Shipping KPIs
Summary
Seven KPIs measure outbound. They all need the shipping module and can all be split by customer (and so shown in their portal). None can be filtered by operator: the shipment does not record who did each step.
Where the data comes from
- Requested ship date: entered by the warehouse, by the customer in their portal or by their system through the API. See Creating a shipment.
- Ship date: when the shipment is closed. See Closing a shipment.
- Loaded quantity per line against the ordered one.
- Creation time and allocation time of the shipment.
Each KPI
| KPI | Unit | Better when | Benchmark | Range by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-time shipping | % | higher | 97% | requested date |
| Line fill rate | % | higher | 98% | ship date |
| Unit fill rate | % | higher | 98% | ship date |
| Short lines | count | lower | — | ship date |
| Complete and on time | % | higher | 95% | requested date |
| Order cycle time | hours | lower | 48 h | ship date |
| Warehouse processing | hours | lower | 24 h | ship date |
| Late shipments | count | lower | 0 | today's snapshot |
On-time shipping
Formula: shipments closed on or before their requested date ÷ shipments whose requested date falls in the range (excluding cancelled) × 100.
A shipment already past due that has not left counts as not on time. One with no requested date counts nowhere. The comparison is by day: leaving on the requested day, at any hour, is on time.
Fill rate and short lines
- Line fill rate: lines of closed shipments where everything ordered was loaded ÷ all lines of those shipments.
- Unit fill rate: units loaded ÷ units ordered, capped at 100%. Loading extra does not go above 100.
- Short lines: how many lines went out with less than ordered.
A 10-line shipment with one line short by 2 pieces out of 100 gives 90% by line and 99.8% by unit. That is why it is worth looking at both.
Complete and on time
Same group as on-time shipping, but only shipments that left on time and with no short line count as good. It does not measure damage or paperwork errors: it is not a full "perfect order".
Order cycle time and warehouse processing
- Order cycle time: average hours from shipment creation to departure. It includes waiting because the customer asked for a later day.
- Warehouse processing: average hours from allocation to departure. The part that depends on the warehouse.
Late shipments
How many shipments today have a requested date in the past and are neither closed nor cancelled. It is a snapshot: it does not use the date range and has no comparison. With a single one, the card turns red.
Worked example
In September, Northern Trading Co. had 40 shipments requested within the month: 36 left on time, 2 left one day late and 2 are still open past due.
- On-time shipping: 36 ÷ 40 = 90% (red against 97%).
- Of the 36 on time, 3 went out with a short line: complete and on time = 33 ÷ 40 = 82.5%.
- Late shipments today: 2.
- The 38 that left had 190 lines, 4 short: line fill rate = 186 ÷ 190 = 97.9%.
What moves each number in the operation
- Close the shipment in the system when the truck leaves, not the next day: the ship date is the close.
- Enter the real requested date. A date set early "just in case" penalizes the KPI for no reason.
- Allocate as soon as there is stock: warehouse processing starts counting at allocation.
- Check the late shipments card every morning.
Frequently asked questions
A late shipment does not show in late shipments
It has no requested date. Without it, the system cannot know it is late. Enter it on the shipment.
Do cancelled shipments count?
They do not count in on-time shipping or late shipments. Today, a deleted (not cancelled) shipment can still count in late shipments and in the shipments-per-period chart; if you see one that should not be there, let us know.
Need help?
If something did not work as expected, our support team can help you.
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