Scheduling Orders for DSD Trucks
When using the Direct Store Delivery (DSD) application to deliver Sales Orders, planning routes is an important practice used to maximize efficiency of the company's drivers and time. DEACOM has many tools within the Sales Inventory Calendar to assist in planning routes each day.
The Sales Inventory Calendar shows a Calendar with scheduled Sales Orders appearing in the day they are scheduled to be delivered, along with a bottom portion of unscheduled orders. The Calendar utilizes a drag and drop format for moving orders around based on inventory available and planning routes.
Configuration
Refer to the Using the DSD Application page for Configuration information.
Process
What options should be configured prior to using DSD?
Restrictions - There are restrictions available for use within DSD on the Part and Ship-to levels. On each Part, managed through Item Master, there are two flags: (1) "Saleable through DSD" and (2) "Returnable through DSD". In order for the part to be added to an order on an active route on the device, both flags must be checked off. For a Bill-to and/or Ship-to to display when entering an order in DSD, both the Bill-to and Ship-to records must have their “Usable in DSD” flag on the Customers > General tab checked off.
Signature requirements - There are two places in DEACOM to manage whether or not a signature is required when shipping a Sales Order using DSD:
- On the Customers > General tab of a Ship-to Company, there is a flag titled “Require DSD Signature”. If this flag is checked, when shipping orders for the selected Ship-to Company, the application will require a signature, regardless of any other system options.
- For each DEACOM user, there is a user security setting of “DSD -- ship without signature”. If this is set to No, all Sales Orders shipped by this user in DSD will require a signature. If set to Yes, only Sales Orders with a Ship-to flagged with "Require DSD Signature" will require a signature upon shipping in DSD. For more information on configuring individual user security settings, refer to Managing Users and User Security.
How can DSD speed and efficiency be increased?
- Using DSD in Offline mode - DSD can be used in airplane mode (offline) to speed up transactions. Once the route is ready to be “ended”, the device must be switched back to WiFi or Cellular Data (preferably WiFi) in order to End the Route. The End Route process synchronizes with the customer's database, which will then show the Sales Orders as shipped in the main application. The End Route function must be done with a connection on the device.
- Using the Sales Inventory Calendar - DEACOM has many tools within the Sales Inventory Calendar to assist in planning routes each day. The Sales Inventory Calendar shows a Calendar with scheduled Sales Orders appearing in the day they are scheduled to be delivered, along with a bottom portion of unscheduled orders. The Calendar utilizes a drag and drop format for moving orders around based on inventory available and planning routes.
- Using the Daily Sales Calendar Map - The Calendar Detail form (accessed by double clicking on a scheduled Sales Order) contains a "Map" button. Clicking this button will open Google Maps and show all scheduled Ship-to locations. The Ship-to location color will be based on sales order Ship Via. This allows a Shipping Manager to make sure that scheduled routes are optimized. Hovering over an icon in the map displays the Ship Via name, order number, the Ship-to Customer name, and the address of the Ship-to Customer.
- Using GS1-128 barcodes - In order to easily count items while unloading trucks at Facilities, GS1-128 barcodes can be utilized. This ensures that all items that are supposed to be there, are there, and that all quantities are correct. To use the scanning function, a special DSD attachment is required (as the scanning does not use the device's camera) and the barcodes must be configured with the Part, quantity, and lot information and printed out. While in the DSD Lines to Ship form, locate the sign (either a plus or minus) displayed in the top right corner of the form. When scanning barcodes in the Lines to Ship form, if "+" is displayed, the system will add lines or increment the current quantity to existing lines. If "-" is displayed, the system will decrement and remove the line. For more information, refer to the Creating Barcodes for Warehouse Transactions page.
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How is DSD inventory managed?
When using DSD to ship orders, the inventory must be moved or reserved to the trucks in the main application before routes can be started and orders can be shipped. The process for managing inventory in DSD is performed through Inventory > Pre-Staging. For more information, refer to the Managing DSD Inventory page.
Loading trucks via DEACOM allows for users to reserve or move inventory to a list of Sales Orders in bulk based on the Ship Via on the order. This process makes it more efficient to reserve to a Ship Via (Route, truck, etc.) in one step instead of reserving to each order individually, which in turn allows for trucks to go out the door faster. For steps on how to complete this process, refer to the Loading Trucks page.
FAQ & Diagnostic Tips
Tip: When creating a Sales Order in the DSD mobile application, the Ship Via Method on the selected Ship-to will be defaulted to the "Ship Via" field on the Misc 1 tab on the Sales Order.
Tip: When shipping an order through the DSD application, the Ship Via Method on the order will be set to the DSD Ship Via Method as specified in "Route Options".
Can I pre-stage inventory that has not been created yet?
No, the purpose of pre-staging is to take raw materials that already exist in regular inventory and move them into the Staging inventory bucket.
I moved some parts into Staging by mistake. Can they be moved back to regular inventory as a group?
No, the parts must be moved out of Staging individually. Run a Lots report, set to a view of Staging, and use the "Move Inventory" button. For more information, refer to the Moving Inventory page.