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In our previous post on date and time within D365, we explored date and time control for purchase and sales orders. In this post, we’ll jump right into the entities we’re focused on here: loads and appointments.

Load

The load refers to a unit of transportation that consolidates one or more shipments for delivery. It can represent anything from a shipping container or a truckload to an individual package sent via postal service. Therefore, the field dates are very important for the entity for transportation purposes.

Load header date fields

Scheduled Load Shipping Date and Time

What it means: This is the planned date and time for the load to leave the warehouse.

How it's used: This date helps the warehouse team know when to prepare the items for shipment and schedule transportation.

Business view: This helps the warehouse prepare the items on time so they're ready to leave as planned.

Calculation: If the load is created from a sales order, the values are inherited from that sales order. Otherwise, the warehouse manager or logistics coordinator will input this date based on customer requirements and internal planning.

Note: This is a one-time update; the system will not update these fields on the load even if the sales order date information changes afterward.

Load Arrival Date and Time

What it means: This is the estimated date and time for the load to arrive at the customer's location.

How it's used: This date informs the warehouse and the customer about when to expect the delivery.

Business view: Knowing the expected arrival time helps with planning at both the warehouse and the customer's site, ensuring that resources are available for receiving the load.

Calculation – system calculated: Scheduled Load Shipping Date and Time + lead time

ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival)

What it means: ETA refers to the projected date and time that the load is expected to arrive at its destination.

How it's used: It provides a more dynamic estimate that can be updated as the shipment progresses.

Business view: This is mainly used by the transport department and customer service to monitor and facilitate communication between customers and carriers.

Calculation: The ETA is inherited based on the purchase order requested reception when used for inbound. For outbound, this is user input; the logistics coordinator will input this date based on the estimated Remaining Transit Time provided by the carrier.

Required Sail Date and Time

What it means: Relevant for transport by sea, This is the date and time by which the load must leave port to meet the customer's requested delivery timeframe.

How it's used: It sets a deadline for the warehouse and transportation team to ensure the load is dispatched on time.

Business view: The required sail date is essential for planning shipments that rely on sea freight schedules, helping to ensure the load arrives at the destination port in time to meet customer expectations.

Calculation: this is user input, based on information the shipping line shares.

Sail UTC Date and Time

What it means: The same as the precedent, this is relevant for sea freight. It is the date and time of the scheduled sailing, recorded in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The shipping line communicates this information.

How it's used: It allows teams in various locations and time zones to coordinate around a standardized sailing schedule.

Business view: Using UTC for sailing times makes it easier for teams in different countries to communicate about shipping schedules, no matter their local time zones. This is important because sea freight often crosses several time zones and stays in transit long.

Cut-Off Date and Time

What it means: This is the latest date and time the load must be dispatched to meet delivery deadlines.

How it's used: The final deadline for preparing and shipping the load.

Business view: The cut-off date is critical for planning logistics and ensuring shipments arrive on time.

Calculation: This is user input, where the calculation should be scheduled Load Shipping Date and Time − Preparation Time, Where Preparation Time is a buffer period required for picking, packing, and dispatching.

Load Shipped Confirmation Date and Time

What it means: This is the date and time when the load was officially confirmed as shipped from the warehouse.

How it's used: This date marks the start of the transit period and can be communicated to the customer.

Business view: The shipping confirmation date provides visibility into the shipment status, ensuring that both the warehouse and customer are informed about when the order has departed, aiding in delivery planning.

Calculation: The load shipped confirmation date and time filed from the load are updated when the driver's checkout is completed during the appointment scheduling or when the shipment is confirmed if no appointment is used on this load.

Appointment

Planned Start Date/Time at Location

What it means: This is the scheduled date and time when loading or unloading is expected to start at a specific location.

How it's used: It helps the location prepare for when the load arrives and begins processing.

How it is calculated: If the appointment is created from the load, these fields will inherit the value from the load Scheduled Load Shipping Date and Time field. When made from the appointment scheduling in the transportation module, the fields will be updated with today's date.  Otherwise, the user typically inputs this during the appointment scheduling process. The calculation is going to be the same for all the other fields listed below.

Planned Start Date and Time

What it means: This is the planned start time for handling the load, not tied to a specific location.

How it's used: It indicates when the process should begin, even if it's not yet at a particular site.

Planned End Date/Time at Location

What it means: This is the date and time when loading or unloading is expected to finish at the specific location.

How it's used: It tells the team when the process should be completed, allowing for better planning of subsequent tasks.

Planned End Date and Time

What it means: This is the expected end time for processing the load and is not limited to one location.

How it's used: It helps everyone know when the load should be fully processed and ready for the next step.

Business view: Defining the planned start and end dates/times for loading and unloading is essential for ensuring efficient operations, particularly in transportation, where teams frequently operate in various time zones. This is why there are two separate fields for pick-up and delivery locations. These dates help teams coordinate activities, manage resources, and maintain a steady workflow. By clearly stating when loading and unloading should start and finish, everyone involved can better plan their schedules and minimize delays.

If the appointment is created from the load, these fields will inherit the value from the load Scheduled Load Shipping Date and Time field. When made from the appointment scheduling in the transportation module, the fields will be updated with today's date.

From this point, any manual update on the load will no longer be reflected on the appointment.

Conclusion

If you've followed along in the series, hopefully you are now getting a clearer picture of the date and time field structure and flow in D365. There's a lot that can be used out of the box, and knowing how it all flows is key to avoiding unecessary customizations (or at least customizing it in the right way). For more information on how to use these fields in your logistics operations, don't hesitate to reach out to us on our website!