Summer 2006

Deli Meats, a Dublin-based supplier to deli counters, garages, catering organisations and other retail businesses, has speeded up its deliveries, reduced distribution costs and extended its fleet capacity by introducing a mobile data solution.

The system has been supplied by another Irish-based company, Computer Control Solutions, and makes particularly effective use of a Bluetooth Cordless Serial Adapter device from Socket Communications to deliver information wirelessly to van-based printers.

Drivers use CCS's OutTrak software on PDAs to read and input data relating to deliveries, and the PDAs are linked by Bluetooth wireless connection to a dot-matrix printer in each van. This means drivers can send instructions to the printer without having to leave the customer premises every time.

The link to the printer is provided by a Socket Cordless Serial Adapter "dongle" attached to the printer itself. Using this system, drivers can print out route sheets, invoices, sales orders, stock transactions, payment receipts and end-of-day reports in real time.

 

We understand that the savings have enabled the company to squeeze 22 per cent more capacity from its van fleet; or to put it another way, for every six vans needed in the past, only five are needed now. Moreover, because accurate documentation can be presented at the point of delivery, debtors' days have reduced by three to five days, credit note claims have been reduced by 90 per cent, and requests for PODs and copy invoices have come down by 80 per cent.