Plato, Zeno software optimise transport management

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The company is implementing a new way of tracking the status of deliveries in real time using mobile handheld devices. It has implemented a routeing and execution management solution, targeting an estimated R10m operating cost savings on secondary distribution per annum.

Says Etienne Juillard, managing director of ID Logistics South Africa: “We have installed an automated optimiser system instead of master routes and manual reworks, as well as the efficient management of seasonality and integration of new principles, versus constantly redesigning master routes.”

Software

According to Juillard, the company is also implementing system-driven workflow to ease and track deliveries in real time, which will result in improved visibility on all operational KPIs on a daily basis. This improves customer service as shorts, damages, and missed stops can be calculated before the truck returns.

The optimisation programme is based on Plato, which is a suite of enterprise-level planning software modules that provides superior transport management, route optimisation and resource utilisation.

“It enables us to model complex transportation operations, including shift changes, external contractors, loading bays, variable stop times based on loading and offloading profiles and more. Its ability to interact with other systems, integrate with multiple tracking and GPS service providers ensures that we have total control of the logistics’ process – from start to the finish,” he adds.

The company is using Zeno online mobile software, which is an online web scheduler for same and next day planning of vehicles and deliveries, with built-in workflow management. “This helps to manage both the planning and execution of real-time events through the use of alerts, automatic adjustment of existing schedules following events.

"It integrates with the handheld mobile devices and backend financial system, which enables our mobile workforce to receive alerts, downloadable schedules, signatures-on-line, as well as a lot more functionality,” says Juillard.