Optimising transportation and logistics
Few sectors can benefit as much from location intelligence as the transportation and logistics industry. A well-planned distribution network should include:
- effectively positioned distribution hubs
- optimised territory sizes and layouts
- well-priced delivery bandings
- efficiently scheduled delivery routes
All of which can make a real impact on your costs and profit. Here are some examples of how our clients have improved the way they work with our location services:
Positioning distribution hubs and outlets
Warehouses, distribution hubs and outlets will be one of your biggest overheads. We can help you to select the best location to ensure that these fixed sites are an investment, not just a cost:
- Find customer hot spots to place warehouses most effectively either from existing customer data or demographic profiles mapped to locations
- Assess the local travel network around a selected site to see which location gives the widest reach with an efficient road network
- Balance workload and travel time between multiple sites by using a GIS to create catchments split by mileage, travel time, or customer density
- Evaluate competitor networks to assess in which areas you can compete most effectively, or to demonstrate why you are the best choice for a tender
Case Study: Producing branch catchments by travel time
Rexel UK wanted to allocate territories to their branches across the UK to maximise efficiency and minimise cross-site cannibalism.
Territory management and route scheduling
Territories can be more organic than fixed sites but regular changes amongst customers, staff, and orders, mean that territories need to be regularly reviewed and put in context of your current resources to be effective:
- Define sales territories based on an actual drive time or distance radius, rather than using abstract crow fly distances
- Make each journey as efficient as possible by using our scheduling tools to group clients together into efficient delivery schedules
- Allocate new clients or enquiries to their closest representative efficiently and in real-time as clients order or make enquiries
Case Study: Scheduling visits to increase field team efficiency
Tactical Solutions needed a call scheduling tool that provided the optimum order for visits whilst keeping travel time to a minimum.
Defining delivery areas and cost bandings
Starting an entirely new distribution business or moving into mail order from an existing store network can be intimidating, but it needn’t be guesswork:
- Set realistic delivery boundaries from your existing network either by travel distance or journey time
- Use accurate journey mileages to calculate cost to fulfil orders and establish delivery cost bandings
- Review your existing retail network in light of a move to distance selling to see which stores will be most effective and have the greatest customer catchment
- Identify gaps in your network or opportunities in your competitors' by establishing an acceptable delivery standard and applying it across the country
Case Study: Moving from retail to remote selling
A national wine merchant wanted to base their online business around their store network for efficient delivery and stock management.
Helping drivers to deliver
Abstract strategies are only as efficient as the individuals they guide. We have the data and tools to help each delivery agent work as effectively as possible, whilst keeping their workload maneagable and making their individual journeys as smooth as possible:
- Efficient scheduling over multiple days: Our tools can group visits rationally for each agent and also account for visit frequency if it is routine supply, or preferred visit time if you have a set service level to keep; all using a realistic road network and travel times
- Detailed local maps of specific territories: Our mapping tools can produce detailed maps defined by the boundaries of your territories. This means that local agents will have incredible local detail for their specific territory
- Quickly and accurately reimburse travel expenses: Our up-to-date road network data calculates the distance of specific journeys allowing for real-time automated expense validation and remuneration
Case Study: Calculating time and mileage required on site visits
McGinley Support Services needed detailed time and distance data as a means of verification for their automated expenses system.
A solution to fit your needs and budget
Taking advantage of geographic intelligence needn’t mean high costs or dedicated in-house staff. We are a small, agile company with a proven set of affordable Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and data products. We can either give you the software and data you need for your team, or undertake digital mapping projects on your behalf. Whatever your area of business, project size, or available budget, we have a solution to suit you.
We have more than 25 years experience of providing exceptional data and service to our customers, and can help you to get the most out of your data and your budget. Why not get in touch to find out how we can help you.
Whether you are looking to improve your organisation's efficiency, or establish a new delivery network, we have the tools and expertise to help.
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