Flour manufacturer and distributor Rank Hovis has implemented a
handheld in-vehicle job management system to improve the efficiency
of deliveries and cut operating costs.
The system will enable Rank Hovis, which delivers more than a
million tonnes of flour a year to bakers and industrial and
wholesale outlets, to check and receipt deliveries and manage the
audit process more efficiently.
"The mobile system will give us improved visibility of deliveries,
greater accuracy as information is no longer rekeyed in the office
and faster invoicing, among other things," said John Redshaw,
national logistics controller at Rank Hovis.
The company has fitted 34 of its delivery vehicles with Symbol
Pocket PC devices, running the Collection and Delivery application
from software provider Three X. The system includes an onboard
docking station, printer and modem, with communication via
Vodafone's GSM network.
How the system works
When the driver logs on to his
system at the start of his shift, job details - delivery schedule,
customer information and manifest - are downloaded to his handheld
device.
At each stop, the driver is prompted to enter full information on
delivery status - a clean or partial delivery, or non delivery. If
there is a discrepancy, the driver amends the quantity and selects
a reason before verifying the number and type of pallets exchanged.
This audit capability helps to cut costs by ensuring pallets are
not lost or misplaced. A receipt is then printed which the customer
signs and retains for reference.
When the handheld is returned to its docking cradle, details are
sent back, via the GSM network, to Rank Hovis headquarters in High
Wycombe. An invoice is then triggered.