.
Getting Started
How to set up fixed departures?
Fixed Departures ensure that routes leave at predefined times. Here's how you can configure them:
Navigate to Route Planning > Rule Sets > Departure Times in TMS.
Select the gate and define:
a. Earliest Arrival and Latest Arrival times.
b. Time Between Each Departure (e.g., 15 minutes)
Example Configuration:
Earliest Arrival: 06:30
Latest Arrival: 07:30
Time Between Departures: 15 minutes
This will generate fixed departure times such as:
06:30
06:45
07:00
07:15
How to enable Flexible Departures?
Flexible Departures allow routes to depart anytime within the gate’s availability window. To configure:
Navigate to Route Planning > Rule Sets > Route Creation.
Add the tag Flex:X to your route creation settings:
X: Maximum number of routes allowed to depart during the gate's availability window.
Example Configuration:
For a gate open from 06:30 to 07:30 with Flex:2:
Two routes can leave at any time between 06:30 and 07:30.
Key Benefit:
This flexibility enables better route optimization while ignoring the Time Between Each Departure constraint
Handling overlaping schedules with post gate allocation
While Flexible Departures offer greater scheduling flexibility, overlapping routes at the same gate can still create challenges. This is where Post Gate Allocation steps in, automatically resolving conflicts by adjusting departure times to fit within the gate’s capacity.
How Post Gate Allocation Works:
The system starts with the latest scheduled departures and works backward to adjust overlapping times, ensuring smooth operations.
It eliminates manual rescheduling and ensures that gates are used efficiently.
a. X: Maximum number of routes per gate.
b. Y: Time adjustment in minutes.
Configuring Post Gate Allocation
In order to configure Post Gate Allocation, use the PostGateAllocationV2:X tag to manage gate capacity:
X: The maximum number of routes allowed per gate during the designated time window.
Example Configuration:
PostGateAllocationV2:3
This setting allows up to 3 routes per gate during the specified time frame.
By automatically resolving conflicts, Post Gate Allocation keeps operations running smoothly and ensures optimal gate utilization without added effort.
Conclusion
Mover’s Flexible Departures and Post Gate Allocation features allow you to create dynamic and cost-effective route plans while maintaining smooth gate operations. By combining flexibility with robust conflict resolution, you can streamline your logistics and achieve greater efficiency.
Ready to optimize your routes? Start by setting up Flexible Departures and enabling Post Gate Allocation today!