Schweppes Improves Delivery Performance and Cuts Costs with Route Optimization 

Schweppes Belgium manages beverage distribution with a commitment to delivering orders within 48 hours, even during peak summer demand.

To meet these commitments more efficiently, the company sought to replace time-consuming manual planning with an automated approach. Descartes’ route planning and optimization software helped Schweppes improve delivery accuracy, maximize vehicle capacity, and control transportation costs.

Company: Schweppes

Industry: Beverage

Requirements: Enterprise

Case Study Key Takeaways

• Schweppes replaced inefficient manual planning with Descartes’ automated routing.
• Integration with order management streamlined loading and delivery schedules.
• Deliveries arrived sooner than the company’s 48-hour commitment.
• More accurate planning reduced the number of vehicles needed.

“Descartes’ route planning solution offers many advantages, including saving time and money. The distribution plan is much more accurate, reducing the number of vehicles needed to complete the deliveries."

- Bernard Baugniet, Traffic & Warehouse Manager, Schweppes Belgium.

Before Schweppes switched to Descartes’ route planning software, they managed their distribution process manually. This was time consuming and very inefficient. “We needed a more professional and automated solution as we were wasting a lot of time and money as a result of manual planning,” says Bernard Baugniet, Traffic & Warehouse Manager at Schweppes Belgium.

With a seasonal peak in the summer months, Schweppes consistently commits to deliveries within 48 hours, on the basis of orders received by fax, e-mail, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) or phone. As soon as an order is put into the system, data is imported into Descartes route planning software, which then optimizes planning and delivery needs for the day.

The solution provides delivery instructions for each vehicle and sends data back to the order management system for approval. The shipping tickets are printed and the agenda for loading and delivery is issued. Although Schweppes guarantees 48 hours delivery, reality is that the delivery timeframes are much shorter, and vehicles are fully loaded, so the dispatcher can evaluate if there are any problems and solve them quickly.

Descartes’ route planning and optimization software can manage daily planning, improve service delivery, provide real-time visibility- and help control transportation costs.

“Descartes’ route planning solution offers many advantages, including saving time and money. The distribution plan is much more accurate, reducing the number of vehicles needed to complete the deliveries. We do not have to deal with planning surprises concerning delivery: if the Descartes route planning software determines that 20 routes are necessary, it is correct and everything goes as planned,” says Bernard Baugniet.