Johannesburg, 25 Feb 2014
Azkar, the leading global logistics operator in Spain and Portugal, has opted for the ZetesChronos solution to manage its proof of delivery (POD) processes.
The underlying aim of the company was to boost competitiveness and improve customer service. The result was a drastic reduction in errors, optimised decision-making and a streamlining of day-to-day tasks for transportation and administrative workers. Following a successful pilot programme, the solution has now been rolled out to over 60 distribution centres in Spain and Portugal, and is used by 2 000 employees.
ZetesChronos is an advanced mobile POD solution designed to steer all delivery and collection processes. It gives real-time visibility on goods movement and field worker activity, from loading of goods to delivery and pick-up, and ensures traceability throughout the entire delivery fulfilment process. Furthermore, ZetesChronos is part of a suite of solutions developed by Zetes for the collaborative supply chain.
"ZetesChronos, our proof of delivery solution, is flexible as it is based on a proprietary standard platform which is able to quickly adapt to the business rules and individual processes of our customers. The solution provides useful information in real-time on the tracking and tracing of products throughout the process. With an easy set-up, both within a company and across multiple stakeholders, it is a system that helps reduce claims and prevents delivery errors," says Jos'e Fanego, Manager Business Consultancy for ZetesChronos.
Azkar had been working with a legacy paper-based system that did not allow it to have total control over its delivery and collection processes. However, the company was determined to achieve excellence in customer satisfaction by offering more flexible services and increasing competitiveness. It therefore picked ZetesChronos as its POD solution.
Raymond Grieger, Business Development Manager ZetesSA, also comments: "To achieve excellence in transportation and delivery every time, you must not only ensure speed of delivery and receipt of shipments in optimal conditions, you also need to provide more information and offer more options and services to your customers. With ZetesChronos all these needs are met."
Exchange of information in real-time
After successful pilot testing at the company's Oporto branch, where operators saw how easy it was to use the solution, it was rolled out to all other branches in Spain and Portugal. ZetesChronos has been fully integrated with the Azkar information management system, so the company controls the entire stream of information from delivery to collection. It also allows transportation and administrative staff to exchange information in real-time through Motorola MC75 mobile devices, which scan every step of the process, adapting to specific customer requirements.
If a stamped "dispatch advice" is required, this is scanned - via a single image capture - and automatically sent to the central management system where it is saved with the other delivery data. If the service requires a signature, this is done directly on the terminal screen and stored with the other data. This means all the Azkar services are recorded in real-time in their central corporate systems.
Karin Parker, Executive Head of Sales and Marketing at Zetes SA, says: "With the solution, parcels are not lost in transit and all movements of goods are captured during the delivery process. There is continuous reporting on deliveries, hours and kilometres driven and there is visual proof of condition of goods. There is real-time connection between your drivers and the back-office."
Optimised decision-taking
Moreover, with the Backoffice tool that is part of the ZetesChronos solution, the company can communicate incidents detected in the services in real-time and resolve them over the course of the following 24 hours. It is also better equipped to deal with everyday problems, such as rescheduling a service to a customer who is not at home at the time of delivery.
ZetesChronos has enabled Azkar to optimise service quality, eliminate errors, immediately remedy potential incidents and provide customers with access to all information relating to the contracted services in real-time. In addition, given the instant availability of data relating to delivery ratios, acceptance/rejection of pick-ups, number of failed deliveries, stops made during the day, this solution provides the company with the information required to optimise decision-making at business level.
Success from the start
The Azkar IT Director explains: "With this new information management and control system, we have significantly reduced errors and can offer greater value to our customers. The project has been a success from day one. Following on from the pilot phase to verify system functionality, all our centres are now benefiting from a new way of working, which also makes valuable information available at a resource management level and facilitates the daily work of transporters. We are very satisfied with the solution delivered by Zetes and we are especially pleased with the results."
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