Sainsbury's is rolling out two new applications to its routeing and scheduling software in order to enhance the accuracy of its transport planning.
The supermarket has been using Paragon software for the past three years to plan deliveries across its network of 19 RDCs to 527 main stores and 276 smaller Sainsbury's Local shops.
Now, following a successful pilot, it plans to launch the upgrade across its distribution operation to give it real-time updates on how the day's schedule is progressing.
Sainsbury's is using a combination of Paragon's Fleet Controller to monitor the execution of the delivery schedule, combined with Isotrak's Active Transport Management System (ATMS), to capture real-time data, such as vehicle location and driver tachograph details.
If, for example, the ATMS live data indicates that a tractor will arrive back at the depot later than planned, Fleet Controller can allocate a different tractor unit to collect the scheduled trailer, enabling the departure to be made within the planned window. Similarly, if delays mean there is a risk that a driver will run out of hours, or need a break that will also affect the plan, the driver can be relocated.
"Uncertainties are a part of any transport operation schedule and we build in contingencies to accommodate them," says Darren Jones, head of logistics strategy at Sainsbury's. "However, the contingency element adds cost: the more of these elements that can be eliminated, the greater the control over costs."