The Solution
DX researched the various systems on the market in 2007 and concluded that their objectives would best be met by investing in routing and scheduling software from the team at TRU. They also use handheld GPS devices which integrate with the solution to show the drivers the planned route and delivery sequence.
Refining the routes suggested by the solution was a challenge due to the number and complexity of factors affecting each delivery e.g. type of road, the volume of traffic on the route, time of day, and shortest or fastest route. These could sometimes conflict with the GPS tracking devices which may override a route if a driver gets lost or takes a wrong turn.
One of the key challenges was handling the different priority packages correctly. If too many high priority items were promised for delivery by a certain time these need to be organised to ensure customers’ deadlines were met. If fewer high priority items were booked in, low priority items might be included to make the journey worthwhile and fill the vehicle – thereby delivering an item faster than required.
Handling low priority items which could not be delivered immediately added further complication. Clearly, these items needed to be promoted to ‘high priority’ to ensure they arrived on time. Similarly when deliveries for the same street included both high and low priority items, finding the fairest and most economical solution also needed careful thought. DX had to enhance their order processing system to ensure that the data transmitted to the solution included the updated priority.
Overall the installation of the routing and scheduling solution was a success for the company, integrating three complex systems and enabling DX to introduce their new wage system successfully.
The team at 121 Systems proved to be robust and reliable
The new system proved to be both robust and reliable, enabling DX to integrate their new payment structure fairly and introduce a more efficient mechanism for routing.
Dynamic routing reduced journeys from 800 to 740
Investing in the system enabled the introduction of more efficient mechanisms for routing which resulted in the average number of journeys per day reducing from 800 to 740.
8% reduction in mileage and fuel costs
DX estimates that 121 Systems has helped them to reduce both mileage and fuel costs by approximately 8%, as well as ensure that the best routes are used by their couriers.
Integration of numerous complex systems DX successfully integrated the solution with handheld GPS devices and their own internal PB Olympus letter sorting system.
