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Receive-Ready Appointments (Scheduling)

Published 10/02/2018, 11:41 PM
Last Update 01/27/2023, 06:25 PM

Questions about this section? Contact Scheduling@bestbuy.com.

To view the JDA dock scheduling system training guide, or the list of Best Buy's Approved Drop Carriers, see the Carrier Dock Scheduling Application Page.


7.1 Scheduling & Inbound Policies

Upon arrival at the Guard House, yard entry will only be granted if the driver is able to present the following:

  1. A unique and valid Schedule ID number
    • Schedule/Load IDs cannot be used across multiple delivering trailers
    • A trailer should only have one Schedule ID appointment per delivery location
  2. Per Department of Homeland Security and C-TPAT guidelines
    • A valid government-issued commercial driver’s license
    • Pertinent BOLs (or LTL Delivery Receipts)
  3. A BBY-compliant delivering trailer [Reference Section 5]

Additionally, turn-away/refusal can occur if:

  • Driver arrival and attempted Guard House check-in is after the 60-minute window (from the appointment start time).
  • Delivering trailer has fallen and/or contains leaning product.

Each inbounded JDA Schedule ID must accurately contain:

  • All the Best Buy (Alpha) PO numbers contained on the individual delivery trailer.
  • An itemized carton count (by PO) - Not pallet count. Not individual piece counts.
  • Accurate Trailer Number (and BOL/PRO) must associate to the actual delivering trailer.

Any drops that occur on the day of the delivery appointment, but after the scheduled appointment time, will be considered a late drop. At which point, if necessary, Best Buy can then reschedule as a “Carrier Missed Appointment”.

Failure to meet any of these policies can result in either loss of drop or delivery privileges to Best Buy.

7.2 Timing of Scheduling Requests/Modification

At minimum, appointments must be completed one business day before the desired (ETA) delivery date.

Best Buy does not schedule or reschedule same-day requested appointments.

All requests submitted after 2:00 PM CST will be considered a next business day contact.

Initial appointment and reschedule request should take place only when:

  • The loaded ‘last-mile’ delivering trailer (to Best Buy) is complete, and;
  • The delivering carrier has a firm ETA.

Reschedules should be submitted (by 2PM CST) at least 1 business day prior to the most recent appointment date and time. Any reschedule made after this point will be recoded as a carrier missed appointment.

Failure to follow the Scheduling and Inbound Policies may result in Ship It Right Vendor Compliance deductions. Any questions specifically related to the Ship It Right program must be directed to Ship It Right.

7.3 Step-by-Step Checklist - Carrier Request for JDA Access

  1. Go to https://partners.bestbuy.com. Hover over United States and under the Quick Links, select Applications.
  2. Find the Dock Scheduling (TMS/JDA) Application and open the JDA User Guide.
  3. In the How to Get Access section of the User Guide, there is a button to fill out the Carrier Portal Access Request Form.

Allow two corporate business days, during Inbound Scheduling business hours (8AM-4PM CST) to process requests.

If you receive an error stating that SCAC already exists, email Scheduling@bestbuy.com with your SCAC and any email address that needs access to JDA Dock Scheduling Portal.

7.4 By Carrier - Initial Appointment Scheduling

Do not schedule Premium Design Center POs in the JDA Scheduling Portal or via EDI. Review Premium Design Center DC expectations for how to scheduling co-loaded trailers (Premium + BBY) or only Premium deliveries [Reference Section 9].

   7.4.1 Drop-Eligible Carriers

For BBY Collect Truckload tendered loads, a Schedule ID will be provided by Best Buy based on the Load Tender information. For these shipments, carriers are not allowed to create (or arrive under) any other Schedule IDs other than the Schedule IDs provided. The carrier is responsible for managing exceptions to the Schedule ID, via the JDA Dock Scheduling Portal via the JDA Dock Scheduling Portal.

All other initial appointment requests from drop-eligible carriers should be made via EDI and must include the corresponding (drop) trailer number within the EDI request.

By default, all (initial) appointments are scheduled to expect a drop trailer arrival. This includes any JDA-Schedule requests where the sign-in SCAC is defined as “Drop-Eligible.

For Drop-Eligible, “Live-Unload” requests are exceptions [Reference Section 7].

   7.4.2 Live Carriers

Initial appointment requests are submitted through the JDA Dock Scheduling Portal.

A compliant JDA Scheduling request will contain the following attributes:

  • Carrier Tracking PRO number (if applicable)
  • Trailer Number
  • Shipper BOL number(s)
  • All delivering Best Buy PO numbers
  • By PO, itemized Carton Count
  • Submitter Contact Name
  • Submitter Contact Email Address
  • Best Buy Delivery Location Number

After approximately 10 minutes, successful appointments are visible on the Dock Commitments screen within JDA.

7.5 Schedule Summary

As a courtesy, all carriers will receive point-in-time, SCAC-specific summaries.

Batched and emailed 3 times daily. Receipt is estimated around 9am, Noon, and 3pm CST.

Summaries include appointments, scheduled for today or in the future.

Summaries do not include past appointments.

For a summary that includes past appointments, sign in to JDA and view Dock Commitments screen.

To request additions to SCAC-specific distribution lists, carriers must send an email request to Scheduling@bestbuy.com.

7.6 Managing Exceptions

It is the delivering carrier’s responsibility to make sure that all scheduled appointments are accurate.

Best Buy encourages that initial appointments be submitted complete on first pass, and without need of modification. Any modification to the Schedule ID restates delivery expectations, which will cause JDA to systematically trigger re-optimization. When this occurs, appointments may change the appointed time and possibly the date.

   7.6.1 Live-Unload Requests - Drop-Eligible

For carrier SCACs designated as drop-eligible, all deliveries will be assumed as drop trailer arrivals. Any request for a live-unload appointment is an exception, processed as a reschedule event. This request must be made via JDA.

   7.6.2 Reschedule Appointments

Carrier must submit all reschedule requests via JDA.

Compliant reschedules must be completed at least 1 business day prior to the previously appointed date and time.

Regardless of carrier-populated change reason codes, if the reschedule is not completed at least 1 business day prior to the previously appointed date and time, then the reschedule reason will be coded as a “Carrier Missed Appointment”.

   7.6.3 PO Additions/Deletions

PO additions/deletions should not be a regular occurrence, Appointments should only be requested when the load is built and the carrier knows exactly what is on the delivering trailer.

Carriers must submit all PO additions/deletions via JDA on the Modify/Reschedule screen.

   7.6.4 Cancellation of Appointment

Appointments that will not be used must be canceled via JDA, using Appt Management - Cancel Appointment option.

Frequency of no shows or missed appointments can result in either loss of drop or delivery privileges to Best Buy.