Reworking fleet operations | DC Velocity
Excessive transportation prices have been plaguing British retailer Topps Tiles, an organization that sells and delivers tiles and associated merchandise to owners and companies throughout the UK. Firm leaders turned to Descartes Programs Group for assist and have since diminished driving time per supply route throughout the enterprise and are gaining higher perception into the potential impression of adjustments to the corporate’s supply methods.
“With over 300 shops nationwide within the U.Okay., we’re repeatedly evaluating tips on how to keep a excessive diploma of customer support whereas lowering operational prices, particularly right this moment’s excessive transportation prices,” Simon Macdonald, nationwide transport supervisor for Topps Tiles, mentioned in an announcement describing the venture. “Working with Descartes, we’ve changed handbook, spreadsheet-based processes with automated route planning to optimize the amount of tiles being delivered at any given time, in addition to the routes our autos are touring. Descartes’ strategic route modeling capabilities are additionally enabling us to mannequin supply situations and make extra knowledgeable strategic choices, which might have been almost inconceivable with conventional resource-intensive analytical strategies.”
GETTING IT DONE
To kick off the initiative, Topps Tiles applied Descartes Programs Group’s cloud-based route planning and optimization software program, which is designed to assist manufacturers, retailers, and logistics service suppliers attain three key objectives: scale back prices with extra agile and environment friendly routing; enhance fleet useful resource administration by producing further supply capability; and change into extra sustainable by lowering their carbon footprint and use of paper throughout the enterprise.
Topps Tiles is reaping rewards on all fronts, however most notably, firm leaders say the enterprise has minimize the common miles pushed per supply route by 2%, leading to decrease total transportation prices. The retailer can also be shifting extra steadily towards assembly its sustainability objectives: Extra environment friendly supply routes imply much less driving and decrease carbon emissions, and automating previously handbook processes has allowed it to chop again on all that paper it previously used to handle route planning.
However it doesn’t finish there. Topps Tiles can also be optimizing its fleet operations with a number of different Descartes options that work along with route planning optimization. Strategic route modeling capabilities are serving to the retailer perceive and optimize its supply and customer support methods earlier than having to execute them, for instance, which helps the corporate save prices down the road. Within the area, Descartes’ cell utility helps drivers carry out their each day routes, retains managers conscious of progress, and gives an correct ETA (estimated time of arrival) to prospects. And proof-of-delivery (POD) capabilities assist customer support and order accuracy by real-time cell communication.
“Topps Tiles’ long-term success relies upon its means to repeatedly present prospects with a superior procuring expertise whereas providing cost-competitive pricing,” mentioned Pól Sweeney, Descartes’ vice chairman for fleet gross sales in Europe, within the assertion. “We’re delighted to assist Topps Tiles decrease its operational prices right this moment by our route planning and optimization answer and sooner or later with our strategic route modeling capabilities.”
