Make Wow Your New Delivery Standard

Make Wow Your New Delivery Standard

OK is not OK. Discover routing and scheduling that delivers more.

Many distributors rely on routing and scheduling technology that’s just OK. Plans look fine on paper, and the goods get delivered.

But a closer look reveals unpredictable costs, unbalanced routes and inaccurate arrival times. Left unchecked, these issues chip away at overall profits.

Switching to a new system feels risky and costly. But over time, software that’s just “good enough” is the most expensive option.

In this white paper, you’ll discover five ways distributors can safeguard profits and move beyond “OK” routing.

No need to fill in a form. Simply download the PDF version here.

Download White Paper

Discover routing and scheduling solutions that deliver more.

Strategic Planning

Remodel delivery networks and build fixed routes that adapt to fluctuating volumes.

Many delivery networks “get the job done” for now, but aren’t built to keep up with changing business needs. Depot locations don’t match customer geographies. Service levels are inconsistent. Fixed routes can’t adapt to demand.

Over time, this static approach eats into overall profits. Fuel and labour costs increase, while your ability to serve customers is limited.

Strategic planning software lets businesses rethink their delivery network on a more regular basis.

Business needs

Descartes’ strategic route modelling capabilities enabled us to model delivery scenarios and make more informed strategic decisions.

Simon Macdonald - National Transport Manager, Topps Tiles

Key features

Cut territories, assign frequencies and sequence routes in a single pass

Daily Route Planning

Reduce planning time and increase profitability without breaking delivery promises.

Too many planners feel they have to choose between reducing costs and honouring time windows. Routes look good at first glance but break capacity rules or push drivers into overtime.

When plans drift from reality, dispatchers find themselves patching up routes without full visibility. Mileage creeps up and deliveries are delayed.

Modern optimisation software works continuously in the background. It handles constraints and goals simultaneously to balance cost, workload and customer service.

When exceptions come up, dispatchers can make informed decisions based on capacity, cost and time windows.

Business needs

Descartes’ route optimisation solution enabled Stop Start to decrease daily route planning time by over 75%.

Stop Start - Success Story

Key features

Integrated Mobile Apps

Encourage best practice, reduce paperwork and feed data back into planning.

Analogue processes used to be “good enough” for delivery execution. But at scale, paper-based reconciliation erodes margins.

Non-digital proof of delivery (POD) delays cash flow and increases driver hours. It also leaves businesses open to fraudulent claims.

When drivers manually record arrivals and departures, errors accumulate. Service time estimates don’t reflect reality, so routes become under- or over-scheduled.

A robust mobile app allows drivers to collect POD including photos and signatures. With mobile tracking, apps can capture service times automatically. ETAs are accurate and future routes are more realistic.

Business needs

Introducing Descartes’ ePOD has translated into substantial daily savings of 16.5 staff hours as a result of more efficient customer delivery and invoice processes.

Rachael Adamson - Director, South-East, Scott Parnell

Key features

Route execution

Empower teams with visibility and continually improve routes with real-world data.

Today’s route optimisation algorithms can generate realistic, highly efficient routes. But routes go off track when the plan is based on incorrect geocodes and guesstimated service times.

If data is “off”, routes become under- or over-optimistic, ETAs drift, and customer service suffers.

By integrating route execution and planning, you can use actual performance data and machine learning to build feasible, profitable routes. You also enable planners, dispatchers and managers to react in real time when routes go off course.

Business needs

Descartes’ route execution solution will give you visibility in real time and allow your team to make split-second decisions that would otherwise be missed.

John Barton - Service Execution Manager, Pepin Distributing

Key features

Customer Engagement

Increase customer satisfaction and reduce inbound calls with real-time updates.

Distributors used to get by with minimal communication around deliveries. But today, even B2B customers expect full transparency and real-time updates.

By relying on one reminder message days before delivery, businesses risk customer dissatisfaction, costly failed deliveries and time-consuming inbound calls.

Competitive distributors use mobile and execution data to provide dynamic ETA updates as routes progress. When customers can track their delivery, they’re more likely to be prepared, and less likely to phone the contact centre.

Instant satisfaction surveys mean feedback is accurate and actionable, so staff can tackle issues quickly and improve deliveries over time.

Business needs

The biggest impact for us of the technology that we're putting in place is the customer impact. They know exactly where their delivery is, when it's going to be there, and what we

Jenny Vetter - Logistics Manager, Richards Building Supply

Key features

It’s time for delivery fleets to move beyond “OK” routing and scheduling.

Contact Descartes today to build a profitable delivery operation that meets customer expectations now and in future.