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Sustainability in Retail Transportation Management

Posted on by David Priestman

In today’s retail landscape, sustainability is no longer just a buzzword – it’s a fundamental concern for consumers, that has an impact on retailers. The demand for eco-friendly products and environmentally responsible companies is on the rise. In fact, according to Descartes’ 2023 consumer sentiment study on home delivery sustainability, a sizable 41% of respondents indicated they regularly or always make purchasing decisions based upon the product or company’s environmental impact.

What is more, it’s no secret that freight transportation (i.e., over-the-road, ocean, rail and air) is one of the top causes of greenhouse gas emissions, representing 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, with an increasing spotlight on the environment, we wanted to know what companies were doing about transportation sustainability or not, and added it to Descartes 7th Annual Global Transportation Management Benchmark Study – the findings, of which, are useful to retailers.

To find out more, we divided transportation sustainability efforts into four categories, ranging from no action to a daily concern. The overall response showed that 31% of respondents indicated they did nothing, 19% reported on their transportation carbon footprint, 27% factored it into their strategic plans and 22% made sustainability a component of their daily transportation decisions.

In essence, we discovered that 50% of businesses are actively addressing sustainability in transportation, presenting an excellent opportunity not only to make a positive impact on the planet; but also to cater to a market hungry for sustainable choices. Chris Jones (pictured), EVP, Descartes explains more.

Taking this exploration further for retailers, we examined how management perceives the importance of transportation management and its correlation with company financial performance. We discovered that companies whose management regarded transportation as a competitive advantage (57%) were far more likely to take action compared to those who did not prioritise transportation management (48%). Similarly, in terms of financial performance, the numbers were compelling, with 58% of top performers taking action, contrasting with 44% of less successful companies. This then raises a question of retailers about the extent to which they can perceive how transportation could enable competitive advantage?

Additionally, differences in sustainability actions among businesses that recognise the value of transportation management and top financial performers, versus other respondents makes sense. In the benchmark study, we see these respondents more interested in strategies and actions that improve transportation management performance; and most transportation management improvement programs have a positive and measurable impact on the environment too – again, something which is important to consumers and, inadvertently, the retail sector at large.

Reducing CO2 footprint, fuel consumption and waste generated are all results of transportation management performance improvement programs that reduce distance per delivery, empty miles, and vehicle wait times and eliminate paper-based processes. So, if there is a perception that most sustainable transportation efforts result in less efficient supply chains, this needs correcting.

In fact, sustainable transportation programs are also an opportunity for organisations, including retailers, to capture more business. The home delivery sustainability study showed that consumers are more willing to buy from companies that can showcase sustainable supply chains, with 60% expressing a preference for environmentally-friendly delivery options. Equally important for B2B companies is the opportunity to gain more business from companies that are looking at their supply chains’ partners to help reduce Scope 3 Emissions, as defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) initiated in January 2023. This standard requires more large businesses and SMEs that trade in the EU to conduct sustainability reporting to stricter standards from January 2024.

Conclusion

It’s clear, now more than ever, that retailers have a unique opportunity to distinguish themselves by embracing sustainability in their transportation management efforts. This not only meets regulatory requirements – but also aligns with the preferences of eco-conscious consumers and contributes to a greener, more sustainable future. As well as this, retailers who make this a priority will also simultaneously cut costs, boost customer satisfaction and grow their business. How many opportunities are there for retailers and businesses alike to create this kind of win, win, win, win situation?

Routing, Mobile and Telematics Innovation Forum

Posted on by David Priestman

Descartes Systems Group, the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, unveiled numerous innovations to customers at its 2023 Innovation Forum for Routing, Mobile & Telematics, which expand the capabilities of its routing, mobile and telematics solution suite for fleet operators. New solutions and integrations, in addition to enhancements to existing systems, allow companies to improve the operational performance of their fleets, driver safety and customer engagement.

Innovations include:
• Descartes Fleet Control Tower. New comprehensive performance management solution integrated with existing Descartes route planning and execution solutions.
• Descartes Customer Engagement Platform. Digital self-service solution integrated with Descartes route planning and execution solutions to allow customers on demand access to view delivery updates, book, reschedule or cancel deliveries and to interact with delivery drivers or call centres.
• Proactive driver safety training for Descartes Mobile customers. Seamless integration of microlearning-based driver safety training and tracking platform with Descartes Mobile solution.
• Advanced optimisation for couriers. Enhanced strategic and operational modelling capabilities and optimisation for high delivery volume carriers.
• Hours of service (HOS) status aware optimisation with Geotab electronic logging devices (ELD). Route planning integrated with Geotab ELDs to automatically consider drivers’ hours.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning performance improvement and simulation. Significantly more precise machine learning-based recommendations for stop and drive times and ability to simulate the recommended impact on daily operations.
• Advanced for-hire trip and leg optimisation and rating. Improved capabilities for companies that want to manage fleet and commercial transportation through a single transportation management platform.
• Live and historical asset tracking. Ability for fleets to now track assets in their route planning solution, in addition to tracking drivers and deliveries.
• MagicLogic load and cube optimisation integration. More accurate load building through the combination of Descartes route planning solution and Magic Logic.

“We’ve made significant investments to expand the breadth and depth of our existing solutions, brought new solutions to market and integrated important third-party solutions to allow our customers to significantly improve their fleet performance, make drivers safer and better engage customers in the delivery lifecycle,” said Sergio Torres (pictured), Senior Vice President, Product Management at Descartes. “These innovations are part of our vision to provide our customers with comprehensive solutions that allow fleet operators to use digitisation and automation to transform not just fleet performance but positively impact their business more broadly.”

Descartes helps fleet-based companies dramatically improve their productivity, customer experience and safety compliance to not only reduce costs but also to allow them to better compete and minimise risk. From delivery appointment booking to route planning and execution and mobile solutions for drivers and other field workers to digital customer engagement, Descartes solutions give fleet operators the ability manage and optimise and interact with customers during the delivery lifecycle. Descartes fleet performance management, telematics and safety solutions allow fleet managers to understand and optimise their operational and individual driver and vehicle performance, and better train and coach drivers to be safer and more productive. The cloud-based solutions utilise state-of-the-art technologies, such as continuous optimisation, real-time GPS data and systems processing, analytics, AI and machine learning, and can be deployed as a suite or as modules.

How can the Logistics Industry Unlock its True Potential?

Posted on by David Priestman

Transportation and the logistics industry serves as the lifeblood of today’s modern economy, binding together businesses, streamlining supply chains, and championing eco-friendly initiatives on the path to achieving net-zero emissions. However, it also harbours the potential to disrupt these pivotal strategies if they are not managed appropriately, writes Transporeon CEO Stephan Sieber.

Nowadays, many industries have seamlessly embraced (and thrived from incorporating) digitisation into their businesses. However, transportation has seemingly lagged behind and it has been that way for some time. In fact, the lack of any meaningful evolution predates events such as the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, and even the pandemic. Yet, these events have only highlighted the importance of seamless transportation to continue delivering goods globally. So why is it being neglected?

In the current landscape, numerous inefficiencies mar the transportation market. Idle assets, empty runs, static capacity, unwarranted waiting times, and isolated operations cast a substantial shadow on economic prosperity. In addition, the lack of investment in digitisation perpetuates administrative burdens such as manual labour overload, emotionally driven decision-making and a scarcity of actionable insights. And, compounding these issues is the looming ecological threat of untracked and unrestrained CO2 emissions. At both micro and macro levels, there’s no denying that transportation appears sluggish in adapting to the demands of our reality.

However, it’s not all bad news and there are an array of solutions available to help reverse this trend. For instance, synchronising transportation with the world by leveraging digital solutions to usher in efficiencies that positively impact the economy, businesses, and the environment can continue to thrive. This transformation of transportation hinges on three fundamental components…

Enterprises must unite and work stronger together to unlock operational benefits. For example, there’s no reason for trucks to travel hundreds of empty miles when a similar truck, equipped for the task, is more than likely unloading nearby. It’s time for shippers and carriers to forge connections with one another, establish common business standards, foster collaboration and embrace a platform that facilitates network-wide interoperability.

Connecting shippers, load recipients, service providers, brokers, forwarders and asset-based carriers is integral to creating a collaborative transportation community. By adhering to common standards and promoting interoperability, all stakeholders can uncover new business opportunities while achieving economies in their operations. This spirit of collaboration will grant the transportation market the resilience and agility – both critical components, as highlighted in the 33rd Annual State of Logistics (SoL) report.

The era of Excel spreadsheets, manual searches, and endless route and rate browsing have become now relics of the past. This inefficient administrative burden is burning through valuable resources and failing to deliver optimum outcomes. Now is the time for enterprises to pivot from mere data collection and embark on the process of generating transactions with the data at their disposal. Automated, data-driven decision-making within a collaborative and interconnected network, leveraging historical patterns, real-time data, and future predictions, will enhance transportation operations.

Finally, in the logistics business, having real time insights are vital to success. This allows the business to control multiple ongoing operations, whether that entails monitoring CO2 emissions, accessing spot rates, evaluating capacity, or receiving transport ETAs. Equipped with these real-time insights and the ability to act upon them, logistics companies can anticipate future developments, swiftly address issues, and assert control over operational efficiency.

The past two years witnessed a rush for outcomes at nearly any price, a trend likely driven by necessity rather than desire. Nevertheless, this approach threatens the industry’s sustainability unless addressed.

In conclusion, synchronising transportation with the world requires a shift in approach and mindset – a challenge which spans the entire industry. It’s clear that only through the implementation of digital tools, adoption of a culture of collaboration, automation of the decision-making processes, and the harnessing of real-time insights, can the necessary steps be taken in establishing the connectivity and interoperability required to bring logistics businesses together. The time for change and digitisation is upon us and companies should look to modernise their infrastructure or risk getting left behind.

Optimize Compound, Workshop Vehicle Logistics

Posted on by David Priestman

D’Ieteren Automotive, the official distributor of Volkswagen Group brands in Belgium, has selected INFORM, a global leader in optimization software, to provide a comprehensive solution for vehicle logistics and compound management. This collaboration aims to replace D’Ieteren’s former system with INFORM’s state-of-the-art software, enhancing efficiency and transparency across all vehicle logistics processes including Workshop and PDI.

With a market share of 22.5% and over 1.2 million vehicles on the road, D’Ieteren Automotive is a significant player in the Belgian automotive industry. The company manages a robust network of independent dealers across the country and offers a wide range of services, including maintenance, financing, leasing, and used vehicle sales.

The project’s goal is to implement INFORM’s software suite, designed specifically for the complexities of the vehicle logistics sector. The system, based on Artificial Intelligence and Operations Research, will cover yard and workshop operations at the compound in Kortenberg, near Bruxelles airport. It will provide comprehensive capabilities for optimized parking, real-time work order assignment as well as automatic workshop activity scheduling and efficient execution. All processes will be highly automized and improved by using the proven INFORM algorithms. With the new system and central data management in place, D’Ieteren Automotive will be able to control all its vehicle processes more efficiently at their compound.

“D’Ieteren Automotive is committed to providing fluid and sustainable mobility solutions to our customers,” said Christian Quaedpeerds, Automotive Logistics Manager for D’Ieteren Automotive. “By partnering with INFORM, we aim to leverage their expertise in digital decision-making and AI to enhance our vehicle logistics processes and additional services, ultimately delivering better service to our customers.”

The new system will offer a range of benefits, including higher punctuality, increased efficiency, shorter delivery and processing times, higher customer satisfaction, and future-proof company structures. The solution is expected to go live in 2024.

“We are excited to embark on this journey with D’Ieteren Automotive,” said Hartmut Haubrich, Director Vehicle Logistics at INFORM. “Our solution is designed to handle the complexities of the Vehicle Logistics industry, and we are confident that it will bring significant benefits to D’Ieteren Automotive. We look forward to driving the digitalization of their logistics processes and support D’Ieteren on their journey as the mobility provider for Belgium.”

This partnership marks another milestone in INFORM’s mission to supplement classic IT systems and increase the profitability and resilience of many companies. With over 1,000 software engineers, data analysts, and consultants supporting more than 1,000 customers worldwide, INFORM continues to lead the expansion of digital decision-making through AI applications in vehicle logistics and many other sectors.

Difference Between ‘Plan’ and ‘Actual’ Fleet Delivery Performance

Posted on by David Priestman

Last mile delivery within retail and ecommerce is complex and vital to get right. It impacts customer satisfaction and experience, repeat business, brand perception and profitability, among other things. Understandably, therefore, logistics and delivery planning teams tend to spend a significant amount of time preparing their delivery routes, developing the most cost-effective, environmentally friendly plans for their delivery teams and fleets to execute. Creating an optimised route plan for deliveries is the first step to maximising fleet performance and providing a positive customer experience.

However, a great plan only matters when it is executed – and that’s the challenge for many fleet operators. Sure, tracking drivers with GPS helps, but the problem is not that simple as there are several areas where deviations from the plan occur. For instance, some deviations are voluntary (e.g. a driver decides to change the delivery sequence) and others are involuntary (e.g. there is a road closure not captured in the digital map data). In many cases, deviation from the plan starts well before a driver even gets on the road. Therefore, to get better control of fleet performance, retailers need to track “plan” versus “actual” performance. Chris Jones, EVP, Descartes explains.

Defining “Plan” Vs. “Actual” Performance

There are three key points to understand when it comes to plan versus actual performance, and how retail fleet operators can use that information to maximise fleet performance and customer experience.
1. Start with an Optimised Route Plan
Many fleet operators make use of route planning solutions to support with retail and ecommerce deliveries. Today’s advanced route optimisation solutions are very adept at considering all the business constraints and evaluating the tradeoffs between having specific orders on particular routes, and the sequence that they are delivered in. They look holistically to find the best combination of routes and sequences that will meet customer delivery requirements for the lowest delivered costs.
While not perfect, if the route planning solution is configured correctly, it will consistently outperform the human mind to find the most cost-efficient route plan. For this discussion, let’s consider that the plan initially generated by the system is the starting measuring point and has the best potential results.

2. Evaluate the Impact of Changes Made by Planners
Once a plan is initially created it is typically reviewed by a planner to ensure there are not any inconsistencies that could impact delivery performance, and account for any conditions that were not considered in the system configuration, or not possible to model. This step is the first place where deviation from the initial optimised plan can occur. For legitimate and arbitrary reasons, planners make changes to optimised routes. For instance, the planner knows that the solution doesn’t fully capture a constraint and the number of deliveries that a specific truck can execute.
Equally, a planner may have preconceived notions about what a route should “look like” and make changes to have it appear in a certain way on the digital map. In either case, the optimised plan has been adjusted and the results fall into two categories: more optimised and better performance or less optimised and lower performance. These changes need to be captured and compared to the initially optimised plan.

3. Track Execution and Capture Deviations that Impact It
Once the planner is finished making their adjustments, the plan is published to the driver. Let’s assume that all the deliveries are on the truck and the driver starts executing the route, which is tracked by GPS. Here again, the driver can deviate from the route plan for legitimate and arbitrary reasons.
The driver knows that a certain customer will take orders earlier than indicated in the route plan and changes the delivery sequence to be more efficient, or the driver likes to stop at a specific location because the facilities are better or the food and beverage options more appealing. Then there are events that are out of the driver’s control, which can change the route plan. For example, a customer cancels a delivery or an accident closes a road. All the driver changes and external events need to be captured to get a complete picture of the deviations during route execution.

The Complete Plan Versus Actual Picture

Capturing these points gives fleet managers a comprehensive view of plan through actual execution, and better control of performance outcomes. Managers will know the plan’s starting point in terms of cost and customer service, how the planner’s changes impacted cost and service, and the same for the driver’s changes and external events – all important factors to consider with rising costs for home delivery and fleet operations.

Placed side-by-side, the manager can see (1) if the plan was not as optimal or feasible as possible, (2) the degree to which planners are changing the original plan and why and the degree drivers are deviating and why. With this information, managers can take corrective action to (1) improve the quality of the initial optimised plan through configuration changes, (2) identify which planners are over-editing the plan and negatively impacting costs and customer service, and (3) better manage driver adherence to plan and understand the degree that external events are impacting delivery performance.

Technology Can Refine and Optimise the Review Process

Technology is advancing efficiency across the retail sector continually. It can make the home delivery plan versus actual review process easier, eliminate some of the causes of deviation to plans that have a negative impact on performance; but it can also take into account deviation that had a positive impact. This is how technology supports.
• Data analytics integrated with the planning and execution solution can accelerate the plan versus actual performance analysis. One of the biggest challenges is collecting, organising, and correlating the tremendous amount of data that route planning and GPS-based execution solutions generate.
The advent of powerful, but intuitive and low-cost analytics platforms such as Microsoft PowerBI™ that has standardised integration to route planning and execution solutions streamlines the data management process and gives deep insights into plan versus actual performance.
• How machine learning helps capture plan versus actual performance. Tracking fleet plan versus actual delivery performance is an excellent application for machine learning because of all the data that is created in the route planning through execution process.
Machine learning can more accurately identify actual stop location, drive, service and stop times, and other patterns such as changes in stop sequence. These recommendations can be applied to the optimised planning solution to create more accurate and productive route plans.
Machine learning can also identify which planners and drivers are outliers to capture best practices or coach poorer performers.
• Robotic process automation can eliminate some of the causes of plan versus actual deviation. Unfortunately, planner performance can vary widely resulting in significant deviations to the initial optimised plan and poorer plan performance.

By capturing and automating the planning practices of the best planners using robotic process automation, fleet operators can eliminate many of the post-optimisation tweaking that occurs during the planning review phase. Consequently, there will be fewer changes, more predictable planning outcomes across the organisation, shorter planning reviews, and greater planner productivity.

Plan versus actual delivery performance analysis is an important process for pinpointing and improving the practices and actions that planners and drivers take that negatively impact home delivery performance for retailers. Using this three-point approach described allows managers within retail and ecommerce organisations to capture the changes that impact home delivery performance. When combined with technological advances such as data analytics, machine learning, and robotic process automation, fleet operations can implement powerful plan versus actual performance processes that drive delivery fleet performance and improvements to the bottom line.

Manhattan Associates Transforms Retail Returns

Posted on by David Priestman

Manhattan Associates Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH) has announced enhanced Returns Management capabilities to streamline and optimise the returns process, and deliver a frictionless experience for both consumers and retailers. The new returns features strengthen customer loyalty by creating a frictionless experience, promoting an increase in store traffic and cross-selling opportunities.

Manhattan’s 2023 Unified Commerce Benchmark revealed that 41% of shoppers find the returns process very time-consuming, and 96% would buy again from retailers that offer a smooth experience. With Manhattan’s new capabilities, consumers can choose their most convenient way to return – whether, in-store or online, which also includes printer-less options. Refunds or exchanges will be processed as soon as carriers scan the package ¬¬– 3-5 days faster than most retailers.

“For shoppers today, experience beats products. Returns are an inconvenience to consumers and a big cost for retailers, and our enhanced Returns Management capabilities help retailers provide a world-class experience to their customers even after the sale, strengthening loyalty and, in turn, profitability,” said Ellie Crawford, director of Product Management for Manhattan. “At Manhattan, we are committed to solving business challenges in the simplest and most efficient way possible.”

These new capabilities reduce shipping costs and improve the sustainability of a return by optimising a product’s return path and inventory placement based on assortment and current stock levels.

The additions improve returns processes across the Manhattan Active® Omni solution suite, extending from the contact centre all the way to the store applications. They are automatically available to all subscribers of Manhattan Active Omni as part of the quarterly upgrade cycle.

Manhattan Associates is a technology leader in supply chain and omnichannel commerce. It unites information across the enterprise, converging front-end sales with back-end supply chain execution. Software, platform technology and unmatched experience help drive both top-line growth and bottom-line profitability for customers. The company designs, builds and delivers leading-edge cloud and on-premises solutions so that across the store, through a network or from a fulfilment centre, you are ready to reap the rewards of the omnichannel marketplace.

How to Unlock Value of Data-driven Logistics

Posted on by David Priestman

The ability to tap into data is critical to business success – from predicting sales trends to improving operations and customer service, writes Stephan Sieber (pictured), CEO at Transporeon. This gives companies the insights they need to outperform the competition, and today’s business leaders clearly recognise the value of data.

However, these game-changing insights are elusive for many companies, with 58% of organisations basing at least half of their regular business decisions on gut feel rather than on data and information. ‘Laggard’ companies base 70% of their decisions on gut feel, while ‘best-in-class’ companies base 60% of their decisions on relevant information.

In the logistics industry specifically, the ripple effects of the last few years – and the ongoing recovery – across supply chain processes have clearly revealed the urgent need for organisations to embrace a data-driven culture. It’s not enough to just have access to data. Data must become a central component of logistics operations, built into the fabric of the business.

The journey to being data driven

Aside from the cultural shift required, one of the biggest industry challenges associated with data-based decision making has been aggregating data from many disparate systems. Logistics practitioners highlight this as the biggest factor inhibiting their ability to convert data into actionable insights, followed by a lack of trained analysts and poor data quality.

The good news is that supply chain businesses recognise the need to leverage real-time data across their operations. And as a result, having accurate ETAs on transports is essential to managing supply chains and operations more efficiently. However, there’s a significant difference between just seeing what’s happening and being able to instantaneously use that information in an impactful way.

This is where a modern transportation management platform comes into play. Integrating different elements of the supply chain into an intelligent platform will serve as the backbone for data-driven decision making in large transportation networks. This approach can also connect shippers, carriers, logistics service providers and other stakeholders, enabling them to communicate, share data, and make smarter decisions based on a larger pool of data.

The more stakeholders that participate in the network, the more data that can be generated and analysed to deliver business value – from optimising loading and unloading through smart slot management, to scaling operations and cutting emissions. So, in 2023 and beyond, how do businesses get the most out of their transportation management data and transform their operations like never before?

Unlocking data value

The power of bringing key services and tools together in one comprehensive platform is that it delivers insights along the 360-degree lifecycle of a freight transaction. Having access to this data can provide several benefits, such as the ability to analyse market performance. With multiple stakeholders connected to a single platform, processing millions of real-time transactions annually, a network-based transportation management platform can help businesses benchmark their performance against the market.

Businesses must contextualise the data being collected by aligning it with clearly defined Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) linked to desired outcomes and business objectives. In the transportation realm, common KPIs include on-time delivery, on-time arrival, transportation spend by mode, lead times, and tender acceptance rate. These KPIs can then be compared to external network-wide benchmarks to help organisations see how they are performing relative to the market.

But the true value of being data-driven comes when businesses layer artificial intelligence, machine learning and visualisation tools on top of the data. This unlocks new insights about the businesses’ operations and generates recommendations on how to strive forward smarter. This could include: monitoring industry-wide freight spend and tender rates to optimise their freight procurement process; using AI-powered smart tendering to enable autonomous tendering; or analysing network-wide capacity information to reduce empty miles.

By choosing a modern, intelligent transportation management platform as the foundation of a connected network that prioritises real-time data, companies can unlock the insights that help them reduce costs and carbon emissions while improving service, mitigating risks, and much more. They can finally make smarter decisions based on actual data, not gut feeling.

Overlapping Route Planning Solution

Posted on by David Priestman

The exciting new partnership between supply chain software leader EPG and route planning innovator Greenplan has already reached a significant milestone, with the news that time-critical logistics specialist DANX is rolling out Greenplan in its Denmark operations.

“Our mission is to be the leading provider in time-critical service logistics across Eu-rope,” said Thomas Wad, CTIO at DANX Carousel group. “In our business, we need to excel at both speed and service-quality as we aim to deliver faster than anybody else aiming for 99% service fulfilment. This leaves minimal room for errors in our network planning. Greenplan is one of our innovative partnerships that we hope to be part of the solution of securing our excellence as we grow, and complexity rises. Better and faster planning means even better delivery and the most efficient transportation network also means fewer carbon emissions for our customers.”

Unique ‘Overlapping’ Algorithm

Billed as one of the most innovative developments in delivery planning software in re-cent years, Greenplan provides a unique algorithm which enables previously relatively fixed driver ‘rounds’ or districts to overlap, beyond the traditional route boundaries and zip codes. This dramatically improves quality in terms of delivery times and optimizes costs and efficiencies for the provider, because significant savings in mileage and time management can be achieved.

After the merger between DANX and Carousel Logistics last year, the DANX Carousel group has already announced its clear ambition to be the No. 1 provider of critical ser-vice logistics in Europe. As a front-rank supplier of spare parts to industries such as the automotive and agricultural industries, DANX guarantees that any pre-5pm order will be delivered by 7am the following morning. With a guaranteed 99% on-time performance, the route and delivery planning software package needs to be 100% effective.

Greenplan’s Competitive Win

DANX Denmark chose Greenplan because it outperformed all competitors in meeting strict requirements. Supporting faster and more reliable automation in transport pro-cesses, it was most responsive to fast-changing customer needs as well as cost-competitive on every metric, all backed up by outstanding engineering and service attention. “The screening process revealed that the competition was unable to meet our requirements, while Greenplan met our criteria in terms of speed and handling,” explained Daniel Skov, Strategy Manager at DANX Carousel group. “Greenplan also showed great ability to mitigate existing operational processes.”

Greenplan’s ‘overlapping’ functionality is a clear point of difference, he added. “It really stands Greenplan out from the crowd, allowing DANX Denmark to go from fixed route planning to part-dynamic modelling. This transforms our company proposition and allows us to prepare for future challenges knowing we have the best technical tools to help us.”

Greenplan has now started the roll-out process across DANX Denmark’s seven distribution centres and 100 vehicles in Denmark, having received positive feedback on initial testing in the Aarhus and Fredericia districts.

Florian Merget, Managing Director at Greenplan, said: “Our aim is to improve outcomes for our customers by increasing efficiency and offering extra agility at pace. Green-plan’s unique overlapping ability to predict most accurate traffic flows brings fully dynamic route planning ever closer.”

Stack Management and Crane Optimizer Goes Live

Posted on by David Priestman

Inform has announced that it has successfully deployed its Syncrotess Optimization Plus solution at Norfolk Southern’s Rossville terminal just outside of Memphis, Tennessee, enabling the terminal to have transparency of their stacked operations.

The go-live at Rossville is the first of two planned go-lives this year, the second being scheduled at their larger, Austell facility located just outside of Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr. Rafael Velasquez, Director of Optimization and Integration at INFORM’s Terminal & Distribution Centre Logistics Division said, “After several successful live tests and careful planning, the entire team was confident in the solution going live at Rossville. Now, we’re laser focused on the next challenge with taking the system live at Norfolk Southern’s larger operation in Austell.”

INFORM’s optimization solution takes a modular approach to adding advanced intelligence to a terminal’s existing TOS. This path allows them to isolate the terminal’s specific challenges and provide a bespoke solution for their specific operational challenges. As an add-on optimization solution, Norfolk Southern have built the required optimization on top of their existing Terminal Operating System (TOS) OPTCS.

Dr. Eva Savelsberg, Senior Vice President at INFORM’s Terminal & Distribution Centre Logistics Division commented, “Our add-on optimization approach has proven very successful in the North American maritime market and I’m very excited to see that it is now up and running in the intermodal industry as well.”

INFORM has a suite of six industry proven optimization modules designed to improve operational efficiency reducing operational costs and allowing for improved revenues. They include: Crane Optimizer (CO), Yard Optimizer (YO), Vehicle Optimizer (VO), Train Load Optimizer (TLO), Rail Scheduler (RS), and Machine Learning (ML) modules.

Norfolk Southern is using INFORM’s Yard Optimizer (YO) to intelligently manage their stacked operations. The Yard Optimizer works in conjunction with TOS to allocate storage locations for containers within the yard as well as a suitable handover location, or transfer spot, for external trucks to use to minimize travel distance for the container into and out of the stack.

INFORM is the market leader in AI and optimization software to facilitate improved decision making. Based in Aachen, Germany, the company has been in the optimization business for 50 years and serves a wide span of logistics industries including ports, maritime, and intermodal terminals with both add-on optimization modules as well as TOS solutions.

Video Telematics Achieves Benefits

Posted on by David Priestman

Urgent Services, a London-based provider of same-day delivery and courier services, is using a connected multi-camera video telematics system from Inseego to improve road safety, reduce operational costs and better protect its reputation. The video telematics solution – fitted on a fleet of new vans that handle critical deliveries across London and Nationwide – has provided added visibility and support to both drivers and office-based managers.

The connected multi-camera system incorporates forward, rear, side and load cameras for a 360-view of the vehicle and cargo space, as well as and in-cab monitor that allows the driver to view all blind spots. This useful driving aid provides a view of nearby vulnerable road users (VRUs) and greater understanding of surroundings during low-speed manoeuvrers. Video is displayed based on specific actions, so the rear camera is shown on screen during when reversing, while the use of the indicators triggers live footage from the appropriate side camera to support any left-and right-hand turns.

Meanwhile, the video telematics solution has been used to determine the exact circumstances of a vehicle collision, helping Urgent Services to defend liability and challenge any 50/50 claims by having access to irrefutable video evidence and supporting data. There have been three incidents where third parties have knocked off a wing mirror when driving past a Urgent Services vehicle, which has been captured by the side camera and allowed the company to prove exactly what has happened.

There have also been multiple occasions where Urgent Services has used historical video to resolve customer disputes, with the multi-camera system configured to continue recording after the ignition has been switched to validate proof of delivery. Where recipients have claimed non-delivery, the company has used footage from the customer location showing the driver unloading and delivering the package. In addition, the load-facing camera has proven useful for monitoring how drivers are handling and securing cargo, especially when items are of high value or fragile.

In April 2021, Urgent Services undertook a journey to Ukraine to deliver a shipment of humanitarian aid. The multi-camera system was used to track the location and progress of the vehicle through cloud-based software, while live video from the cameras provided added peace of mind and confirmed driver welfare.

Derwent Jaconelli, Managing Director at Urgent Services Limited commented: “We have an excellent standing in the marketplace and the Inseego multi-camera system is helping to maintain this positive reputation and ensure we are operating safely and responsibly. There were some initial concerns amongst our drivers, but within a matter of weeks, we were able to use video footage to thwart several dishonest claims for non delivery claims, so this was quickly overcome.”

Steve Thomas, Managing Director of Inseego UK Ltd said: “We are seeing a growing number of fleet operators turn to video telematics as an effective way of safeguarding drivers, keeping other road users safe and protecting their business. Our comprehensive range of connected dashcams and multi-camera systems means we can create tailored solutions that meet the precise needs of our customers.”

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