PortPro's appointment automation features provide flexibility and control over how terminal appointments are scheduled. The following best practices and use cases support proactive planning, minimize disruptions, and help ensure operational consistency.

Best Practices

Priority & Fallback Booking
Enabling fallback booking is essential for securing any available appointment slot when priority timeframes are unavailable. This prevents missed bookings and maintains schedule continuity.

Use Relative Timing
Relative timing options (e.g., relative to Last Free Day or Delivery Appointment) simplify recurring scheduling needs, such as pre-pulls or consistent lane operations.

Missed Appointment Rescheduling
Activate automation for missed appointments to reduce manual intervention and keep containers on track in the event of no-shows.

Booking Delays
Configure delay windows to align with terminal slot release patterns. For example, applying a 2-hour delay may yield better appointment availability if a terminal typically opens slots later in the day.

Time Buckets
Adjust time buckets to reflect operational needs and terminal behavior. Align buckets with known peak availability windows to maximize booking success.

Background Mode
Enabling background automation allows unattended appointment booking. However, ensure rules are clearly defined to avoid unintentional or excessive scheduling activity.

Basic Use Cases & Suggested Actions

Following these practices ensures appointment automation is optimized for both flexibility and control, helping dispatch operations run more smoothly and efficiently.