Transport technology and telematics company Microlise has confirmed its solution is now used by supermarket fleets serving more than 80% of the UK grocery market.
Longstanding contracts with Tesco and The Cooperative have been bolstered by new deals with other leading supermarkets and grocery retailers, resulting in the company’s telematics now supporting the delivery of groceries to stores and homes covering the vast majority of the country.
Deployed to heavy goods vehicles and smaller home delivery fleets, supermarkets are using the technology to increase efficiency, reduce cost and improve the safety of their transport operations; while also improving customer experience with shorter delivery windows.
The solution works by capturing real-time fleet information using smart telematics devices designed and manufactured by Microlise in the UK. The hardware, connected directly to vehicle engines, captures and securely transmits information including location, status and driver performance.
Smart software engineered by Microlise then makes sense of all the data and presents it in a way which is useful – with transport teams able to access key information online or through a mobile application. This enables smart and informed operational decisions to be made.
“Making communication more effective, open and real-time is key to driving efficiency in transport,” said Nadeem Raza, Microlise Chief Executive Officer. “Whether thinking about a distribution centre receiving inbound goods, or a customer expecting a home delivery, both the deliverer and the receiver having access to current information reduces wasted time, keeps costs down and leads to improved service. We’ve put this at the centre of our value proposition and it’s paying off.”
The technology leverages telematics data to make journeys more efficient by identifying early, on-time and late deliveries before they’ve occurred, making it possible to streamline the delivery process and take action when required.
Airport-style arrival and departure boards are often installed at stores and distribution centres. When a driver nears the store, the Microlise solution can be set to automatically notify the receiving team of an imminent delivery helping to reduce vehicle turnaround time. Detailed reporting enables the team to understand when changes are required to make improvements.
Several supermarkets have also deployed the Microlise ruggedised DriveTab Android tablet to deliver in-cab services such as vehicle-specific navigation, vehicle safety checks and signature capture. The DriveTab can be configured to take drivers through a series of pre-departure checks and includes consignment information and the schedule of deliveries for the day.
Retailers are also using Microlise Fleet Performance to assess the performance of drivers, so that any on-road incidents can be monitored and training offered to those who need it, to improve both safety and economical driving styles.
For further information about Microlise products, visit www.microlise.com/fleet-management.
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About Microlise
Microlise telematics and proof of delivery solutions help its customers reduce costs and the environmental impact of their fleet operations. This is achieved by maximising vehicle utilisation, increasing operational efficiency and improving economy and safety; whilst helping to deliver the very best customer experience by providing real-time visibility of the fleet against schedule.
A privately owned business based in Nottingham in the UK, Microlise invests significantly in research and development annually to ensure its solutions continue to be underpinned by market-leading technology. Microlise helps its customers to save more than £210m each year in fuel costs and reduce CO2 emissions by hundreds of thousands of metric tonnes.