TELEMATICS BOOSTING SUPPLY CHAIN VISIBILITY
next planned drop . Online arrivals boards are updated based on this information . Departure boards also show the planned and estimated time of departure based upon the same data and automated messages can then be sent to customer mobile phones in home delivery operations . Alternatively depot staff can be ready to receive incoming deliveries at just the right time .
The Expectation Revolution Things have moved on a long way since the first telematics gateway was placed in a vehicle in the 1990s . Breaking the word telematics down to its constituent parts , informatics and telecommunications , it ’ s easy to see
‘ By combining live vehicle telematics and effective staff and customer communication , outbound supply chain logistics are able to adapt to the online revolution . ’ how twenty years later it is becoming more important than ever . It can be a major competitive differentiator for retailers that are driving growth through online sales , home deliveries and click and collect services .
By combining live vehicle telematics and effective staff and customer communication , outbound supply chain logistics are able to adapt to the online revolution . The visibility enabled by telematics is making it possible to identify unplanned stops , turnaround delays and other challenges which might cause problems along the supply chain . Meanwhile , having an accurate view of fleet utilisation maximises fill rates whilst reducing the required number of vehicles to keep costs at optimum levels .
Telematics is a word that sometimes struggles with the size and scope of the thing it is trying to describe . It is also the thing which is providing visibility , cost saving and enabling a customer experience which differentiates one retailer from another . In the battle for online commercial supremacy – telematics could very well prove to be the most important differentiator of all .
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