Petroplus reduce transport costs improve customer service with VSc

Petroplus Refining Teesside Limited select VSc’s integrated Telematics, Route Monitoring & Compliance solution to automate the delivery management process of their petroleum products to end use customers in the UK through their contracted haulage fleet.

David Bonnard, Supply and Logistics Manager, at Petroplus, explains: “We already use the Route Planning system from Transvision, so the next logical step is to be able to actually measure the performance of drivers and deliveries against the plan. Following a successful system pilot, VSc have provided us with a fully automated delivery management system with full data visibility across the process. As a business this means better utilisation of vehicles and a more efficient and effective operation.”

The distribution of fuel products is complex and subject to various industry legal requirements. In addition, pressures on distribution costs and demands for greater operational efficiency requires successful suppliers to have greater information visibility and operational agility to gain competitive advantage.

By implementing the telematics and monitoring and compliance system with a fully integrated route planner, the solution from VSc will enable Petroplus to benefit from more accurate data on planned miles versus actual mileage claimed and contracted hours versus actual hours worked by drivers, which means big time and cost savings in administering driver payments, checking claims, delays and discrepancies during the delivery process. The VSc solution improves data visibility over the whole delivery operation, giving Petroplus the flexibility to be able to provide a more pro-active customer service.

Previously, drivers manually completed around 500 time sheets per week; which was very time consuming to process, both for drivers and Petroplus staff. In addition Petroplus did not have visibility of where delays were happening until after the event and therefore could not react quickly.

David continues: “The new system from VSc Solutions will show us exactly where vehicles are, how far away they are from their next planned delivery and where unexpected delays are occurring. We can therefore respond to customer delivery queries or alert customers where necessary and, ultimately, we plan to automate invoicing to hauliers. The overall result will be reduced operational and administration costs and a much more pro-active customer service."