Lafarge France optimises transport for aggregates division

Lafarge has chosen to upgrade to the latest version of INFORM’s transport optimisation software for the building materials industry. The software will be used to optimise the dispatch of its truck fleet in the aggregates business.

The aggregates business of Lafarge France includes 160 locations and operates a fleet of 700 to 900 trucks. Compared to standard transport planning software, INFORM’s solution is powered by algorithms that analyse a virtually endless number of scheduling decisions in real-time and identify those that are ideal for minimising costs and maximising service level and on-time performance.

“We have been using INFORM’s transport optimisation software for over 25 years in our aggregates business,” said Kevin Perrault, Head of Supply Chain Projects at Lafarge France. “We pride ourselves in delivering the best-possible service to our customers and upgrading our operations to the latest version is a key element to help us achieve our goals and to remain competitive in the industry.”

The new version (v10) features an overhauled user interface (UI) and is powered by the latest aggregates optimiser. Inspired by feedback from customers and partners, INFORM designed the new UI to accelerate user adoption, while the updated algorithms further increase truck fleet productivity.

“The release also comes with a new interface technology which makes it easier to embed our system into a wider corporate supply chain environment and to connect it to other third-party systems,” explains Dr. Flachskampf, Head of Road Transport at INFORM’s Logistics Division. “We have also taken this opportunity to review all key optimisation parameters of our implementation at Lafarge France Aggregates, which will lead to further savings down the road.”

“As a long-time INFORM customer, we are looking forward to further strengthen and streamline our processes in accordance with logistics scheme which are in constant evolution,” commented Perrault.

INFORM’s software will run on a private AWS cloud. New map and truck availability functionalities as well as improved telematics communication round off the project. The upgrade is now under deployment and is slated to go-live in Q1 2022. It will build on INFORM’s growing footprint of v10 users in the building materials industry.