Topps Tiles inks deal with Descartes to streamline deliveries

Retailer Topps Tiles is optimising its fleet delivery capabilities with Descartes Systems Group’s cloud-based route planning and optimisation solution.

The partnership will see Topps Tiles cut the average kilometres driven per delivery route by 2% and gain a better understanding of the potential impact of changes to its delivery strategies.

The retailer has operating licences for over 30 trucks and trailers and delivers to over 300 stores across the UK.

Simon Macdonald, national transport manager at Topps Tiles, said: “With over 300 stores nationwide in the UK, we're continuously evaluating how to maintain a high degree of customer service while reducing operational costs, especially today's high transportation costs.

“Working with Descartes, we've replaced manual, spreadsheet-based processes with automated route planning to optimise the volume of tiles being delivered at any given time, as well as the routes our vehicles are travelling."

He added: “Descartes' strategic route modelling capabilities are also enabling us to model delivery scenarios and make more informed strategic decisions, which would have been nearly impossible with traditional resource-intensive analytical methods.”

The system aims to help brands, retailers and logistics providers reduce costs with more agile and efficient routing, improve fleet resource management by generating additional delivery capacity and become more sustainable through the reduction of their CO2 footprint and their use of paper across the route network.

It allows companies to understand and optimise their delivery and customer service strategies before having to execute them.

This helps drivers perform their daily routes, keeps managers aware of the progress and provides an accurate estimated-time-of-arrival (ETA) to notify customers of their deliveries. Proof of delivery (POD) capabilities support customer service excellence and order accuracy through real-time mobile communication.

Pol Sweeney, Descartes vice president of fleet sales in Europe, added: “Topps Tiles' long-term success is based upon its ability to continually provide customers with a superior shopping experience while offering cost competitive pricing.

“We're delighted to help Topps Tiles minimize its operational costs today through our route planning and optimisation solution and in the future with our strategic route modelling capabilities.”