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SAP Business Network for Logistics - Dock Appointment Scheduling: Announcing Recurring Block Times

MarcoFreischlag
Product and Topic Expert
Product and Topic Expert
4 weeks ago
1,215

Version

VersionDateChanges
1.014.11.2025Initial Version - Daily Recurrence for Test Tenants
1.105.12.2025Weekly Recurrence for Test Tenants

 

Introduction

Efficient dock scheduling is critical for smooth logistics operations. SAP Business Network for Logistics (BN4L) Dock Appointment Scheduling is constantly evolving to meet the needs of modern supply chains. Today, we’re excited to announce the new Recurring Block Times feature which will be first time available with the 2511 (Nov 15th, 2025) release for Test Tenants.


Feature Availability

  • The Recurring Block Times feature for daily recurrence will be available for Test Tenants with the upcoming 2511 release of SAP Business Network for Logistics Dock Appointment Scheduling.
  • The Recurring Block Times feature for weekly recurrence will be available for Test Tenants with the upcoming 2512 release

Outlook:

  • Release 2512/2601 Test Tenants:  
    • Extend recurring block times for weekly and monthly recurrences
    • Further Improvements on the existing functionality
  • Release 2602 Production Tenants:
    • Planned feature availably for productive tenants


What Are Recurring Block Times?

Recurring Block Times allow logistics managers to automatically block specific time slots on a recurring basis—such as every Monday morning or the first Friday of each month. This feature is ideal for:

  • Regular maintenance windows
  • Reserved periods for priority shipments
  • Staff meetings or training sessions
  • Public holidays or company events
  • etc.


New Feature “Recurring Block Time”

  • Creation of blocker series (2511 Daily Recurrence, 2512 Weekly Recurrence) in Manage Entities App for a Loading Point
  • Block specific capacity of a loading point or block the maximum capacity including overbooking across validity periods. Please see SAP Business Network for Logistics - Dock Appointment Scheduling: Maximum Capacity Blocker
  • Capacity check if the slot capacity exceeds the capacity of the validity period defined for the loading point
  • Release single Blocks from the series from Manage Dock Appointment App


Key Benefits

  • Automated Planning: Set up recurring blocks once and let the system manage future reservations.
  • Reduced Scheduling Conflicts: Prevent accidental bookings during blocked periods.
  • Improved Resource Allocation: Ensure resources are available when needed most.
  • Flexible Adjustments: Easily modify or remove recurring blocks as business needs change.


How to Use Recurring Block Times

  1. Access the Manage Entities App:
    Open the Manage Entities app in BN4L Dock Appointment Scheduling.
  2. Define Recurring Block Times:
    Select your loading point and choose the “Recurring Block Times” option. Specify the recurrence pattern (daily, weekly, monthly), start/end times, and a description.
  3. Save and Apply:
    Once saved, these blocks will automatically appear in your dock appointment schedule, preventing bookings during the specified periods.
  4. Monitor and Adjust:
    Review blocked times in your scheduling overview and make adjustments as needed.

 

Sneak Preview 2511

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Overview Video: Daily Recurring Block Series 2511

 

Creating a Recurring Block Series

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Block Creation Options

  • Switching Between Block Types:
    You can choose to create either a Single Block or a Recurring Block. Select the desired option before proceeding with block configuration.

Configuring a Recurring Block Series

  1. Start and End Date/Time:
    Specify the start and end date and time for the recurring block series.
  2. Recurrence:
    Daily, Weekly
  3. Recurrence Interval:
    Define how often the block should repeat (e.g., every second day, every week, every month).
  4. On Days (Weekly Blocks): 
    Select the weekdays for which the time block should be created-.
  5. Recurrence End Date:
    Set the end date for the recurring block series.

Notes on Recurring Blocks

  • If you select All Day Event, the start and end time fields will be disabled, and the entire day will be blocked.
  • For All Day Event blocks, ensure that the recurrence interval is not shorter than the duration of the block to prevent overlapping blocks.
  • All other settings are consistent for both Single and Recurring Block creation.

Capacity Settings

  • If you select Max. Capacity, the capacity input will be disabled, and the entire capacity for the loading point will be blocked.

Shipper View in Manage Dock Appointment: Calendar view

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Shipper View in Manage Dock Appointment: Release a Single Block from the Series

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Single blocks can be released using the Manage Dock Appointment App. Releasing a single block will free up the previously blocked capacity, making it available for new appointment bookings.

Note:
Releasing a single block does not impact any recurring block series that have been created for the loading point. Only the specific block is released, and the recurring series remains unchanged.

  • For shippers: Capacity becomes available for booking via the Manage Dock Appointment App.
  • For carriers: Capacity can be booked through the Self-Book Dock Appointments interface.

Block Creation - Capacity Check

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When creating a Single or Recurring Block, the system automatically checks if sufficient appointment capacity is available for the selected date and time slot.

  • If there are existing blocks or booked appointments that overlap with the requested time, the system will prevent the creation of a new block if not enough remaining capacity is available that can be consumed by the new block.

Note:
If there is no available appointment capacity for the desired time slot, you must either release existing blocks or reschedule already booked appointments to free up capacity before creating a new block.

 

Further Information 

 

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