Time slot management software often has a reputation for sounding great in theory but failing in practice because delivery partners—such as suppliers, carriers, or even your own customers—refuse to use it. It is common for companies to implement a time slot management system, only to find that the majority of deliveries are still being handled via Excel, phone, or even fax. Simply because that is "the way we have always done it."

This creates a significant amount of extra work, as a great deal of effort has already been invested in a complex implementation, yet you are left with an additional system that only covers some—but not all—of your inbound or outbound shipments.

But why is it actually so difficult to convince delivery partners to use time slot management software? And is there perhaps a way to make it work better?  

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The carrier: Extra work with no benefits

To answer this question, it is best to start with the carrier. Carriers are under immense time and cost pressure and usually have to plan many different routes in the early morning hours. It is therefore easy to understand why, in such an environment, additional software imposed by a customer is not exactly welcomed with open arms.  

This is especially true since it is often not their first time slot management software. Large corporate clients frequently force their own proprietary systems onto all their delivery partners. As a result, in addition to the classic Excel and phone chaos, carriers often have to juggle two or three other time slot systems from major clients, none of which are known for their user-friendliness. It usually starts with a tedious account creation process, only to be followed by a multi-click process for every simple booking—all, of course, with the aesthetic charm of SAP R3.

So, let’s be clear: for the carrier, the customer's new software just means further fragmentation of their existing system landscape. Especially since traditional time slot management software provides no insight into the actual situation at the yard. Questions like:

• Was my driver able to keep the booked time slot?
• Is the receiving company sticking to the time slot?
• Can I guarantee the on-time delivery of all subsequent stops?

Can often only be answered by calling the driver. If that call is made, the frustration often grows even further. Despite booking through the system and arriving on time, unloading is delayed because two other trucks are already in line that didn't book through the system at all. This not only delays the current transport but also creates immense coordination effort for all subsequent shipments. Consequently, the attitude quickly spreads among all carriers that you are at a disadvantage if you book a time slot, as you will clearly be unloaded even without one.  

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Collaboration platforms are the future

When you put yourself in the carrier's shoes, it quickly becomes clear why traditional time slot management software fails to deliver the promised benefits: carriers gain no advantage from the software and therefore do not use it. Of course, logistics managers know this, as they are in close contact with their carriers and sympathize with their situation.  

So, how can it be done better? The key to success clearly lies in ensuring that the share of registered deliveries per warehouse exceeds a critical threshold. In our experience, this is around 80%. From that point on, your own logistics operations benefit from smoother processes, resulting in faster unloading and less stressed staff. Carriers clearly benefit from faster turnaround times, which is directly reflected in their margins and is very easy to measure. Another advantage is significantly faster processing and more accurate route planning, without the stress of constant rescheduling.  

Read here: How hidden champion DEBATIN managed to register over 90% of all incoming goods.