Fewer kilometers driven, fewer canceled routes, and more deliveries within customers’ preferred time windows. The British logistics company ArrowXL by JP Home has reduced the distance traveled for its home deliveries by about 13 percent using Descartes’ route planning and route optimization solution..
ArrowXL is the UK’s largest and most established specialist in home deliveries where two people handle large and bulky items, and the company also offers warehousing services. Deliveries are made to both businesses and consumers and include, among other things, major appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, and stoves. By streamlining planning and reducing reliance on manual processes, ArrowXL has been able to lower both operating costs and emissions. At the same time, the rate of successful deliveries and revenue per route have increased, while more efficient use of the vehicle fleet contributes to a longer service life for the vehicles.
– Our team has over 40 years of experience and has handled millions of deliveries for some of the UK’s leading retailers, e-commerce companies, and manufacturers. Our deliveries of bulky products to businesses and consumers create complex distribution needs. We had outgrown our previous planning system, which no longer provided us with the data we needed to plan deliveries efficiently and continue to grow,” says Rachel Hopkins, IT Director at ArrowXL.
Currently, 95 percent of ArrowXL’s delivery routes are scheduled for nighttime. By reducing its reliance on manual processes, the company has cut the total distance driven by 13 percent.
“More efficient planning has also reduced the percentage of routes that must be terminated early from 5 to 1 percent, which increases our ability to successfully complete deliveries on the first attempt. In addition, we have reduced the percentage of deliveries made outside customers’ preferred time windows by 4 percent,” says Rachel Hopkins.
Descartes’ solution uses AI and advanced route optimization to manage changing delivery needs, including same-day deliveries. By optimizing routes and reducing the distance traveled per delivery, more capacity can be freed up in the existing vehicle fleet, while also reducing costs. ArrowXL also highlights the system’s user-friendliness, which makes it easier for both planners and delivery teams to work with the solution. As part of the broader project, the technology is also being used to improve the company’s management of delivery receipts and tracking of scheduled delivery times.
– ArrowXL is raising the level of service for its customers, lowering delivery costs, and improving both productivity and sustainability while continuing to grow its business. We are pleased that our technology is part of this development. As delivery operations grow, manual planning processes and standalone tools quickly become a limitation. We help our customers handle larger volumes with existing resources, while improving service levels throughout the supply chain,” says James Wee, General Manager of Fleet Performance Management at Descartes.
