Plain-language questions
Ask for shipments per day per month, customer or product in the SQL Explorer with AI. The AI writes the SQL, you see the query and run it yourself; the AI only receives metadata.
KPI · Logistics
Shipments per day: formula and example.
Shipments per day is the average number of shipments you send out on a shipping day. It is the basis for warehouse staff planning and for agreeing collection times with carriers. Alongside the average, the busiest day matters, because capacity has to cope with peaks.
Shipments per day formula
Shipments in the period ÷ shipping days in the period
Worked example
In a month with 21 shipping days Acme Groothandel sent 3,570 shipments. That is an average of 3,570 ÷ 21 = 170 shipments a day.
Fictitious figures for Acme Groothandel, a sample wholesaler.
How to read this KPI
Volume on its own is neither good nor bad; what matters is how it relates to capacity and cost. Large differences between days, such as a busy Monday after the weekend, call for flexible staffing. Compare by weekday and with the same period last year, and set it against picks per hour and fulfilment cost per order.
Pitfalls with shipments per day
- Dividing by calendar days instead of shipping days, which understates the average.
- Looking only at the average and missing the peaks you need to plan for.
- Mixing shipments and orders when deliveries are split.
SQL & DAX
Calculating shipments per day in SQL and DAX
Two examples on a fictitious data warehouse for Acme Groothandel: a PostgreSQL query and a measure for a Power BI model. Adjust table and column names to your own model.
WITH daily AS (
SELECT shipped_at::date AS ship_date, COUNT(*) AS shipments
FROM shipments
WHERE shipped_at IS NOT NULL
GROUP BY 1
)
SELECT date_trunc('month', ship_date) AS month,
SUM(shipments) AS shipments,
COUNT(*) AS shipping_days,
ROUND(AVG(shipments), 1) AS avg_shipments_per_day,
MAX(shipments) AS peak_day
FROM daily
GROUP BY 1
ORDER BY 1;Shipment Count = COUNTROWS(Shipments)
Shipments per Day = DIVIDE([Shipment Count], DISTINCTCOUNT(Shipments[ShipDate]))In ENABLE
Tracking this KPI in ENABLE
In your Power BI dashboard
Define the KPI as a measure in your Power BI model and show it in the portal, with "Last refreshed" next to it. Access profiles and optional row-level security decide who sees which figures.
Custom dashboards (pilot)
Add the KPI as a tile to a custom dashboard, compared with last year. The Dashboard Builder is a pilot and can be switched on per client.
Monthly targets
With the built-in Targets app you set a target for the KPI per month, so you see actuals and target side by side.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate shipments per day?
Divide the total number of shipments in a period by the number of days on which you shipped. Use shipping days rather than calendar days, otherwise weekends and bank holidays are counted. Also look at the busiest day in the period.
Why does the peak day matter more than the average?
Your staff, packing stations and collection slots have to handle the busiest day, not the average one. If the peak is far above the average, you fall behind on those days or have too many people on quiet days. Good planning therefore works from the pattern per weekday.
How do you use shipments per day for staff planning?
Divide the expected number of order lines per day by picks per hour to estimate the picking hours you need. Do the same for packing. That tells you how many people you need on each weekday.
Further reading
- KPI libraryLogistics KPIs: formulas and examplesLogistics KPIs measure whether orders reach the customer on time, complete and at a reasonable cost. The data comes from your WMS, shipping platform and carrier statuses.Read more
- ResourcesHow to build a KPI dashboard: steps and examplesA KPI dashboard is an overview of the key figures you use to steer towards your goals, such as revenue, margin, on-time delivery or absenteeism. A good KPI dashboard does not start with the software, but with the decisions it needs to support. You then choose a limited number of KPIs, define them, sketch the dashboard and only then build it.Read more
- SolutionPower BI dashboard portal: share dashboards securelyShare your Power BI dashboards securely in your own portal, with role-based access.Read more
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