Swissport Cargo Services is the first ground handler at Brussels Airport’s cargo hub to use the Nallian truck Slot Booking app together with a kiosk system for self-registration.
The introduction of Slot Booking for trucks empowered the ground handler to smoothen peaks, reduce stress for operational staff, provide better service and plan staff more efficiently.
Eliminating ‘superpeaks’
Prior to using Slot Booking, peak times at Swissport’s premises would equal long waiting times, heavy discussions on whom should be served first and a lot of stress for acceptance staff.
Today, the app is channeling activity as it enables trucking companies and freight forwarders to reserve time slots for their pick ups or deliveries, with slots made available by the handler according to his availability.
Said Tom Lepage, Quality Manager at Swissport Cargo Services: “One of the major benefits is that we now have visibility on who is coming when. We still face peak times, but we have eliminated the so-called ‘superpeaks’. For example, we’ll still see a lot of activity between 7 and 10.30 a.m., but trucks will no longer all show up at 7 a.m. sharp.”
A smooth, digital acceptance process
The acceptance zone has been closed off, with a priority lane for drivers who arrive with a booked slot. “Drivers very quickly adopted the system and no longer question the order in which they are being served. This has dramatically reduced stress for our acceptance staff,” added Lepage.
The digital flow of the Slot Booking app and kiosk registration system has also accelerated the acceptance process. Drivers first register at the kiosk, which is fully integrated with BRUcloud and the Slot Booking app. They are automatically shown their booked slot(s), which significantly reduces admin and paperwork.
Better planning of manpower
Having visibility on planned pick ups and deliveries makes it also easier to organize manpower in line with actual demand. Lepage: “In particular off peak and during night shifts this allows us to better plan our resources, so we always have the right amount of staff available to ensure our customers quality service.”
Fast adoption
According to Lucas Deschouwer, Operations Support Manager: “the Slot Booking app is a very intuitive, easy-to-use system. In just a couple of weeks we had all users up and running. We are very much looking forward to integrate the Slot Booking app with the Freight Management app, one of the other landside management apps on the BRUcloud platform.
“This will give us even more granular visibility on what freight will be picked up and delivered when and by whom and enable us to work in a fully pro-active mode.
“Also, in 2021 we will start operating from our new warehouse facilities, which will increase our overall capacity and means we’ll be able to make more Slot Booking gates available.”
