Express courier. Direct.
Also overnight.
x25pronto Switzerland takes goods direct to the destination. Small loads go by car. Larger loads go by van or Van XL. Direct, express and overnight trips run Monday to Sunday when a slot is free. Free times are shown in the booking calendar. This keeps the plan clear.
Model: Calculate the ideal block size for your SME
Find out how to use your shipping data to calculate the optimal booking block for your SME. Includes worked examples and an easy Excel template.
Quick answer
The ideal booking block for your SME comes from analysing past shipments, daily and weekly fluctuations, and the safety buffer you want. This guide walks you through preparing data, calculating key metrics, and using example calculations plus an Excel template to set a practical block size — applicable for Swiss locations like Zurich, Basel and Lausanne.
1. Define the objective
Decide which shipments the block should cover. Is it daily deliveries, same-day urgencies or only next-day parcels? Choose a service level target (eg. cover 95% of days without extra bookings). Note high-demand sites such as warehouses in Zurich, Geneva or Bern.
2. Gather and prepare data
Collect 6–12 months of historical shipment records: date, pickup and delivery locations, time windows, number of parcels per job, vehicle size. Export CSV from your ERP, shop or courier portal. Clean outliers (test orders, errors) and tag holidays or sales events that affect volume.
3. Calculate key metrics
Compute: average shipments per day, median, standard deviation, peak values by weekday and month. Determine turnaround times and share of urgent vs standard orders. Use the 95th percentile to plan capacity that handles 95% of days.
4. Build scenarios and add safety margin
Create three scenarios: Base (average), Safe (95th percentile) and Peak (maximum days). Add a safety margin for short-notice campaigns, typically 5–15% depending on risk. Decide whether to cover peaks with flexible on-demand capacity or a larger permanent block.
5. Worked example for an SME in Zurich
Data: average 40 shipments/day, 95th percentile 55, peak 80. Scenarios: Base = 40, Safe = 55, Peak = 80. Choose Safe + 10% buffer = 60. A block of 60 daily bookings covers 95% of days and leaves room for small surges.
6. Using the Excel template
The template contains tabs for raw data, calculations and scenarios. Steps: import data, convert dates to weekdays, create a pivot for daily volumes, compute percentiles and standard deviation. The sheet outputs three scenario numbers and suggests a final block with buffer.
Frequently asked questions
How many months of data should I use?
Use 6–12 months for a reliable baseline. If your business has strong seasonality, extend to 24 months when possible.
What if my data is incomplete?
Fill gaps using weekly averages or collect at least three full months to spot short-term patterns. Flag uncertainty when planning.
How often should I review the block size?
Quarterly reviews are practical. Reassess immediately around major marketing campaigns and update after three to six months if needed.
Can I handle peaks without a larger permanent block?
Yes. Combine a base block with flexible on-demand bookings from your courier provider to cover peaks.