Company’s challenge
The main challenge is to automate the process of estimating the number of linear meters needed to load a client order, and to minimize the associated transportation costs. This requires to:
- Design in synergy the palletizing of packages on pallets of optimized size and the arrangement of pallets in the truck to minimize the required floor space in the truck;
- Take into account stackability constraints (some products can be stacked, others can’t) and stack stability;
- Combine pallets and bulky products or products of heterogeneous size (cylinders, large sizes, etc.);
- Plan last-in-first-out positioning in case of multiple delivery points.
Solution provided
The loading plan support tool has made it possible to automate and relieve the tedious work of the expert, which required several hours per day, while making it more reliable (less packages remaining at the dock) and visually verifiable (2D and 3D views of the loading plan).The benefits were also economic, with better filling rates (+15% / truck) and an optimization of the choice of truck size to request for a client order.The App also has a commercial interest, allowing at the time of the client order to simulate its loading plan in real time and thus suggest completing the order if there is space left in the truck has been requested.
