Wincanton, the largest British logistics company, has invested in ORTEC’s Transport Management System (TMS) as part of a multimillion-pound project to digitise its transport systems.
The cloud-based TMS software will underpin Wincanton’s transport strategy to support safety, growth and fleet optimisation.
On an operational level, it will help Wincanton improve:
· planning and optimising of routes to ensure deliveries are timely and efficient
· load planning, reducing empty miles
· proactive customer service and delivery messaging to customers
· fuel usage data collection.
The TMS will work with Wincanton’s GPS track and trace solution (Winsight), a system which provides customers with up-to-the-minute information on the movement of goods prior to delivery. It will also link to Wincanton’s in-cab telematics system (MiX Telematics), which is designed to improve driver safety and vehicle performance.
The new software will allow Wincanton to better plan and model delivery scenarios. Operational data can be used to simulate routes and loads in a virtual environment, informing real-world operations.
With data driving modern business, investing in connected, cloud-based systems is important. The new TMS will improve Wincanton’s ability to harness Machine Learning, AI and sensory technology, to dynamically manage all of its transport resources in the future.
As the software is web-enabled, it can be integrated into customers’ and suppliers’ systems simply. Each customer will be able to access their own portal, which will contain delivery information and real-time updates with all data safely stored.
Chris Fenton, Managing Director of Industrial & Transport at Wincanton, said:
“At Wincanton, we are investing heavily in digitising our transport systems to support business growth. Bringing in a state-of-the-art Transport Management System is a huge step forward for us. It will bring measurable benefits to our customers in the form of improved efficiencies and communication.
“Moving away from the legacy AS/400TM system, which is still used by many logistics companies, sets us apart with a fleet which leads on safety, performance and efficiency.”
The new TMS will be rolled out across the Wincanton fleet this year and into 2019.
