Nov/Dec 2003

More and more companies are demanding constant updates on scheduled deliveries - putting increasing pressure on carriers to offer real-time consignment tracking and proof of delivery and collection. But how does the technology actually work in practice? Sharon Clancy takes a detailed look at the similarities and differences of three current systems

The costs of real-time monitoring of consignments is falling dramatically, thanks in particular to two key factors - use of the Internet to deliver data to users, and fast, always-on GPRS wireless data to transfer information from the field back to base.

The latest advances in mobile communications technologies also mean they are far simpler and cheaper to deploy than in the past. Larger logistics companies gain more supply chain visibility, and even small companies can benefit by using a standard Web browser, and can deliver high levels of service.

So what's actually involved in implementing these systems, and how do they integrate with existing management systems?

 

Microlise

Delivering real-time supply chain visibility for customers has certainly become very much a key objective for Microlise. For many years the company has been a designer and manufacturer of mobile radio data terminals, and at the same time it has developed IT and software expertise to become a supply chain solutions provider. More recently it has built on this expertise to become a leader in vehicle tracking and mobile computing.

This technology is integrated with its Opus Fleet and Distribution software, which lets customers mix and match the type of mobile computers they use according to the requirements of different areas of the business.

The core software suite is configurable, and at the mobile end can run on any Pocket PC platform, including ruggedised mobile data terminals, personal digital assistants and Java-enabled mobile telephones. The proof of delivery/collection solutions use standard Microlise software components that link any third-party manifest and schedule generating systems (be it an ERP, sales order processing or warehouse management system) to the chosen wireless data network (such as GPRS) and the destination mobile data terminal.

Microlise still sees a strong demand for the more rugged and flexible Pocket PC mobile computing solutions, but Gordon Wilkinson, who heads up the company's marketing operation, says Java-enabled mobile phones loaded with suitable software can now provide the core elements of proof of delivery (POD) and proof of collection (POC) at much lower cost than traditional mobile data terminals or PDAs.

"Java phones may be particularly applicable where clients use subcontractors for deliveries. The subcontractor could be persuaded to upgrade his mobile phone for little or no cost. He can then download a Java Proof of Delivery Application from his corporate Web site to start receiving delivery information and processing deliveries electronically."

While any Java-enabled phone would have the functionality for real-time POD handling, Microlise points out that phones with image-capture capabilities could be particularly effective where there is a need to photograph a hand-written signature, while others are available that can support a barcode scanner accessory.

The company's Transport Management Centre allows delivery progress to be monitored against schedule from the vehicle black box or from POD collection data. The software manages all allocated delivery assets in real time, monitoring vehicle and driver performance in terms of schedule and route adherence, driving style and delivery status. The TMC will then flag any issues or exceptions to plan - for example, when a vehicle is running late or is likely to miss important time windows, or in response to qualifications placed on proof-of-delivery documents, unscheduled stops, deviations from route and so on. The alerts can be generated in the traffic office or customer service centre, and used to warn customers of delays via SMS, email and fax in real time.

One key aspect is a driver and journey debrief, based on the data collected from vehicle tracking/POD system and the business rules underlying it. This might include issues such as significant lateness, excessive idling or unauthorised stops.

The Electronic Traffic Sheet is the central screen within the TMC. It is primarily a horizontal bar chart showing vehicle positions and collection/delivery status against plan. It provides a snapshot of scheduled activities, including planned time of arrival; estimated and actual time of arrival; and the time when POD information is received back from mobile data terminals.

POD data and delivery updates can be routed through to customer's third-party systems. Microlise also has a solution for temporarily adding GPS tracking and POD capability to rented, subcontracted or other vehicles where a permanent installation is not possible. PortaPOD is a briefcase containing a Symbol PDT8100 terminal, WWAN GSM modem, printer and a GPS receiver. It is designed to sit on the passenger seat and is powered from the cigarette lighter socket.

Mandata

Mandata made its name supplying transport and warehouse management software, and recently made the logical leap from that starting point to offering full fleet tracking and mobile data systems with its Advanced Services package. Its current transport management system, Manpack3, is intended to replace traditional paper-based traffic planning systems, and integrates transport planning with back-office accounting systems.

This now forms the starting point for real-time information about loads, which is built around use of the Internet and GPRS data communication.

Advanced Services is suitable for any delivery operations, but Mandata thinks it will have particular appeal for third-party transport operators offering groupage services. "More and more hauliers are picking up part loads," says Mandata's e-procurement business development manager David Williams. "Many are working in sectors such as overnight parcels and just-in-time deliveries where real-time information on deliveries is essential, not just a welcome bonus."

With Advanced Services, users have a Web site (either their own or one hosted by Mandata), and customers or managers can place jobs directly on the site. There are standard job templates for regular loads, so only the date has to change, and jobs can be copied; so for ten loads, for example, data needs entering just once. The screen contains basic data such as description, number of pallets and service level, plus collection and delivery details, and can have up to 50 extra fields.

Jobs are imported into Manpack3 via the Traffic Pad and immediately given an ID number which includes details such as customer reference number and load ID. (Job IDs are different from load IDs, which can contain several jobs.) That data is sent back to the customer, who then knows the job has been received. Once it is accepted, the status of the job changes to "confirmed". The Job Manager screen allows managers to search for jobs and confirm the status of any order. The screen can be customised so that colours show the status of various jobs.

Manifests are passed to vehicles via a GPRS link, and can be viewed virtually instantaneously on an in-cab computer or handheld device. The vehicle's progress can then be monitored in real time, and tracked on a map through the Web site. You can combine Advanced Services with a scheduling system and track actual progress against the plan, giving you the ability to re-route vehicles if necessary, and issue alerts to sites where delivery times may have been altered.

Drivers use in-cab handhelds (currently an Intermec 7000 is standard) to update job status and to obtain electronic PODs. The data goes from the handheld computer to the Web and then into Manpack3. Carriers who subcontract, says Williams, can give drivers a wireless handheld, so the customer still has real-time information on loads.

Options include tracking via GPS and/or via postcode, and this can be linked to events such as door openings. If the doors open at an expected postcode, Manpack 3 will automatically update the job status. If not, the scheduler will receive a warning that the doors have been opened at an unexpected location, and see on a street-level map where this occurred, making it possible to correct the driver or take security measures.

Transwide

Belgian-based Transwide has focused on the communications aspect of real-time data, helping to keep all partners in the chain up-to-date with order status, and it addresses international transport in particular. Its solution is based on twDoc, an electronic version of the CMR document used in the international carriage of goods.

Transwide was acquired earlier this year by Wolter Kluwers, the publishing group that also owns the Teleroute online freight exchange. However, Transwide is not a marketplace but a communications platform linking shippers, carriers and receivers in real time. It aims to serve both carriers and shippers equally.

One of the main advantages is that each party only requires one link into Transwide's Virtual Private Network, which can be by EDI, dedicated server or Internet browser. For shippers, this means just one link regardless of how many outside carriers it is using, and also whether those carriers subcontract part or all of the load. Small carriers simply get a low-cost connection and can offer higher service levels.

Booking and confirmation of orders, load planning and status tracking is all done electronically and in real time. There is a CMR template for each of the major European countries. The process starts when the shipper creates an online CMR which contains information on pick-up location and delivery destination. Manifest, date and time of collection and delivery are all displayed and can be checked and changed automatically.

Once created, this document is available to everyone involved in the delivery chain. It can be updated by both shippers and carriers. The carrier (or its driver) has a crucial role in ensuring information on the order is as up-to-date as possible by updating the estimated delivery time - which might happen, for instance, if he is delayed by congestion or through having to wait for a pick-up. Receivers sign for the goods on the driver's PDA, and this data automatically updates the CMR status. The company receiving the goods can also alter the CMR by, for example, changing the required delivery date. All the details are sent to all the partners in the chain in real-time.

Transwide uses webMethods Integration Platform to exchange data. The integration platform can deal with standard protocols such as XML, EDI, FTP and HTTPS, ensuring that all the links in the chain can send data to and receive it from each other. Paperwork is largely eliminated, although drivers still have a paper load manifest for use in checks by Customs or at the roadside.

Reporting tools in Transwide allow shippers to compare carriers' performance and identify hold-ups in the supply chain. Carriers can generate reports on actual delivery times. Already Transwide is

handling 500,000 logistics messages a year - and that figure will have been increased once its latest customer, speciality chemicals group DSM, has rolled out the solution across all its business divisions.