Dispatch

Dispatch is the operational event where goods are formally handed over from the warehouse to the transporter, the vehicle is loaded, documents like the trip sheet, e-way bill, and gate pass are generated, and the consignment leaves the premises. In Indian distribution, dispatch is the critical handoff point: once goods cross the gate, responsibility shifts from warehouse ops to logistics ops, and any discrepancy discovered later becomes a dispute.

For dairy and perishable brands, dispatch timing is sacred. A 30-minute delay in morning dispatch can cascade into missed retailer delivery windows, spoilage, and lost sales. Best-in-class dairy operations in India dispatch the first van by 5:30 AM, with the entire fleet loaded and out by 6:30 AM. Dispatch compliance, the percentage of vehicles dispatched on or before the scheduled time, is a top-three warehouse KPI.

A digital dispatch workflow on distribution tracking platforms captures vehicle number, driver details, loaded SKUs and quantities, crate counts, and timestamp. The system auto-generates the e-way bill via GST portal integration and sends an SMS/WhatsApp alert to the receiving distributor with the ETA.