Bill of Lading
Document items shipped by scanning a barcode
SageData is based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
An accurate record of items being shipped is required - to manage the items, and for insurance and allocation of responsibility purposes. With BassetPro, a Bill of Lading can be created automatically simply by scanning barcodes, either a single barcode on a shipping document produced during the picking processo or by scanning the cartons, crates, or pallets to be transferred.
The BOL offers signature capture to confirm each transfer of responsibility, and, for internal transfers, the BOL can be easily accessed and used at the destination where items can be individually tracked as they are unloaded. This is a simple process to ensure that an accurate document is produced for all transfers.
SDS developed an electronic Bill of Lading (BOL) that is accessible on mobile data collectors to help clients that ship / transport valuable items from one location, for example, a warehouse to another.
The transportation of the items may involve third party trucks, thus introducing potential complexity in case of an investigation into missing or damaged items. Some clients require Bill of Lading in order to obtain insurance for the shipment.
The Bill of Lading is an essential tool to capture the fact that the intended items were loaded by a designated person on a specific truck driven by a driver who's name and signature are recorded as well. It goes without saying that the originating warehouse, the destination, as well as the date and time of loading are also captured.
At the intended destination, the Bill of Lading enables a receiver to verify whether all the items listed on the BOL were delivered and unloaded. All the receiver needs to do in order to bring the BOL on screen of a mobile data collector, is to scan the first item that comes off the truck. This will immediately display the BOL information on the screen of the mobile data collector with a listing for all items in the truck. The mobile data collector will display item by item progress as the unloading process progresses.
When all the items are unloaded, the receiver signs electronically and closes the BOL. The mobile data collector will alert the receiver if any of the shipped items are unaccounted for or, an unexpected item, that was not listed on the BOL, was unloaded.
In other words, our BOL implementation accounts for possible human errors that may occur in the process of shipping. It is designed for real life, for use by human beings, that sometimes make real mistakes. It will work with them, help them, point out the potential errors, and suggest the best resolution.
A warehouse supervisor is able to follow the loading/unloading process closely by referring to a report where all BOL information is reflected.
If your business might benefit from the Bill of Lading, we would be very happy to discuss your needs, and provide assistance.
If you found this useful, you might also want to review:
- an introduction to WMS - warehouse management system
- an introduction to asset management
- an introduction to BassetPro software solution
- consulting services: barcodes and
their applications
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