September 2002

The future for booking courier movements will be a full-integrated Web-based system, in which instructions are relayed automatically from a central computer to handheld computers carried by drivers, and delivery information is passed back by the same route.

That's the vision of systems house NetDespatch, and as the living proof of it, it is citing a South West-based courier company, Priority Express, which is the first company to put its system into use.

People needing an urgent delivery simply log on to the Priority Express Web site to arrange collection, and can then track the progress of their delivery online. Any bookings made by telephone are also immediately shown on the Web.

In the next phase of the roll-out, PDA devices with electronic signature capture will be used to record deliveries, using technology powered by the NetDespatch NDMobile platform. Electronic proof of delivery signatures will be displayed on the Web, allowing customers to monitor the status of their consignments at all times.

According to Priority Express managing director Neil Havill, one of the key benefits is that even the smallest customer can take now advantage of live online booking and tracking. Costly "implant systems" (where the carrier provides a dedicated computer for entering bookings) are no longer needed, he says. "Companies of all sizes rely on couriers, and this system means even those with very infrequent requirements get a fast, really easy-to-use service."

The system has developed through integration between the systems of NetDespatch and Professional IT, leading provider of despatch management software.