Handhelds perk up Whitbread deliveries

Whitbread Group is issuing mobile devices to its drivers to improve delivery of food stocks to more than 1,400 sites during the Christmas period.

The hospitality firm, which owns brands including Costa Coffee, TGI Fridays and Premier Travel Inn, wants to eliminate incorrect or late deliveries and transportation of products at the wrong temperature, which can affect stock levels and profits.

Whitbread project manager Jonathan Abbott says until now the company has only been able to track stock from the depot until it is loaded on to the lorries.

‘Now drivers pick up the devices and download their work for the day, receiving step-by-step delivery instructions,’ he said.

‘I also have supply chain visibility from the warehouse to the front door of my customers.’

Drivers transfer delivery details to the depot as they happen, avoiding delays, lost paperwork and errors. The devices are loaded with Blackbay Delivery Connect software, which integrates with the company’s warehouse management system so data arrives instantly.

‘The information is in real time, which improves our supply chain accuracy,’ said Abbott. ‘We have rolled out 50 devices, but will deploy them to all 165 drivers by March next year.’

Whitbread saves 30 minutes a day per user, which will translate to 82.5 hours a day when all devices have been issued.

Gartner research director Tim Payne says there is growing interest in mobile devices because of the visibility they offer.

‘They alert businesses to problems in the supply chain, but the next step is using that visibility to increase business intelligence and use the knowledge gained to improve supply chain processes,’ he said.

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Further reading

Whitbread signs £26m IT deal

Premier Travel Inn benefits by planning ahead

Whitbread staff train with tablets