Aug/Sept 2007

Supermarket chain Asda is putting the 'green' dividend strongly to the fore in a major real-time vehicle tracking and mobile fleet management programme that it is about to start implementing.

The company is talking about benefits such as reduced fuel consumption and carbon footprint alongside improved driver communication and safety and improved 'delivery experience' at stores. In terms of fuel consumption, it says it is looking for a 5 per cent saving by 2010.

Asda has chosen Isotrak to supply the system, integrating it with an existing routing, scheduling and resource allocation system called GTS from Manhattan Associates.

A pilot installation was due to be set up during the summer, to be followed by full deployment in Asda's in-house fleet towards the end of this year and in the first quarter of 2008. This includes around 1,000 tractor units and 1,400 trailers.

At the heart of the project is Isotrak's Active Transport Management System - a configurable, modular system that combines satellite vehicle tracking with transport management. It is also linked to the engine management system of the company's vehicles, allowing managers to monitor both vehicle fleet location and performance in real time.

ATMS supports separate tracking of tractors and trailers, which means the Asda should be able to capture key performance indicators even for tractors operated by third-party contractors.

A distinctive feature of the installation will be an Isotrak system called Versatile Intelligent Alerting. LCD screens using displays akin to those of airline departure boards will be located in the goods-inbound areas of retail stores, showing continually updated information on expected delivery times and trailer contents. The company believes this information will yield significant productivity gains.

ATMS also provides advanced management reporting, including unified delivery time and turnround statistics, proactively supplied to key personnel by email. The main interface to the system itself is via Web browser.

Douglas Gurr, Asda's strategic director, says Isotrak was chosen because the supplier showed 'an intuitive understanding of our unique requirements', and 'unique and insightful vision' of the environmental and operational benefits of telematics.