In a distribution environment where supply chains are stretched, the adoption of planned cross docking can help delivery efficiency and also labor reduction in the warehouse for receiving.
By tightly coupling transportation management and material allocation processes and events, the efficiencies afforded by Planned Cross Docking may be additionally complemented when RFID is used. Usually companies cross dock using two main policies- opportunistic and planned. Planned cross docking is done much earlier on in the lifecycle of a demand and is a great example of demand driven fulfillment. One of the uses is when companies target the reduction of working capital by reducing layover when the material sits idle in the DC.
When cross docking against an inbound shipment it is important that the epc be cross referenced against the LPN, Serial, Pallet etc so that the rfid putaway or receipt or checkout in the yard can be automated. Transportation events can be synchronized with the fulfillment system to leverage this enhanced global visibility and improve fulfillment rates and perfect fulfillment targets.
Additionally, by synchronizing events between the demand matching and the Transportation Planning and Execution System, exceptions with the shipment be they delays, damages or cancellations can be reacted to so that the Perfect Order can be achieved in terms of one of it's main level-2 metrics, which is On Time Delivery.
If cross docking is performed in a Yard which has been enabled for RFID/EPC CheckIn and CheckOut, the process may be even more efficient especially if crossdocked items form a major volume of shipments.
