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AirPharm Logistics is a logistics chain founded in Barcelona with centers in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Leon, Guadalajara, Basel, Budapest, Dubai, and Montevideo. It offers freight transport, logistics and distribution, customs service, and outsourcing services to companies in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and fine chemicals industries.
Problem: Ad-hoc time slots management
Before implementing GoRamp, Airpharm relied on a highly manual and disorganized system for managing time slots and dock scheduling at their warehouses. Communication between the transport and warehouse departments was conducted primarily through phone calls and blackboards, resulting in a lack of visibility and coordination. This ad-hoc approach led to several challenges, including:
Lack of centralized scheduling and communication: Without a shared platform, the transport and warehouse teams had to rely on phone calls, blackboards, and other ad-hoc methods to coordinate dock schedules and truck arrivals. This not only created communication barriers but also made it difficult to maintain real-time visibility into dock availability and workload.
Inefficient dock utilization: The absence of a structured scheduling system often led to dock congestion, with trucks arriving at random times or without prior notification. This resulted in long queues of trucks waiting to be unloaded, causing delays and potential violations of driver hours-of-service regulations.
Warehouse capacity constraints: With no clear visibility into the anticipated workload, warehouse managers struggled to plan and allocate resources effectively. This could lead to situations where the warehouse was either overwhelmed or underutilized, impacting productivity and efficiency.
Lack of data and reporting: The manual nature of the existing system made it challenging to capture and analyze data related to dock schedules, truck arrivals, and warehouse throughput. This limited Airpharm's ability to identify bottlenecks, measure performance, and make data-driven decisions to improve operations.
Error-prone processes: Relying on manual methods increased the likelihood of human errors, such as miscommunication, double-booking, or overlooking critical information. These errors could disrupt workflows, causing further delays and potentially impacting customer satisfaction.
Siloed operations: The lack of a centralized system fostered a siloed approach, with the transport and warehouse departments operating independently and lacking a unified view of operations. This hindered collaboration, resource sharing, and the ability to respond quickly to changes or disruptions.
These issues impacted operational efficiency and had the potential to affect customer satisfaction and incur additional costs.
A centralized Dock Scheduling solution
Recognizing the need for a more streamlined and integrated approach, Airpharm decided to implement GoRamp’s dock scheduling and yard management solution. The key factors that attracted them to GoRamp included:
1. A centralized platform for transport and warehouse teams to collaborate and share real-time information.
2. Visual representation of dock schedules, allowing for better planning and resource allocation.
3. Ability to manage warehouse capacity and workload more effectively.
4. Potential for process automation and integration with other systems.
The implementation process took approximately three months to roll out across four warehouses. Initially, there was a learning curve and some internal resistance to adopting the new system, as it required a cultural shift and alignment between departments. However, as the teams gained more knowledge and experience with GoRamp, the process became smoother and more efficient.
Achieving operational excellence for Airpharm
“The communication between transport department and warehouse is going a lot better. They can fill the spaces they need and can manage the number of pallets which warehouse can operate in the day. Everything now is working better in the case of visibility people have to work with. The trucks are now leaving more on time because warehouse managers now know the real capacity of work, loads, and pallets they are dealing with in a day” - Rubén Navarro
After implementing GoRamp, Airpharm experienced significant improvements in their daily operations and workflows:
1. Enhanced communication and visibility: The transport and warehouse departments now have a shared platform for scheduling and information sharing, eliminating the need for manual coordination and reducing the risk of miscommunication.
2. Improved dock utilization and truck scheduling: With a clear view of dock availability and warehouse capacity, trucks are scheduled more efficiently, resulting in fewer trucks waiting to be unloaded.
3. Better resource planning and workload management: Warehouse managers can now effectively plan and allocate resources based on the anticipated workload, leading to improved productivity and operational efficiency.
4. Timely deliveries: By having a more organized and streamlined process, trucks are leaving on time, improving overall logistics and delivery performance.
5. Reduced quality costs: With fewer trucks waiting and better coordination, Airpharm has experienced a reduction in associated quality costs.
While the initial focus was on streamlining operations and improving communication, Airpharm also recognizes the potential for further integration and data-driven decision-making using GoRamp. They plan to expand the implementation to a 5th warehouse in Switzerland and explore GoRamp’s additional features such as API integration and dashboards for monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs).
Overall, the implementation of GoRamp has transformed Airpharm's dock scheduling processes, enabling better collaboration, visibility, and operational efficiency across their warehouses.
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