When the shipments and their associated information arrive at the hub, a critical race begins. Warehouse staff rushes to unload shipments and begin consolidation. Data entry staff rushes to input all the shipping documentation in time to support the outbound consolidation. If the data entry staff cannot keep up, shipments languish. The same information delays plague delivery operations.
Drivers deliver shipments throughout their shifts, accumulating written information.
Until the driver returns the documentation at the end of the shift, billing and customer service departments do not know what has happened. Two technology tools integrated into transportation systems will prevent information delays from slowing commodity movement and enhance customer service levels. First, efficient data capture techniques acquire data in the field without distracting workers from other tasks. Paper-based messaging allows drivers to accurately input entire bills of lading in less than one second. A 2-D bar code symbol currently deployed in other industries provides an efficient technique for capturing shipment data in the field.