Download PDF
How Whistl Utilized RouteSmart to Expand Their Delivery Service
Technology Category
- Analytics & Modeling - Predictive Analytics
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Visualization
Applicable Industries
- Professional Service
Applicable Functions
- Business Operation
- Logistics & Transportation
Use Cases
- Fleet Management
- Predictive Maintenance
Services
- System Integration
- Training
The Challenge
Whistl aimed to launch a national final mile delivery service within the UK, providing competition to Royal Mail for the first time in over 370 years. The company needed to create thousands of jobs and invest significantly in technology and infrastructure. One key challenge was the creation of new postal routes to meet specific service targets, requiring a GIS-based tool to assist planners and automate route creation based on varying mail volumes.
About The Customer
Whistl, formerly known as TNT Post, was established in the UK in 2003. The company offers a wide range of addressed and unaddressed mail delivery services, as well as mail-related value-added services in the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy. They handle letters, packets, and parcels, and manage direct marketing with specialist door drop targeting, distribution, and evaluation services. Whistl also collects, sorts, and transports business mail and packages, and assists customers with data and document management and fulfillment.
The Solution
Whistl chose RouteSmart for ArcGIS to facilitate the creation of postal delivery routes with specific service targets. The software allowed for the creation of approximately 2,370 routes to date, hosted externally at secure centers in the UK. The RouteSmart software provided clarity of maps, visibility of routes to new starters, and the ability to customize delivery instruction booklets using Crystal Reports. Integrated Skills Limited, the exclusive UK partner for RouteSmart Technologies, configured the software, imported relevant data sets, interfaced with sorting machines, and trained the Whistl route planning team.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
Related Case Studies.
Case Study
UBM plc: Taking the pulse of the business and engaging employees with a far-reaching strategic transformation
UBM, a leading global events business, was undergoing a significant strategic transformation named 'Events First'. As part of this transformation, the company was preparing to complete the largest acquisition in its history - Advanstar, a US-based events and marketing services business valued at more than USD970m. The company faced the risk of human capital flight if it was unable to effectively engage top talent with the new strategic direction. UBM needed to make significant structural, process and systems changes, uniting its previously autonomous regional businesses. The challenge was to ensure all of its employees were engaged and aligned with the new future vision.
Case Study
Wittmann EDV-Systeme launches IT monitoring services
Small and medium-sized businesses often lack the know-how and resources required for thorough IT system monitoring. Wittmann EDV-Systeme wanted to launch a solution to plug the gap – enabling it to improve its own competitiveness and that of its customers. IT landscapes are becoming ever more complex and outsourcing is gaining popularity, IT systems must nonetheless remain easy-to-use and extremely reliable at all times. Automated, round-the-clock system monitoring therefore represents an immensely valuable proposition for companies: downtime for business-critical applications can be avoided, and IT systems remain available at all times.
Case Study
Uncovering behavioral insight to help reward and retain the best employees
The HR services company, an IBM client, was facing the challenge of understanding the factors underlying personal employment choices. They wanted to offer their clients unprecedented insight into what motivates employees and prospective job candidates. However, their existing systems were not capable of handling the surging data volumes collected from a wide range of different data sources. With the total volume likely to keep on growing, the firm looked for a solution that could meet current needs and scale to meet tomorrow’s demands.
Case Study
Infosys achieves a 5–7 percent effort reduction across projects
Infosys, a global leader in consulting, technology, and outsourcing solutions, was facing significant challenges in application development and maintenance due to its distributed teams, changing business priorities and the need to stay in alignment with customer needs. The company used a mix of open source, home-grown and third-party applications to support application development projects. However, challenges resulting from distributed teams using manual processes increased as the company grew. It became more and more important for Infosys to execute its projects efficiently, so they could improve quality, reduce defects and minimize delays.
Case Study
Flex Contact Center: Supporting rapid business growth with IBM Connections Cloud and IBM Verse
Flex Contact Center, a professional services company offering telesales, call-center, anti-attrition, back-office, helpdesk and collection services, has grown rapidly since its establishment in 2009. With operations in 12 sites across two states and four cities in Brazil, the company employs more than 11,000 people. However, the company realized that to prevent barriers to future expansion, it was essential to make it as easy as possible for its people to work together effectively—even if they were based in separate geographical locations. Traditional approaches to collaboration—based on email and phone calls—threatened to reduce productivity. Flex Contact Center wanted to enable better collaboration and communication across its workforce, but did not want to make large investments in infrastructure.
Case Study
PureFluent: Connecting to partners and customers through the cloud for enhanced productivity
PureFluent, a translation services company, was facing challenges in managing its translation and document review processes. The company often received files in uneditable formats from customers, which required staff members to transfer text to word processing or spreadsheet documents. During the translation process, maintaining version control was a challenge because PureFluent sent work to hundreds of translators in multiple geographic locations. It was also time-consuming for staff to manage the large volume of emails and FTP transactions required to submit translations for customer review and ensure the integration of requested changes. Furthermore, staff were spending significant time hunting through their emails for specific attachments.