Managing multi-region operations with Hitrak
For businesses operating within multiple parts of the country, the Dispatch Regions page enables the setup of Dispatch groups and provides visibility on the SLAs for delivery between regions.
This article provides a guide to Admin Portal users with ownership of Dispatch functions and related system setup.
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Understanding Dispatch Groups
Dispatch groups help to organise consignments and driver runs, allowing Branch managers and dispatchers to view only the consignment movements which are relevant to them.
Dispatch Board
When Dispatch groups are in use, the Dispatch Board page displays one Dispatch group at a time, organising consignments into tabs based on their movement status.
Consignments may appear on the Dispatch Board for multiple groups, as the page displays all movements relevant to a Dispatch group. This is based on the region of the address for the origin and destination for each movement. This may be the consignment Sender and Receiver addresses, but depending on the consignment's journey there could be a region in between.
In the below example, a consignment with an Auckland Sender and Christchurch Receiver is being checked in to the Wellington depot, and has been picked up on a run from Auckland to Wellington.
The consignment appears in the Dispatch Board Allocated tab for the Auckland Dispatch group, and the Inbound tab for the Wellington Dispatch Group:
When the consignment is picked up on the next stage of its journey, from Wellington to Christchurch, it will be visible on the Christchurch Dispatch Board Inbound tab.
Run Search and Run Templates Search
When Dispatch Groups are in use, the Delivery Runs page allows filtering by a single Dispatch group or by all Dispatch groups. Results are based on the Run Start and End location, and any depots on the route.
The Run Templates page can also be filtered by a single Dispatch group or all Dispatch groups. Search results are based on the region set in the Run Template.
Setting up Dispatch Groups
When configuring Dispatch groups, the relevant regions for each group must be selected. A region can only belong to one Dispatch group at a time. This determines the group in which consignments will appear on the Dispatch Board.
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By default, the 16 regions of New Zealand are available to assign to Dispatch groups. It is possible to modify this, if a specific branch setup requires it.
Get in touch with the Hitrak team if you think you need customised region configuration.
If an individual address needs to be linked to a specific Dispatch group, its region can be manually edited. For example:
-> An operator has Auckland and Waikato Dispatch groups. Addresses in the Waikato region are linked to the Waikato Dispatch group.
-> Pokeno is a town in the Waikato region, but a specific site should be handled by the Auckland Dispatch group instead of the Waikato Dispatch group.
-> The site can be edited, to update the address region from Waikato to Auckland.
Note 🔎 One Dispatch group must be set as the Master group. Any addresses with a Region not assigned to a Dispatch Group will appear in the Master group's results.
Creating a Group
In the Dispatch Groups tab:
- Click Edit -> Create New.
- Enter a name for the group and click Save. This name will be used in dropdown options for the Dispatch group filter across system pages.
- Select the Regions to include in the group. This removes any existing links between the region and another group.
- Click Save Changes to confirm.
The new group will be reflected in the Admin Portal pages immediately.
Editing a Group
Existing Dispatch group names and regions can be edited in the Dispatch Groups tab.
To edit the name:
- Click Edit, and select the pencil icon beside the group name.
- Update the name, and click Save.
To edit the region configuration:
- Click Edit.
- Select and deselect the appropriate Regions for the group. Selecting a region removes any existing links between the region and another group.
- Click Save Changes to confirm.
Deleting a Group
If a group is no longer required, it can be deleted from the Dispatch Groups tab.
- Click Edit, and select the pencil icon beside the group name.
- Click Delete. A warning dialog will appear, to advise any regions will be moved to the Master group.
- Click Delete again to confirm.
Region Delivery Times
The target number of days for deliveries between each region can be configured by the Hitrak team, to support the accuracy of DIFOT calculations. These time frames are displayed on the Region Delivery Times tab for reference, and should be updated to reflect any changes in expected delivery times.
Editing of these timeframes is not currently available directly in the Admin Portal, but the Hitrak team can assist with any updates required over time.
Tip💡Check out the Admin Portal Knowledge Base for user guide documentation on other administrative functions.
Can't find what you're looking for? Get in touch with our team via the Helpdesk with any questions on your Hitrak setup.