Asda will soon complete a major two-year project to innovate its retail distribution operation using a unique Isotrak vehicle-tracking equipped transport optimisation solution. Using the fully-integrated transport optimisation and execution system called Total Transport Solution (TTS), which includes Isotrak's real-time transport plan execution and management technology, Asda has implemented a new regional distribution structure. With the system, Asda has been able to improve delivery services to its stores, make better use of driver resources, ensure route compliance and reduce operational costs.
Asda also used this project as an opportunity to standardise all transport office practices and procedures that has led to simplification and increased efficiency within this traditionally challenging environment.
"Asda transport has been completely transformed to provide new efficiencies across the board. The Isotrak-equipped TTS has enabled this and is providing significant improvements in the way we plan and manage our resources and in how we plan more than 18,000 store deliveries a week using our 900 strong fleet. The results of this business change are on-time delivery improvements to the stores, optimisation of our driver and vehicle resources and greater route compliance, which is also reducing mileage, fuel costs and emissions," says Chris Hall, National Transport Manager, Asda.
"We have moved away from individual planning for each distribution centre and have created seven planning regions across the UK that provide a clear differentiation between regional planning to maximise geographical resources and local execution for compliance to plan and accountability for store service. There are 21 DCs within the regions – two in Scotland, three in the North East, four in the North West, three in Yorkshire, four in the Midlands, three in the South West and two serving the South East. It is true to say that this would be impossible to do without an effective system and process."
Chris Hall says the system was the right choice for this step-change project being a fully configurable, off-the-shelf solution.
"This is a proven solution for retail distribution operations that have large fleets. We have been able to take a standard solution and configure it to our specific requirements. This is a step up from our original Paragon planning system and it combines routing, scheduling and resource optimisation with Isotrak's vehicle tracking and transport execution and management. It gives us full visibility of the entire operation and this has been instrumental in the success of this project."
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