Sainsbury's improves vehicle management

New software helps retailer in reducing costs and tightening control over store deliveries

Sainsbury's hopes to increase control over its fleet management

Sainsbury's is using a new application to improve the accuracy and execution of daily deliveries.

The software captures real-time data such as vehicle location and covers operations across the retailer’s 19 distribution centres to 527 supermarkets and 276 smaller stores, as well as the allocation of tractors, trailers and drivers to routes.

“Uncertainties are a fact of life for any transport operation so we build contingencies into our schedules, but they add costs,” said Darren Jones, head of logistics strategy at Sainsbury's.

“The more uncertainty that can be eliminated, the greater the control over costs,” he said.

By using the fleet monitoring system supplied by Paragon Software and a transport management system provided by Isotrak, Jones said the retailer is now able to obtain real-time information such as vehicle location and driver speed outputs.

“When vehicle turnaround time at stores emerged as a critical factor, for instance, the planned contingency was cut by a consistent 15 per cent by setting store targets,” he said.