By streamlining its entire logistics and last-mile delivery process, Bidvest Waltons can deliver on its promise and improve the overall customer experience. The stationer has subscribed to Picup’s Transport Management System (TMS) to deliver a reliable logistics solution.
The partnership was born when Bidvest Waltons encountered Picup through an ongoing project to improve service delivery and efficiencies from its main distribution centre in the Western Cape.
Picup then came to Bidvest Waltons’ aid during a strike, in a dire situation, where existing delivery methods were strained – causing a massive backlog in deliveries. Thereafter, Picup was retained to assess the driver routing and overall distribution model.
Weekly site visits with key stakeholders were conducted to understand the existing operations, systems and constraints. Picup had to analyse different departments and role players and provide a tailored logistics solution through the TMS.
Picup is different from conventional couriers because its advanced technology and fleet management tools enable companies to deliver using their own fleet, a third party courier or its own crowdsourced driver network.
Antonio Bruni, Picup CEO, says after the evaluation, it was very clear that Bidvest Waltons could use Picup’s technology to manage its fleet more efficiently.
“When volumes increased, there was definitely value in using Picup as a delivery partner. Our crowdsourced driver network was clearly the answer during the strike,” said Bruni.
“The Picup driver app allows routes to be optimised, eliminating the choice of familiar routes. This saves time and reduces fuel and maintenance costs considerably.”
The Picup TMS has saved Bidvest Waltons both time and money during the last mile, as well as given the company full visibility of each individual delivery. This ensures driver accountability and benchmarking which drives good behaviour and overall efficiencies.
“One of the reasons for this high success rate is our driver-partner remuneration model. We use a ‘pay per parcel’ method versus the ‘pay by volumetric-weight’ method that most conventional couriers use,” Bruni adds.
The TMS automatically processes addresses and converts them into GPS coordinates in real-time – based on the GPS co-ordinates of the device using the Picup app.
Bruni says in last-mile delivery, incorrect addresses can be a major hiccup particularly in a South African environment.
“Incorrectly captured and changing address information is an unavoidable risk, especially for companies with a large number of customers or customers with a large, or growing, number of branches,” he said.
In the event of addresses needing to be corrected, as identified through driver feedback on the app, a dedicated Data Integrity Team is able to ‘shift the location pin’ to a more accurate or relevant location. Once an address has been corrected, Picup’s AI modules automatically update the client’s information.
Bidvest Waltons has also implemented the Picup Warehouse solution where parcels are labelled and packed according to their allocation. Once the parcels leave the warehouse, they can be tracked in real-time. The solution fully integrates with Bidvest Waltons’ invoicing system for seamless operation.
The Dispatch Control System (DCS) allows for parcels to be labelled and packed according to allocation. This mitigates delays during dispatch and provides parcel-level visibility post-dispatch.
By integrating into Bidvest Waltons’ ERP system, Picup has gained a holistic view of organisation-wide data and identified areas where the TMS technology could improve the efficiency of the supply chain.
The success of Picup’s TMS has given Bidvest Waltons full visibility on its deliveries. The solution enables them to geocode all of their addresses and approximate the cost of each trip in advance, empowering them to make an informed decision as to which delivery option is the most efficient and cost-effective.
The Enterprise platform has a built-in search engine, this allows users to access invoices and electronic Proof of Delivery more easily. It also provides time stamps for key points in the supply chain like when the parcel was collected or delivered.
Picup is a customisable driver app which allows drivers and fleet managers to communicate with one another in real-time. Every action on the app is tracked and channeled into meaningful analysis, reporting dashboards and real-time alerts.
This improves transparency amongst departments as the customer relations team can track parcels in real-time and proactively keep customers up-to-date if there are unexpected delays in delivery.
Operational teams at Bidvest Waltons can now monitor their dashboards with live information, failed customer deliveries and can also gain insight into driver behaviour. They are now able to manage timing with exceptional accuracy and provide customers with personalised feedback through advanced delivery notifications.
The change in driver behaviour has resulted in on-time departures, route-optimisation, adherence and route accountability.
To provide visibility into past, present and future orders, the Picup TMS has a built-in search engine. This allows users across different departments to access invoices, electronic proof of collection and delivery, an overview of area density, and customer and fleet insights.
Bidvest Waltons is now able to plan and fine-tune deliveries, tweak its operational processes and redefine customer engagement in a meaningful way. Challenges around visibility, communications, addresses and driver behaviour have now been eradicated using Picup’s innovative approach to logistics.
“This exciting technology is changing the face of logistics and creating a far more organised and manageable environment,” said Bruni.
“Considering Waltons’ high order volumes, it is clear that the Picup Enterprise platform can handle the logistics of any business, no matter the size.”
