Our team was tasked to design and implement a solution for a client that would drive Load Building functionality with Recommended Shipments from Blue Yonder’s Fulfillment application.
Through a detailed analysis, we ended up selecting the TMS as the engine for Load Building these RecShips from Fulfillment. The end solution was well-received and offered the client extremely flexible and robust configurability to distribution planning while utilizing constraint-based optimization to help generate a more realistic plan.
Looking at the RecShip as an ‘Order’ for a specific SKU/Origin/Destination in the TMS, we receive a large batch of RecShip ‘Orders’ representing a mix of deployment orders for manufactured products.
Utilizing the TMS’ more robust constraints such as Equipment Capacities, Product-Equipment Compatibilities, Location Constraints, Trailer Capacity Constraints, and others – we were able to generate prioritized, constrained Vehicle Loads and Vehicle Load Lines in Fulfillment that would not have been possible using BTL.
Three Unique Objectives
There were three unique objectives that needed to be satisfied during the load building process.
- The first objective was to prioritize the RecShip based on a combination of the SchedShipDate, NeedArrivDate and AvailtoShip date. This prioritization was customized logic that was written into the interface between Fulfillment and the TMS. The logic was different for manufactured items compared to purchased items and utilized a combination of the TMS solver and Semi-Fixed Trip functionality.
- The second objective was to limit the number of pallets of a specific hazardous material to each load that was built. Third, we needed the ability to build loads with material on partial pallets. The key to this was that the client knew in most cases material on partial pallets would not be not enough to fill a truck. So the load needed to be filled with full pallet material after all of the partial pallets were added.
- This third objective was the key reason that the client opted to build the loads in the TMS instead of using BTL. Because any material could be placed on a partial pallet depending on the source, destination, and current sales volume, the material was not the key factor in determining if it was to be counted as a partial or full pallet.
Instead, we chose to use Transmode in Fulfillment. Using BTL, we weren’t able to put multiple Transmodes (Partial Pallet and Standard) onto one load. However, within Transport we were able to combine the two Transmodes onto one load – therefore filling a partial pallet truck with full pallet items.
We also extended this Transmode logic to some of our purchased items to separate certain groups of items from a supplier into unique loads.
Once the loads were generated in the TMS, they were interfaced back to Fulfillment and then to SAP as STOs or POs. Although the client chose to build loads in the TMS, we set up all of the appropriate tables in Fulfillment so that the client would be able to view the loads in Load Manager.
In summary, this was a great example of a joint design and integration effort between two different applications – that actually complement one another very well. I’ll be anxious to work on even tighter integration between Fulfillment and TMS, and also try to streamline the PO/STO create process in SAP.
About the Author
Brad Forester, CEO of JBF, is a highly recognized senior supply chain leader with over 23 years managing, designing, and implementing freight transport technology, Brad has a unique mix of carrier, shipper, software, and consulting experiences that benefit clients. With functional expertise in Global TMS Programs, Change Management, Organizational Design, and Systems Integration, he has been leveraging these skills to benefit clients since he founded JBF in 2003. Brad has a BA in logistics management from Michigan State University.
About JBF Consulting
Since 2003, we’ve been helping shippers of all sizes and across many industries select, implement and squeeze as much value as possible out of their logistics systems. We speak your language — not consultant-speak – and we get to know you. Our leadership team has over 100 years of logistics and TMS implementation experience. Because we operate in a niche — we’re not all things to all people — our team members have a very specialized skill set: logistics operations experience + transportation technology + communication and problem-solving skills + a bunch of other cool stuff.
