Dec 07/Jan/08

DHL says a mobile computing solution rolled out to the 2,000-plus home-based couriers working on its recently-expanded DHL@Home consumer market delivery service is achieving significant gains in productivity and customer service, and has helped boost first-time delivery rate to 94 per cent. The second-time success is now 98 per cent.

The solution has been put together by Skillweb, a specialist in mobile resource management and proof of delivery applications. DHL is said to have chosen Skillweb from among seven contenders because of its ability to customise the system quickly to DHL requirements.

According to Andy Taylor, the field operations director DHL Express UK's home delivery operations: 'We needed tracking data and management visibility, and importantly, this had to be delivered in a very short time frame.'

At the heart of the system is Skillweb's 2020ePOD application, whose easy-to-use interface is said to have provided an ideal platform for the home courier model. Supporting this are O2 Xda Argon PDA handsets, which are carried by each courier, and feature a Socket Mobile Secure Digital Scan Card 3E. The whole hardware package is protected by a custom-built case.

 

The thinking behind this combination of products is that couriers will have only one streamlined piece of equipment to hold. This means they can scan barcodes with one hand, keeping the other free to handle packages efficiently.

While Xdas are not necessarily considered a first choice for field applications requiring robust, ruggedised equipment, DHL is reportedly finding that the custom-built case gives these units the required degree of resilience, and has kept failure rates for the system below 0.5 per cent.

'You wouldn't embark upon this type of courier network unless you could have high visibility and control,' Taylor says.