Success Stories

Busselton Freight Services

Interview with:

Allan Price , General Manager

Company Name:

Busselton Freight Services (BFS)

Business Type:

IGA Distribution, Bulk, Refrigerated, General Freight

Operational Area:

Western Australia

Challenge

To create a fully customised and integrated mobile freight management logistics system that would enable BFS to grow its business and provide the most cost effective and efficient freight service in Western Australia.

Solution

TransLogix Sapphire Transport Management and Mobility Suite.

Benefits

Increased efficiencies and streamlined operations have cut costs and saved time. Complete transparency so customers can see where their goods are. Revenue per hour increased by over 16% in the first three months. 90+ percent of deliveries now arrive on time (previously this was approx 20%). More satisfied customers with reduced enquiry levels.

Background

BFS Metro & Regional Logistics is a diverse transport and retail business which delivers grocery products in Western Australia. It is the main contractor for IGA® (Metcash) and it distributes between 800 and 1000 pallets per day to IGA® stores across the Perth metropolitan area and into the South West country region. Founded 27 years ago by brothers Allan and Denis Price, the business now includes large freight depots in Busselton, Maddington and inside the IGA® at Canning Vale distribution centre.

The Challenge

BFS wanted a sophisticated fleet management system with integrated mobility devices so it could manage its drivers and trucks in real time. It needed to be able to communicate with its drivers at all times and to record all the necessary delivery data to ensure high levels of efficiency while providing excellent service to all its customers.

 "When we started we had fifteen ways of doing the same thing within separate areas of the business; now we have one organised system that everyone is a part of and where everyone can see what is happening and what needs to be done to make sure deliveries are on time, correct and in good condition," said Allan Price, General Manager, BFS Metro & Regional Logistics.

The Solution

BFS selected the TransLogix Sapphire Transport Management System which provides a comprehensive logistics solution across all business operations with integrated mobility and web modules to manage all BFS's mobile assets (trucks) and employees.

"The Sapphire system and technical people impressed us from the start. Once we had seen the system in action we realised that clearly this was the best system on the market for what we needed to do," Allan Price said. "Mobility is a very important part of our business and our fleet management. It gives us information in real time, which allows smart decisions to be acted out in a prompt manner. It also allows transparency of our business to be viewed by clients, thus providing value for money in the service we offer."

BFS has been working with the TransLogix team for over two years and is closely involved in product development. The new system took six months to set up and six months to test and fine-tune. In the last six months the system has been used in a full operations environment and adjusted to suit the unique needs of the BFS business.

Sapphire's GPS and Mapping software enables BFS to use PDA technology and, via a single screen, make decisions about how to best organise deliveries and minimise costs. This has really helped to maximise efficiency, streamline operations and enable everyone to see the chain of events in real time.

  • The benefits of a fully mobile solution mean that BFS is now able to:
  • Map all vehicle locations including their status, load capacity run and consignment details.
  • View all jobs and driver locations so that jobs can be allocated more effectively and efficiently.
  • Select a run or manifest and accurately estimate the time and kilometres involved.
  • Accurately calculate all trip times and distance details.
  • Record all in and out delivery times and map these for increased fleet efficiency.
  • Provide proof of demurrage and delivery.

 All drivers have the Sapphire system on a PDA in their trucks which enables them to see what they need to do and by when. This puts each driver in charge of their load and able to record all the information needed in real time, resulting in much less paperwork.

Better management across the whole delivery system means that cost savings can be made. For example, now that delivery requirements and patterns can be analysed, in many cases it becomes possible to deliver the same volume of items in fewer deliveries. This saves everyone time and money.

To date the TransLogix Sapphire system has worked well across a very complicated business.The next development stage is planned to commence very soon and it is expected to go live in under three months as the groundwork has been done.

Benefits

BFS now has a totally transparent distribution process that allows everyone in the supply chain to see what is happening to their goods as they move from the warehouse to the store. Service levels are much improved from the previous contractors; as possible problems can be detected early and fixed before they escalate.

"The system keeps everyone very honest as everything is recorded from pick up, loading, delivery trip to the delivery with the customer," commented Allan Price. Not only can the BFS team see what is happening but so can their customers, who can track their orders from the warehouse to their stores via a web portal. This means far fewer mistakes and much happier customers. There is also increased security as it is now possible for the warehouse cameras to record what stock was picked up and how it was packed and loaded so that correct delivery can be proved. As a result there is virtually no stock shrinkage.

Highlights

TransLogix has helped BFS increase its revenue per hour by over 16% in the first three months. "We have exceeded our initial objectives and met some very ambitious on-delivery on-time goals," said Allan Price. "We have a created an accurate and efficient freight delivery system, so everyone benefits.

"The new system has helped cement a long term relationship with IGA® and Metcash and we are now in a very strong position to tender for more business as the opportunities arise," he added.

One very important net result of the TransLogix solution has been happier customers. The system has improved communication with such features as automated updates which enable fast follow up voice calls. The drivers work less hours for good money and they have more time to make sure they do the job really well as they do not have to rush to meet impossible deadlines.

Future Plans

BFS is looking at extending the existing Sapphire software to further increase its functionality. For example, TransLogix is designing a live pallet interface via the PDAs which will enable BFS and its customers to track all pallets in and out so everyone will be able to see what their pallet balance is at any time.

Additional features being designed include managing any delays en route. If a driver is delayed for any reason the system automatically updates the store affected by SMS or email and quotes a new ETA. Electronic invoice transmission, barcode scanning at a GPS point re POD of security items is also part of the new work in progress.

It is expected that in the future, the system will generate the most logical delivery run and map this for the driver (all displayed on the mobile PDA) - and reduce the mental load for the load co-ordinator which in turn will help other staff covering the position.

With some further software modifications within the electronic diaries, the company will soon be able to accurately monitor driver fatigue on-line via PDAs.

"With the partnership developing between MTData and Translogix and by adding some hardware into our trailers we will be able to have live load temperatures as part of the cold chain security requirements," Allan Price said. "In addition, by putting some hardware into the prime movers we will be able to monitor driver behaviour/driving en route so that any stock damage can be checked against any driving incidents or accidents on the delivery trip, i.e. heavy braking, sharp cornering or, in the worst case, a traffic accident.

"New technology is something we pursue relentlessly. This gives us the edge in business and allows us to promote the extra service or protection we offer to our customers," Allan Price concluded.

http://www.busseltonfreight.com.au/

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