Propelling the Customer Experience to New Heights with Descartes’ Last Mile Delivery Technology

As a leading supplier of premium building and landscape products in a demanding Australian marketplace, BC Sands required route planning and delivery software that ensured consistent, on-time, in-full (OTIF) delivery. The company used the same-day optimization capabilities of the Descartes solution to automate delivery appointment scheduling, route planning, and proof of delivery (POD) to heighten the customer’s delivery experience, improve operational efficiency, and reduce costs.

With successful last mile delivery a priority, BC Sands struggled with meeting tight delivery windows and high demand for same-day deliveries—both further complicated by Sydney’s intricate road network and traffic congestion. In addition, the company delivered a range of diverse products in vehicles with varying dimensions and capabilities.

Complicated load building rules and regulations also added to the complexity. BC Sands sought a comprehensive, integrated last mile delivery scheduling software with route planning, execution, and proof-of-delivery (POD) capabilities in order to increase operational efficiency and satisfy customer expectations.

“The Descartes solution is a unique and comprehensive platform. We could not find another last mile delivery solution that provides scheduling, delivery route planning and execution, proof-of-delivery, automated pre- and post-delivery notification services, and imaging functionality. It has fundamentally transformed our delivery operations.”

- Mark Parsons, Managing Director BC Sands

With the goal of increasing operational efficiency and improving the last mile delivery experience for more than 1,100 customers each week, BC Sands worked with Bestrane, the authorized distributor of Descartes solutions in Australia and New Zealand, on the implementation. The company deployed Descartes’ delivery appointment scheduling, route planning and execution and mobile solutions.

The software combines planning, execution, and comprehensive reporting to provide sophisticated route optimization with fully-integrated route tracking and execution via mobile devices.

BC Sands takes advantage of same-day optimization capabilities to book its online and phone orders directly into the dispatch schedule. Real-time status updates from GPS-tracked vehicles help ensure accurate availability, while providing visibility into deliveries enroute and the ability to notify customers of delivery progress.

“With Descartes’ dynamic routing software and Bestrane’s domain expertise, we’ve moved from ‘best guess’ times for deliveries to accurate, scheduled time windows,” explains Mark Parsons, Managing Director, BC Sands. “We can meet same-day delivery expectations, keep customers informed and easily amend orders on the fly, while increasing consistency of our ability to ‘Deliver On Time, In Full (OTIF)’.”

Parsons continues, “By optimizing planning, scheduling and routing, we’ve lowered our distribution costs: we’re getting more capacity out of our fleet and have reduced the number of returned loads by ensuring the right product is loaded onto the right truck. And we’re able to better manage a huge array of products in vehicles with different dimensions and capabilities.”

BC Sands improved its last mile delivery experience with Descartes’ advanced same-day optimization technology and real-time delivery appointment booking. Customers enjoy short lead-times, flexible time window choices, and consistent deliveries OTIF.

By optimizing route planning and delivery with a GPS-based mobile solution, Descartes helped BC Sands to reduce logistics costs by enhancing fleet capacity utilization, reducing frequency of returned loads, and minimizing distance travelled and fuel usage.

The Descartes solution ensures the right product is loaded onto the right truck, while scanning and POD ensure accurate delivery. With optimized scheduling and route management, orders can be changed in real-time and routes dynamically adjusted based on actual performance.

With the critical logistics data captured by the Descartes software, BC Sands is better positioned for growth through increased visibility and deeper insight into its operations and improved monitoring of key metrics.