Transport - Logistics - In Depth

The de Facto S5 Transport module is a key component for enabling fully integrated Supply Chain Management for your business. Its automated Load, Drop and Route Planning will give your Logistics operations increased efficiency. Together with flexible features for handling of Transport Requests and Cost Optimisation, S5's Transport module provides a comprehensive range of powerful facilities for any business which involves the distribution of goods.

The de Facto S5 Transport module is fully integrated with the other Logistics Suite modules of Stock Control, Sales Order Processing and Purchase Order Processing, as well as the Financial Suite and Production, Costing and CRM modules. The Transport module benefits from all the key features found across the Logistics module.

One or more transport requests can be generated from sales orders, purchase orders or stock transfers. These requests will hold collection and delivery details and times, along with a list of the goods to be moved.

Transport requests can be created manually, automatically or prompted for at the end of order entry. The user may select a haulier and rate at the time or leave the transport manager to do this at a later date. The transport request has space for detailed notes and instructions regarding specific collection or drop-off points.

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Transport Request

de Facto S5 Transport Requests can be either free generated or automatically generated from any type of transaction, for example from sales or purchase orders, or from warehouse transfers.

Each delivery address and therefore sales order can be assigned to a default delivery route. The delivery addresses can then have default delivery routes and drop times for each day. These delivery routes can then be used as defaults for the load planning.

Load Planning provides a window for the transport manager, which allows them to display a range of loads and unassigned transport requests, which have yet to be assigned to loads. Transport planning can be done in any units, such as kilos, tonnes or pallets. Each created load can be assigned a capacity and the planning window then allows the transport manager to view the free capacity on the planned loads.

Once a load has been built, the drop order can be defined and a transport instruction issued to the haulier, along with a detailed load manifest if required.

Load Despatching allows the transport manager to integrate the despatching of a load with the despatching function of the sales order processing. Thus once a load has been despatched then all of the deliveries on that load will automatically be despatched.

The transport costs associated with a particular load and its individual transport requests are allocated to the individual collections and deliveries involved in the load. When sales order deliveries are invoiced and the cost of sales posted, an automatic transport accrual will be made. For purchase order receipts, the accrual will be made as part of the landed costs function.

The transport module provides a facility for matching transport invoices against the loads and requests and therefore accruals that have been made. This will allow a purchase ledger invoice to then be posted and the transport accruals removed.

The de Facto S5 transport module provides comprehensive EDI / XML facilities. EDI can be handled for incoming invoices, delivery confirmations and outgoing orders and transport instructions.

de Facto S5 is fully eServices enabled. As such, a haulier could be given access to transport planning data or volume information via the web site.

All transaction types when posted are immediately updated to the respective ledgers including the nominal ledger. Automated postings for such items as stock, cost of sales, work in progress, accrual accounting are made. All postings are defined via sophisticated "Nominal interfaces" which control the selection of nominal accounts and cost centres for stock accounts or adjustment codes etc.

de Facto S5 offers standard facilities for defining multiple levels of analysis codes on all types of records and transactions at both header and detail levels. These codes can have user-definable titles and choice lists. Many standard reports can then use these analysis codes to select and sort data.

The de Facto S5 Transport module has been further developed to provide flexible features for the optimal cost based selection of carrier / haulier. The system is able to hold and compare a number of schedules, each with its individual distance and rate banding, and to use this data to highlight the lowest cost solution for the delivery needs.

The de Facto S5 Transport module has been further developed to provide flexible features for the optimal cost based selection of carrier / haulier. The system is able to hold and compare a number of schedules, each with its individual distance and rate banding, and to use this data to highlight the lowest cost solution for the delivery needs.

The Transport 'Assign Request to Load' window now has column headings 'Load No', 'Reference' and 'Status' which allow sorting of the list. The Reference list sorts either in numerical or alphabetical order. Where the references are alphanumeric then the sort is according to the 1st digit.

Each of the categories listed below will have multiple versions exploiting the many options that the standard reports provide.

In addition to Transport specific reports, de Facto S5 provides a comprehensive series of Standard Reports, many of which can be easily parameter driven by the user. S5 further provides the Vistas feature, which are a powerful and easy way of selecting, sorting, displaying and working with data from either single or multiple tables.