Trade Distribution Ltd builds home delivery service with integrated CALIDUS TMS and CALIDUS ePOD
Trade Distribution Ltd (TDL) has been able to create a future proof home delivery service after investing in a CALIDUS TMS with CALIDUS ePOD system from OBS Logistics.
Established in 2000, TDL is the largest transport and logistics company on the Isle of Man, operating from a central UK hub in Lancashire and 2 depots on the Island, employing over 100 staff and operating 120 trailers and 50 Vehicles through its centres.
Going live with the easy to use set of software tools early in 2013 TDL has already won new business in the fast growing home delivery drop shipping marketplace on the strength of its highly automated offering. A recent contract win with independent living solutions provider AKW was made all the more palatable as CALIDUS TMS gave complete visibility throughout the dispatch and delivery operation. AKW was already familiar with the efficiencies to be gained by deploying the CALIDUS set of software tools.
“Home drop delivery is one of the key areas of growth across the industry that we operate in,” says Steve Pickett, TDL’s Managing Director. “To be competitive in this market place is essential to our growth and in order to achieve this we had to find solutions that would eliminate all paperwork from the daily working process. We also wanted to make better efficiencies in dispatch and transport scheduling and give delivery drivers a better method of managing proof of delivery and these were all enabled by better working practices brought forward by our liaison with OBS Logistics.”
After piloting an alternative TMS supplier in early 2012 and not being satisfied with the results, TDL turned to the CALIDUS TMS to enable a more efficient working practice throughout its scheduling and home delivery drop shipping operations.
After an initial introduction from Birmingham based DPS International, a software partner of OBS Logistics, TDL was able to move its entire dispatch operation forward at an accelerated pace by deploying CALIDUS TMS with CALIDUS ePOD.
Following a six week period to scope the requirement and a pilot run, TDL proceeded with the setting up of the system with the primary aim of managing their daily orders and dispatch scheduling in a better manner.
“We put our faith in new technology early in 2013 and within six months it paid us back with dividends, bringing us new efficiencies, eliminating our paper trail, securing our data and giving our customers a better service,” says Pickett.
“Within a week the system was fully operational with all staff on board and firmly in favour of the new daily working practices. Our drivers in particular found the POD hand held scanning to be beneficial not only to their speed of operation but also to actually logging PODs onto the TDL network and its customer’s system in real time.”
“One of the real value adds of this is that we have had zero reporting of non-deliveries and this is hugely impressive when acting on behalf of high profile clients. The track and trace facility has proved highly agile as all in the chain can see the status of deliveries at any given time of the dispatch,” adds Pickett.
Pickett cites this recent alliance with AKW as highly important and a fine example of how CALIDUS TMS with CALIDUS ePOD system works as a unique operating platform linking together the complete supply chain transaction from front end to back end.
Pickett is confident that the first six months of operating with the solution from OBS Logistics has promoted a new confidence in the company’s competitive edge.
“Home delivery is a big part of the future for all logistics companies and already we have plans to increase this side of the business during the next 12 months with an expanded delivery fleet and further capacity within our hubs in the UK,” concludes Pickett.
