Parcel delivery firm Yodel has launched an£4 million control tower system from Isotrak, to manage its fleet of over 600 LGVs and 1,500 trailers.
When Yodel (then Home Delivery Network) acquired DHL Domestic in 2010, its business and fleet both doubled and became more complex.
To address this Yodel took on Isotrak which created an end-to-end solution from order management to performance reporting using its own application and those from DPS International, Enterprise Software Systems and C3.
Jamie Stephenson, managing director of Yodel Transport and Sort, said: “We have worked with our suppliers to create a complete IT solution covering each parcel’s logistical journey from client order to depot delivery.
“For our clients that means faster turnaround times, greater performance transparency and more accurate operational information.”
The ESS order management system and data warehouse provides a central database of information on every customer, vehicle, driver and transport movement required to fulfil the order.
This is then fed into DPS operational planning which optimises each route and calculates fleet deployment efficiencies and overall strategic network design.
Drivers and tractors are then allocated to each load within the ESS application and the plan is then sent to the vehicle operating centre.
Each tractor unit is monitored, providing real time ETAs. The C3 Yardsmart system identifies where each trailer is from, what load it is carrying and any necessary prioritisation and shunt activity.
Data from the combined programmes is stored centrally, allowing for co-ordinated reporting, the generation of key performance indicators and the easy identification of areas for improvement.