Page 70 - DCAP608_REAL TIME SYSTEMS

Unit 6: Commonly used Approaches to Real-time Scheduling

Wawa realized that not all of its drivers were following the planned routes and in some Notes
cases were by-passing stops. “Since drivers were paid hourly, we wanted to have a better
sense of where they were and what they were doing,” adds Kane. To truly understand
whether drivers were following planned routes and making the scheduled stops on time,
Wawa realized it needed real-time insight into the delivery activities throughout the day.
This would enable them to save costs relating to added miles and overtime hours, as well
as maximize existing resources while minimizing the impact of delays and exceptions en
route.
Gaining Real-time Insight with Descartes Intelligent AVL
Wawa decided to leverage its long-established relationship with Descartes and once again
extend its implementation by integrating the Descartes Intelligent Automated Vehicle
Locator™ (AVL) Service into its direct distribution operations. “We have had so many
years of success with Descartes Routing and Scheduling solution, that when we wanted to
integrate AVL functions into our operations, Descartes was the natural choice,” Kane
explains.
Descartes’ Intelligent AVL provides a Web-based view of real-time information on delivery
arrivals at distribution centres or hubs, enabling dispatchers to adapt routes quickly and
efficiently according to exceptions. The AVL Service also features a wireless application
that uses Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) locating capabilities to provide real-time data
on driver progress against established route plans and enable on-the-spot decision making
to meet customer commitments. Both are designed to work with Descartes Routing and
Scheduling solutions.
Improved Efficiency, Reduced Costs

By integrating AVL services with its existing Descartes Routing and Scheduling solution,
Wawa has improved security; is better able to manage driver salaries and overtime by
building highly effective, balanced routes and tracking them; and has introduced the
ability to compare planned versus actual truck locations. It has also been able to increase
capacity utilization to 90% (the 10% spare capacity is required to accommodate last minute
deliveries).
In addition, customer service representatives can now access the system and advice
customers on the status of their deliveries in real-time. “Before, customer support was
calling the dispatcher at least 10 times a day on average to find out the status of a delivery
– and that was on a good day,” said Kane. “You can imagine how many more customer
calls would come in if there was a truck breakdown or a major accident delay. With the
new system, customer support can be proactive and answer the questions to any inbound
calls on the spot.”

Descartes solution can also be scaled as Wawa continues to expand its delivery operations.
“We can easily put new drivers on the road or on new routes,” explains Kane. He adds that
the stores can also benefit from the implementation. “The beauty of this system is, because
we charge the stores for delivery costs, they get to enjoy the savings too.” According to
Joanne Cochrane, Implementation Consultant at Descartes
“Wawa now has greater insight into whether hourly-paid drivers are following planned
routes and making the scheduled stops. Having this level of visibility empowers them to
save significant costs relating to added miles and overtime hours, among other areas. It is
an outstanding example of how our customers are building on their existing Descartes
solution offerings to drive even more efficiencies and savings.

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