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dedicated exclusively to accurate location
data is going to be ideally placed to handle
static delivery points and ad hoc locations.
This will not only streamline and improve
accuracy, but it will limit issues further down
the line.
Primary and secondary distribution are
mostly concerned with static delivery points,
for example, so a dedicated team can
work with them to establish these points
and represent them as geographically
correct. Once there is a clear outline of
what is needed, then it is possible to plot
the delivery points by drawing geofences
around the locations. By using entering and
exiting geofences as a reference point for
delivery vehicles arriving and customers
departing, you now gain accurate data that
reflects the delivery process and the timing
of its execution.
It is essential that the system is completely
dynamic to allow for the change and
manipulation of geofences already created
so that locations can be plotted accurately.
You can then take the feedback from the
delivery vehicle drivers and the dispatch
mangers to generate informative reports
www.intelligentcio.com
on where mistakes have been made and
what needs to be adjusted to show what
is accurate. This on-the-spot resolution
of problem locations helps drivers to do
their jobs more effectively, immediately,
and they look better when being judged
on their deliveries. The dispatch managers
or de-briefers also don’t need to question
driver actions.
The last mile
Final or last mile deliveries have increasingly
become the target of logistics companies as
customers are more demanding. They want
to receive their ordered goods swiftly, within
specific time limits and with accuracy of
location. Modern customers want to alleviate
the old challenges associated with shopping
by managing everything with just a few clicks
of a button. Customers have also become
impatient when it comes to lead time – the
time spent waiting from the moment of
order to receiving the products at their
door. This demand for that level of service is
daunting for the logistics industry. However,
it is something that can be achieved and is
a real growth pillar for companies that are
focusing on final mile deliveries.
We have worked with companies such as
Coricraft, Dial-a-Bed and Makro who rely
heavily on high service level deliveries to
their customers. Our dedicated team allows
us to use information captured at point
of sale to effectively assign a geofence to
each customer while ensuring that we don’t
repeat the process for returning customers.
The biggest challenge is that almost all these
deliveries are to ad-hoc locations that haven’t
been captured before and so there is no
previous information to work with. Plotting
the delivery point accurately is complex.
This is where a dedicated team and high-end
technology make a difference as the data
can be accurately captured and used to
ensure accurate delivery.
This level of engagement with clients has
helped us build very strong relationships
based on mutual respect. By doing so, we
have built unique and specific Geographical
Information Systems that fit customer
needs, while ensuring that the stakeholders
required to perform the task of delivering
accurately and to a plan can do so to the
best of their abilities. n
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