ArrowXL by JP Home Optimises Last Mile Delivery and Unlocks Capacity

Planning a nationwide big-and-bulky delivery operation requires ArrowXL to balance vehicle capacity, delivery geography, customer time windows and the operational requirements of two-person crews. As the business grew, it needed a planning platform capable of managing this complexity and producing routes that made sense for planners, drivers and customers.

Before working with Descartes, ArrowXL had been involved in a long-running implementation of real-time planning technology with a previous provider. However, the routes generated by the system were not producing logical or operationally usable results. ArrowXL therefore needed a technology partner with proven experience in comparable delivery environments and a solution that could be adapted to the realities of its business.

The planning process also involved significant manual work and reliance on spreadsheets. This restricted the time planners could analyse performance, identify patterns and adjust routes as new delivery volumes entered the operation.

Inefficient planning had consequences beyond the planning team. Routes that could not be completed resulted in terminations and repeat delivery attempts, increasing mileage and operating costs leaving customers to wait several more days for their orders. Deliveries arriving outside the agreed time window also affected the overall customer experience.

ArrowXL’s requirements extended beyond routing. Its clients - particularly white-goods retailers - often have detailed and client-specific proof-of-delivery requirements. The business needed a mobile solution that could support these requirements, while also giving crews better navigation and reducing reliance on drivers manually calling consumers before arrival.

ArrowXL selected Descartes’ cloud-based route planning and execution solution to automate and optimise its last-mile delivery planning. Descartes’ experience with other logistics-intensive and big-and-bulky delivery organisations helped demonstrate that the platform could support the scale and operational complexity of ArrowXL’s network.

The solution uses advanced optimisation technology to reduce the distance driven per delivery and improve route productivity. It allows ArrowXL’s planning team to respond dynamically as delivery volumes enter the system, making better use of vehicles and delivery crews while creating a clearer view of available capacity. Interfaces between ArrowXL’s systems, its clients’ systems and the Descartes platform also allow delivery capacity information to be shared..

During implementation, Descartes worked with ArrowXL to adjust the route optimiser around the company’s specific operating model. Training and ongoing support helped planners and operational teams transition from the incumbant system and become competant with a modern, user-friendly planning interface. According to the interview team, planners now prefer Descartes because it is more adaptable and easier to use.

The planning team can progressively freeze routes during the day as delivery volume is received. By the following morning, approximately 95% of the plan is normally complete, with deliveries already assigned to appropriate routes and geographic areas . Planners therefore need to make only a limited number of final adjustments before routes are released.

An API connection into ArrowXL’s reporting environment has reduced spreadsheet use and manual reporting. Planners can review performance over periods ranging from the previous week to the previous year, identify operational patterns and use those insights to support future planning decisions.

ArrowXL has also introduced Descartes’ mobile proof-of-delivery capabilities. Crews can select a delivery address within the application and navigate directly to the destination - functionality that was not available through the previous system. The application accommodates the detailed proof-of-delivery processes required by individual clients.

The company is also implementing Track My Appointments, to trigger automated SMS updates about upcoming deliveries. This will reduce dependence on crews remembering to call customers and address the problem of consumers not answering calls from unfamiliar telephone numbers.

“With Descartes in place, our team of planners has automated and streamlined previous manual planning processes.”

Rachel Hopkins - Chief Information Officer

Since introducing Descartes, ArrowXL has achieved measurable improvements across mileage, route completion, planning productivity and customer service.

Average mileage per route has fallen by 5.6%, helping the company reduce vehicle use and emissions while increasing drop rates and revenue per route. ArrowXL also reports a separate 13% reduction in miles driven, demonstrating the broader impact of more efficient route planning across the operation.

Route terminations have reduced significantly. Before Descartes, approximately around 6% of routes were terminated; that figure is now around 1%. More routes can  be completed as planned, reducing the need to arrange repeat deliveries and helping customers receive their goods on the first scheduled day rather than having to wait an additional two or three days.

ArrowXL has also recorded a 4% reduction in deliveries arriving outside the customer’s allocated time window. Together with fewer route terminations and redelivery attempts, this has contributed to a more dependable and consistent customer experience.

For the planning team, automation has reduced manual work, removed reliance on multiple spreadsheets and created faster access to operational reporting. With approximately 95% of the plan normally complete by the morning, planners can focus on exceptions and final refinements instead of constructing large parts of the delivery plan manually.

More productive routes have also unlocked additional delivery capacity. ArrowXL can make better use of its vehicles and crews, offer more capacity to clients and support continued growth without increasing mileage at the same rate. The combination of lower mileage, fewer failed routes, stronger on-time performance and greater operational visibility is helping the business improve efficiency while maintaining its customer-first approach.