Monthly coal procurement planning
Published: 11 Jun 2024 | Category: Operations
Emergency dispatch is expensive. Structured planning reduces cost and stress.
Why monthly planning matters
Many industrial buyers operate on reactive purchase cycles. This creates urgency, premium transport costs, and operational pressure. A structured monthly plan improves predictability.
- Reduces last-minute transport premiums
- Improves grade consistency across batches
- Aligns unloading slots in advance
- Reduces idle vehicle waiting time
Start with consumption analysis
Understand your average daily consumption and peak load scenarios. This allows buffer planning instead of emergency procurement.
- Daily burn rate or process consumption
- Minimum safety stock level
- Lead time from supplier to site
- Seasonal variation impact
Plan dispatch structure
Decide whether bulk single dispatch or staggered dispatch suits your site capacity.
- Single large load for storage-based sites
- Split dispatch for space-constrained facilities
- Weekly cycle for consistent burn-rate industries
- Bi-weekly or monthly cycle for stable operations
Align documentation and billing cycle
Procurement planning should align with finance processes. Mismatched documentation delays reconciliation and payment cycles.
- Confirm buyer entity before scheduling
- Align invoice references with purchase order
- Define weight confirmation method
- Clarify acceptance criteria upfront
Risk buffer planning
Planning should account for weather delays, site holidays, and maintenance shutdowns. Buffer planning reduces crisis management.
- Maintain minimum reserve stock
- Account for seasonal transport disruptions
- Define escalation protocol for urgent dispatch
- Review monthly consumption data regularly
Operational advantage of structured planning
Structured planning reduces friction across procurement, operations, logistics, and finance. The result is lower stress and more predictable cost.
Read: Dispatch planning checklist Discuss structured monthly coordination