Disposition
Also: Transportdisposition, Materialdisposition, Dispo, Tourendisposition, Ressourcendisposition
AI-generated
Disposition refers to the operational planning and control of resources, quantities, and orders in logistics – for example in transport or materials disposition. It encompasses capacity assignment, scheduling, prioritization, and response to disruptions.
Key facts
- Disposition is the operational, short-term planning and control of resources and orders – distinguishing it from strategic or tactical planning.
- Transport disposition coordinates vehicles, routes, and drivers; materials disposition manages order quantities, inventory levels, and replenishment timing.
- Disposition processes today are mostly system-supported within ERP, TMS, or APS environments, with human review and approval.
- The quality of disposition is typically measured using KPIs such as OTIF, utilization rate, and cost per unit.
What is Disposition?
Disposition is the short-term, operational planning and control of resources and orders. In intralogistics and supply chain management, it primarily appears in two forms: as transport disposition, which coordinates vehicles, routes, and drivers, and as materials disposition, which manages order quantities, replenishment timing, and inventory levels. Both share the characteristic that decisions must be made under time and resource pressure, while continuously changing conditions must be taken into account.
How does Disposition work in practice?
Disposition processes today are predominantly system-supported. Typical tools include ERP systems for materials disposition, Transport Management Systems (TMS) for route planning, and Advanced Planning and Scheduling systems (APS) for more complex planning tasks. The system generates suggestions – such as automatically calculated order quantities or optimized routes – which a dispatcher reviews, adjusts, and approves.
In day-to-day operations, disposition typically encompasses the following tasks:
- Assigning capacities: Which resources – vehicles, storage locations, personnel – are available and when?
- Setting deadlines and priorities: Which orders must be processed first, and which can wait?
- Adhering to constraints: Recipient time windows, weight limits, hazardous goods regulations, or cold chain requirements are factored into planning.
- Handling disruptions: Vehicle breakdowns, delayed deliveries, or sudden demand spikes require rapid replanning.
Key performance indicators such as utilization rate, On-Time-In-Full (OTIF), or transport cost per unit indicate how effectively disposition is performing.
What matters when making a selection?
Whether manual, semi-automated, or fully automated disposition is appropriate depends heavily on the complexity of the task. For a small number of uniform orders, a simple ERP module is often sufficient. As the number of variables grows – many delivery addresses, tight time windows, fluctuating capacities – a specialized TMS or APS becomes worthwhile. System integration is also critical: disposition data must be consistent with warehouse, procurement, and customer systems, otherwise planning errors arise. It should be noted that the degree of automation and system selection are highly vendor-dependent and vary according to industry and company structure.
Related terms
- Absatzplanung
Sales planning refers to the systematic forecasting of future sales volumes for defined products, regions, or channels. It forms the foundation for all downstream planning processes in production, procurement, and logistics.
- Auftragsdurchlaufzeit
Order throughput time refers to the total time from the receipt of an order to its dispatch to the recipient. It encompasses all waiting, processing, and internal transport steps, and serves as a key indicator of the performance of a warehouse or fulfillment process.
- Auftragsmanagement
Order management refers to the systematic control and monitoring of orders throughout their entire lifecycle – from capture through prioritization and status tracking to completion. It forms the operational link between sales, logistics, purchasing, and IT.
- Bedarfsermittlung
Requirements planning refers to the systematic process by which an organization's future material or goods requirements are determined in terms of quantity and timing. It forms the basis for inventory management, procurement, and warehouse planning.
- Bedarfsplanung
Demand planning refers to the systematic process by which a company determines what quantities of materials, goods, or resources are needed and when. It forms the foundation for inventory management, procurement, and warehouse planning.
- Beschaffungsplanung
Procurement planning refers to the process by which a company systematically determines which materials or goods need to be sourced, in what quantities, at what time, and from which suppliers.
- Bestandsmanagement
Inventory management refers to the systematic planning, control, and monitoring of stock levels across the entire supply chain. The goal is to ensure delivery capability while keeping capital commitment and warehousing costs within economically viable limits.
- Disponent
A dispatcher plans, controls, and monitors transport or warehouse processes, ensuring that capacities, deadlines, and costs are aligned. The role combines operational planning with communication and disruption management.