Manufacturing and industry

Delivery scheduling for the factory: booked loading docks for manufacturing

Production never stops because a delivery went wrong. Material arrives in the sequence production needs, drivers check in securely in their own language with a documented rule acceptance, and every deviation is logged per supplier.

Sound familiar?

Four patterns that disrupt production at factories without booked deliveries.

Material in the wrong order

Production needs deliveries in sequence, but trucks arrive when it suits the carrier. Forklift drivers reprioritize, and buffer stock grows as insurance.

Goods reception disrupts production

When several trucks arrive at once, people are pulled off the line to unload. Every peak at the loading dock becomes a disturbance inside the factory.

Shift changes lose information

What the morning shift knows about today's deliveries does not follow into the afternoon shift. Without a shared schedule, every shift starts from scratch.

No data per supplier

Which suppliers and carriers deliver on time to which site? Without bookings there is no record, neither for purchasing nor for the freight contracts.

How Dockai solves it

Two products in one system: Flow Management controls the booking and the flow, Arrival Management handles the arrival, from check-in to done.

Carriers book for themselves, within your rules

You define loading docks, opening hours, capacity and durations per job type. Carriers book in an easy portal that cannot book wrong: right dock, right time, no overbooking.

Deliveries at production's pace

Arrivals are spread and sequenced by what production needs, not by the carriers' routes. The schedule shows the whole day per dock, and recurring deliveries are entered once.

Secure check-in with documented rule acceptance

On a factory site, safety rules are non-negotiable. The driver checks in on a tablet or computer in your reception area: booking, reference code and mobile number are verified, and your safety and protection rules are shown and accepted with a documented record, AI-translated into the driver's own language. You always know who is inside the gate and that the rules got through.

Digital queue and contact-free call-up

After check-in the driver waits in the cab instead of at the desk. Staff see the queue in real time and call the next truck in by SMS when a dock is free, with restrictions so the right truck ends up at the right dock. The status flow, arrived, at dock, done, is logged automatically.

Deviation data as negotiating evidence

Planned is compared with actual: punctuality per carrier, waiting times, time at dock. When contracts come up for renewal you bring numbers instead of recollections.

Multi-site from day one

The same system, rules and follow-up across several facilities, including different countries and time zones. Dockai runs today at warehouses in Sweden and factories across Europe.

The effect at existing customers

20%

Less dock staffing

A level flow instead of sizing for the worst hour. Existing customers report up to 20% lower staffing needs.

100%

Traceable transports

Every arrival, wait and deviation is logged per carrier and booking.

70%

Less coordination

Carriers book for themselves. The hours of email and phone are freed up.

Common questions from warehouses and distribution

We receive both booked and unbooked deliveries. Does that work?

Yes. Unbooked arrivals are handled at check-in and slotted in where the schedule has gaps. Over time the booked share tends to grow by itself, because booked trucks are handled faster.

Do all carriers have to join from the start?

No. Start with the biggest flows: a handful of carriers often account for most arrivals. The rest can be phased in as the routine settles.

How does this relate to our WMS?

Dockai controls the meeting between carrier and loading dock; your WMS controls what happens inside the warehouse. The systems complement each other and can be connected via API whenever you want, but Dockai delivers full value standalone. Read more in the dock scheduling guide.

See Dockai on your own flow

Book a 30-minute demo, using your volumes and loading docks as the starting point.

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