Production can work hard to finish an order on time, only for it to sit in the finished goods area for days because the packing material ran out, the invoice was not ready, the vehicle did not arrive or nobody noticed the order was complete. Customers judge manufacturers by when goods arrive, not when they were produced. Dispatch planning is the last step in the delivery promise, and it deserves the same attention as production planning.
Common dispatch problems
- Orders ready but not dispatched because nobody checked.
- Partial dispatches that were not agreed with the customer.
- Wrong items or quantities loaded.
- Missing documents, certificates or labels.
- Vehicles arriving late or under-utilised.
- No proof of delivery when the customer disputes receipt.
- Sales unable to tell the customer where the order is.
Order readiness
Dispatch planning starts with knowing which order lines are ready or about to be ready. For each line, readiness depends on finished goods quantity produced and inspected, quantity already dispatched, customer approvals (such as pre-dispatch inspection), packing and documentation. A readiness view — by customer, due date and priority — lets the dispatch team plan days ahead rather than reacting on the day.
The dispatch plan
A daily and weekly dispatch plan lists what will ship, when, to whom and by which vehicle or transporter. It balances customer due dates, priorities, vehicle capacity, routes and loading bay availability. It should be shared with production (to finish the right items first), stores (to pick and pack), accounts (to prepare invoices) and sales (to inform customers).
Picking and packing
Pick lists generated from the dispatch plan tell stores exactly what to pick, from which location, with batch or serial numbers where traceability matters. Scanning barcodes during picking prevents wrong items. Packing instructions — customer-specific packaging, labels, quantities per box, pallet patterns — should be attached to the order, not remembered. Packing lists and labels are generated from what was actually packed.
Documents
Each dispatch may need a delivery note, packing list, invoice, test or conformity certificates, labels and any statutory transport documents. Generating them from order, packing and quality data avoids retyping and mismatches. A checklist per customer ensures nothing is forgotten — a missing certificate can stop goods at the customer's receiving gate.
Vehicles and loading
Whether you use your own vehicles or transporters, plan vehicle requests in advance with expected load size and destinations. Record vehicle arrival, loading start and finish, and departure. Loading checks — items and quantities against the packing list, condition, securing — prevent errors and damage. Photos of the loaded vehicle are a simple, valuable record.
Tracking and proof of delivery
After departure, customers want to know where their goods are. Record vehicle and driver details, expected delivery date and, where available, tracking links. On delivery, capture proof: receiver's name, signature, date and time, photos, and notes about shortages or damage. A phone app for drivers or a simple upload by transporters makes this practical. Proof of delivery linked to the invoice speeds up collections and settles disputes.
Measuring dispatch performance
- On-time in-full (OTIF) — share of order lines delivered on the promised date in the full quantity.
- Time from production completion to dispatch.
- Dispatch errors — wrong item, quantity or document.
- Vehicle utilisation and freight cost per unit or per order.
- Customer complaints related to delivery and packing.
Analysing late deliveries by cause — production late, material shortage, quality hold, documents, transport — shows where to improve.
Connecting dispatch to the rest of the business
Dispatch is the meeting point of sales orders, production, inventory, quality and accounts. When these share one system, readiness is visible automatically, stock is deducted correctly, invoices are created from dispatch data, and sales can answer customer questions without phone calls. Integration with transport partners' systems depends on what they offer.
Example
A manufacturer of electrical panels found that its on-time delivery figure was much lower than its on-time production figure: finished panels were waiting for test certificates, packing crates and invoices. A dispatch module was introduced with a readiness board per order line, a daily dispatch plan shared with production, quality, stores and accounts, automatic generation of packing lists and certificates, and proof of delivery captured by drivers on their phones. The gap between production completion and dispatch fell from several days to under one day for most orders.
Summary
Reliable dispatch requires visibility of order readiness, a shared dispatch plan, accurate picking and packing, complete documents, planned vehicles, tracking and proof of delivery. Measure on-time in-full and analyse the causes of delays, and connect dispatch to orders, inventory, quality and accounts so the whole delivery promise is managed end to end.
Export and multi-drop shipments
Export orders add container or air freight bookings, shipping marks, export packing and customs documentation, with cut-off dates set by forwarders rather than by your own plan. Domestic multi-drop routes need loading in reverse delivery order and clear drop-wise packing lists. Planning these shipments separately, with their own checklists and lead times, prevents the most expensive dispatch failures: a missed vessel cut-off or a truck that has to be unloaded at the first stop to reach the second customer's goods.
Frequently asked questions
Who should own dispatch planning?
Usually a dispatch or logistics coordinator who works closely with production planning, stores and sales. The plan should be visible to all of them.
How do we know an order is ready to dispatch?
When finished goods are produced, inspected and available in the required quantity, and documents, packing and any customer approvals are in place. Readiness should be visible per order line.
Can customers be informed automatically?
Yes. Dispatch confirmations with vehicle, document and tracking details can be sent by email, WhatsApp or a customer portal.
How do we capture proof of delivery?
Drivers or transporters can capture the receiver's signature and photos on a phone app, or upload signed delivery notes, which are linked to the dispatch.
Can dispatch documents be generated automatically?
Yes. Delivery notes, packing lists, labels and invoices can be generated from order and packing data. Statutory documents depend on your country's rules and systems.
