The Data Flow Diagram (DFD) describes the relation between functions and data storage. The DFD is based on the general framework and presents the second level DFD for C. van Heezik.
Figure A7.2: DFD (part 1) of interfaces to be built for Van Heezik
P.1 Consignor P.2 Forwarder P.7 Shipper/Consignee
F.1.1 Consignment initiation F.1.2 Freight payment handling F.12.1 Shipping/ Receiving Consignment F.12.2 Loading/Unloading goods F.3.1 Order entry Orders F.16 Invoicing Orderstatus F.3.2 Order dispatching F.4.1 Order Tracking F.4.2 Order Information
P.3 Carrier / Fleet Manager IF.2
IF.38.2 IF.3
IF.5
IF.9 IF.14 IF.15
F.4.3 Reusable Equipment Registration IF.48 IF.49 IF.50 Reusable equipment IF. 51 IF.38.1 IF.52 IF.53
Figure A7.3: DFD (part 2) of interfaces to be built for Van Heezik
P.3 Carrier / Fleet Manager
F.5.1 Order Acceptance Accepted Orders Trips F.6.1 Trip Planning F.6.2 Transport Planning Vehicles / Drivers F.7.1 Vehicle / Cargo Monitoring Trip/Cargo status F.5.2 Cargo Information P.2 Forwarder F.7.2 Shipment Monitoring F.17.1 Precalculation F.17.2 Postcalculation F.17.3 Tripdata Processing P.8 Vehicle P.4 Driver
IF.14 IF.15 IF.48
IF.31 IF.16 IF.19
IF.35.1 IF.35.2 IF.51 IF.9 F.17.4 Invoicing IF.53 IF.52 IF.13
DFD parties
At C. van Heezik the following parties can be distinguished:
P.1 Consignor
The consignor is the party that issues the instruction to transport a shipment. The consignor can be subdivided into the issuing function and the paying function. The freight payer can be the same as the consignor but the payer function can also coincide with the consignee.
P.2 Forwarder
The forwarder is the party that does the account management to the consignor. In many cases the forwarder has signed a contract with a transport obligation. For these clients the forwarder searches a carrier who can transport the shipment.
P.3 Carrier/Fleet manager
The carrier has two main functions: grouping shipments into trips and assigning trailers, trucks and drivers to the trips. This last function can be outsourced to another party. So ideally the P.3 party should be subdivided into a grouping partner and a
transporting partner. However the Fleet and Cargo Management System that Van Heezik wants to install covers both functions. So for the Intact-project we will not subdivide this party.
P.4 Driver
The driver communicates via the boardcomputer either via Mobile Data
Communication or via the data cartridge. The driver is considered external to the system.
P.6 Transport Center Operator Not considered.
P.7 Shipper/Consignee
The shipper is the party that controls the pick-up of the shipment. The Consignee is the party that controls the delivery of the shipment. The loading address is the address where the goods are to be picked up. The unloading address is where the goods are to be delivered. Consignor and shipper or consignor and consignee can coincide. Also shipper and loading address and consignee and unloading address can coincide.
P.8 Vehicle and Cargo
All functions of the vehicle and cargo that are controlled and/or reported automatically via the boardcomputer reside in this party. The vehicle /cargo is considered external to the system.
Functions
The DFD for C. van Heezik is an abstract of the general framework. Only the most relevant functions (or processes) for Van Heezik are included in the model.
The first number of the sub-functions refers to the main function of the general model. The list below has been split up according to the schemes part 1 and part 2.
Part party funct. subfunc. Meaning
-1 - P.1 Consignor
F.1 Transport Order Issuing F.1.1 Consignment initiation F.1.2 Freight payment handling
P.2 Forwarder
F.3 Order Planning & Execution F.3.1 Order entry
F.3.2 Order dispatching
F.4 Order Control
F.4.1 Order tracking F.4.2 Order information
F.4.3 Reusable equipment registration
P.7 Shipper/consignee
F.12 Shipment Progress Control F.12.1 Shipping/receiving consignments F.12.2 Loading/Unloading goods
F.16 Invoicing
- 2 - P.3 Carrier / Fleet Manager
F.5 Operational Planning (Dispatching) F.5.1 Order Acceptance
F.6 Trip / Route Planning F.6.1 Trip Planning F.6.2 Transport Planning
F.17 Cost & Performance Analysis F.17.1 Precalculation
F.17.2 Postcalculation F.17.3 Tripdata Processing F.17.4 Invoicing
The description, input and output for each sub-function is as follows:
function F.1.1 Consignment initiation
description the initialization of the consignment, where the principal orders the forwarder to transport goods
input - booking confirmation (refusal) - order information
output - request for transport information - request for quotations
- transport booking
function F.1.2. Freight payment handling
description this function represents the payment handling of the consignment (freight payer is not necessarily the consignor)
input - invoice output - payment
- payment refusal function F.3.1 Order entry
description this function represents the handling of the quotations, the acceptance and registration of the order
input - transport booking output - order
- booking confirmation (refusal) function F.3.2 Order dispatching
description chooses a carrier (either inside or outside the company) to transport the shipment input - order
- confirmation or refusal of the carrier - additional costs
- invoice
output - transport instruction - freight charge information function F.4.1 Order tracking
description keeps track of the operational status of an order (loaded, transhipped, unloaded, etc.)
input - consignment status information output - order status information function F.4.2 Order information
description supplier of order information (status and/or proof of delivery) input - order status information
- POD information
- reusable equipment information
output - order status information to shipper / consignee - POD information to consignor
function F.4.3 Reusable equipment registration
description registration and control of all reusable equipment used, i.e. pallets, crates, boxes input - reusable equipment data related to the execution of the trip
output - reusable equipment overview and statistics function F.12.1 Shipping/Receiving consignments
description ships/receives the consignment and/or documents. Usually a seller/buyer relation input - order status information to shipper / consignee
- reusable equipment information to shipper / consignee output - none
function F.12.2 Loading/unloading goods description Loads/unloads the goods
input - reusable equipment data overview output - none
function F.16 Invoicing
description prepares and sends the invoices for the freight charges input - order status information
- order information (including freight charges) output - additional cost message to the consignor
- invoice to the freight payer function F.5.1 Order Acceptance
description accepts or refuses a transportation order input - transport instruction by the forwarder output - confirmation with freight charge or refusal function F.5.2 Cargo Information
description provides information about the status of a shipment, the condition of the cargo and about the reusable equipment
input - trip status information output - consignment status information
- reusable equipment information function F.6.1 Trip Planning
description groups shipments into trips or finds a best fit for a pickup shipment input - accepted orders
- current trip status for pickup assignments - trip information
output - trip result information function F.6.2 Transport Planning
description assigns trucks, trailers and drivers to a trip or hires capacity from another transport operator.
input - trip information
- trip status information for economic availability - consignment information
- technical availability of resources and material
output - (un)loading orders to driver (download into boardcomputer or via MDC) - planning information (driver/vehicle related to trip)
- allocating availability of resources and material function F.17.1 Precalculation
description calculating costs before executing the trip to support the decision making process. One possibility is reporting on the marginal costs of picking up and delivering the shipment based on the calculated extra time and kilometers
input - pre-calculated trip data
- pricing information on hours, km’s and charters - freight charges
function F.17.2 Post-calculation
description calculating costs and charges after executing the trip input - real trip data
- pricing information on hours, km’s and charters - freight charges
output - post-calculated trip result function F.17.3 Tripdata processing
description (black-box) information from the driver and the vehicle is processed and related to the trips planned
input - drivers information (hours, expenses)
- cargo information (goods, reusable equipment) - vehicle information (fuel, km’s)
output - (trip) driver data - (trip) vehicle data
- (trip) reusable equipment data function F.17.4 Invoicing
description invoicing of carrier activities and extra expenses to the forwarder; in the case of one company, this could be an internal invoice
input - trip data output - (internal) invoice
- extra expenses
Assignment of functions to suppliers
The functions in the domain P.2 Forwarder are covered by Interchain.
The functions within P.3 Carrier/Fleet manager are covered by PTV with the exception of F.17.2 Postcalculation (Interchain), F.17.4 Invoicing (Interchain) and F.17.3 Tripdata Processing (MobiCoach).