Easing supply chain labour shortage woes and reducing GHG emissions

Real-time supply chain visibility platform, FourKites, is today launching a new product called ‘Slot Manager’ Europe-wide, a universal time slot booking solution.

The cloud-based solution helps warehouses, distribution centres and manufacturing facilities collaborate efficiently on pick-up and receiving time slots, saving time and improving daily operations and partner relationships. In addition, the configurable solution allows shippers and carriers to eliminate excess dwell time on site, eliminating detention fees and significantly reducing carbon emissions.

Time slot management is a notoriously time-consuming task for shippers and carriers alike. With carrier dwell averaging up to 4.35 hours per day – or nearly half of a driver’s time – Slot Manager improves facility productivity and reduces carrier wait time by more than 50%. Highly configurable for personalised requirements, Slot Manager enables shippers and carriers to collaborate in real-time, and allows carriers to self-book their preferred time slot based on real-time transit conditions, thereby eliminating hours of daily administrative work and error-prone manual processes.

Slot Manager is an extension of FourKites’ Appointment ManagerSM, launched more than two years ago.

“This solution helps shippers across the globe optimise end-to-end visibility, efficiency and sustainability, as well as adapt quickly as their business needs change,” commented Mathew Elenjickal, FourKites Founder and CEO. “We’re thrilled to be launching Slot Manager in Europe, specifically tailored to the needs of local facilities.”

In addition, FourKites has partnered with French transportation solutions firm IER, a Blue Systems entity (Bolloré Group), to facilitate integrated implementation in Europe, driving greater efficiency for both carriers and facilities. The partnership combines IER’s leading standard of facility hardware technology with facility processes for automated check-in and check-out. When combined with FourKites’ advanced data capture and processing capabilities, the companies’ combined pre-configured integration offers a fast, turnkey facility solution for customers.

“We chose to partner with FourKites due to their globally recognised data quality and their commitment to delivering that data back to customers with actionable insights,” explained Christophe Levy, Chief Executive Officer of IER’s Track & Trace Unit. “By combining FourKites’ advanced supply chain intelligence capabilities with our leading facility hardware capabilities, we offer a seamlessly integrated solution that helps customers achieve immediate results for their business.”