Improve customer service and site deliveries
Better fleet utilisation
Optimise delivery schedules and routes of vehicles to improve efficiency.
Better customer experience
Automatically notify customers of delivery times and any changes to the ETA.
Improved sustainability and reduced costs
Reduce miles driven to minimise fuel usage and CO2 emissions.
Faster, time-to-invoice
Digital proof of delivery eliminates errors and time-consuming paperwork.
The construction and house building sector is a challenging market to serve with products and deliveries often needed the next day or at a specific date and time.
Economic challenges such as driver shortages, high-interest rates and rising costs have had a big impact on the construction sector.
To move projects along without adding new concerns or delays, building supplies and construction materials companies need to adapt with new solutions to provide cost-effective, on time and in full (OTIF) deliveries.
Descartes is proud to be a member of the Builders Merchants Association which plays a crucial role in representing and protecting the interests of its members; builders merchants, plumbing, heating, roofing, decorative and timber merchants along with all of their suppliers.
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Overcome building supply logistics challenges
Operational and fuel costs
For builders’ merchants, fuel costs are one of the largest operational costs incurred. If fuel usage can be reduced by 5% to 10% it will make a large difference to a merchant’s overall profitability. Optimising delivery routes will reduce miles driven and ensure delivery plans are adhered to, to increase profitability.
Reducing damage in transit
Large building supplies can be prone to damage in transit. All too frequently, improper handling, poor delivery procedures, and improper loading and unloading can cause serious damage leading to long (and expensive) delays. Optimised loading and delivery routing will ensure that your goods are more likely to be delivered on time and in full.
Cash Flow
Digital Proof of delivery will reduce fraudulent claims of damage and reduce the time to process deliveries to reduce the time to invoice deliveries and time to payment.
Driver shortages
It is a challenge to meet increased demand and delivery expectations with the well-publicised driver shortage. Overcome this challenge using routing and scheduling software to optimise your fleet deliveries. Existing Descartes customers have increased delivery capacity by 35% without adding vehicles or drivers.
Visibility
Before the building supplies have even arrived, there may be issues on-site if the construction team is unaware of the forthcoming deliveries. Knowing the delivery window for building supplies is critical. You can give your customers insight into the delivery process for building supplies by choosing the right end-to-end visibility solutions.
Customer Service
Improve customer service with customer-enabled order tracking and automated delivery notifications. Throughout the order lifecycle, customers receive updates via email or SMS. These messages provide a link to a branded, online customer portal where clients may check the status of their orders and follow their driver's location on a map in real-time.
Sustainability
Reducing miles driven and increasing delivery density for building supplies and materials with advanced route optimisation and delivery scheduling software will reduce costs and CO2 emissions. Better for the environment is also better for business.
Delivery Routing & Scheduling Software for Builders Merchants
We understand the complexity of making deliveries to construction sites, why let operational inefficiencies impact your business success?
Lay the perfect foundation for a positive delivery experience with Descartes’ software.
Building supply and construction case studies
“We were impressed by the investment and support that Descartes put into this product and the roadmap. This technology has allowed us to be agile, forward-thinking and work optimally with our fleet with benefits on costs, sales and satisfaction across the business and with our customers. ”
Edward Corbett - Head of Programme
Delivery capacity increased 25%
OTIF deliveries increased 15%
Fleet size 500+
“We’re delighted with the solution and the service we have received from Descartes. Ultimately, Descartes is helping us minimise our operational costs through its route planning and optimisation solution and is actively contributing to our corporate and social responsibility and sustainability efforts.”
Simon Macdonald, National Transport Manager
Avg distance driven/delivery reduced 2%
Manual processes Replaced
Nationwide stores 300+
“Descartes ePOD solution has unlocked considerable benefits for both our business and our customers. We have seen the number of requests for PoD decline dramatically and have received increasingly positive feedback from our customers.”
Peter Russell, IT Director, Carpet & Flooring
Customer POD requests reduced 80%
Successful 1st Time Deliveries Increased
Operations costs Reduced
“By optimising planning, scheduling and routing, we’ve lowered our distribution costs: we’re getting more capacity out of our fleet and have reduced the number of returned loads by ensuring the right product is loaded onto the right truck. ”
Mark Parsons - Managing Director
Reduced cost of distribution
Increased delivery capacity
Reduced number of returned loads
“We now have the tools to automate formerly manual processes, which increases our efficiency in vehicle routing, asset tracking, fleet maintenance, Department of Transportation (DOT) compliance and more”
Barry Crane, Director of Logistics at Wimsatt Building Materials
Efficiency Improved 20%
Customer Service Improved
Lower Operational Costs
“Our objective was two fold, to improve our customer service and to continue to drive our operational leverage...both of which we have seen significant improvements in. But one thing we have realised is technology isn't the answer to everything, that people and process play a big part of that.”
Joe Zanette - Solution Manager
Transport costs saved $3 million
Number of deliveries utilising POD 600,000
“With the Descartes solution, we now have real-time visibility into deliveries as they are made—and proof of delivery when customers receive their orders,”
Nicholas Chesna - Fleet Assistant Manager
On-time delivery has improved
Real time visibility of deliveries
Great delivery capacity
Optimise your construction and building supply logistics
Challenges
- Sustainability
- Reducing damage in transit
- Driver shortages
- Visibility
- Customer service
- Cash flow
Solutions
- Reducing CO2
- Optimising Your Fleet
- Increase Delivery Capacity
- End-to-end Visibility Software
- Customer service
- Improved time to invoice
Results
- Moving towards net 0
- Increased OTIF deliveries by 15%
- Increased delivery volume by 25%
- Better customer satisfaction
- Faster invoice turnaround