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Orchestrator was developed for (and in conjunction with) Fakenham, Norfolkbased
Page 52
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Jack Richards & Son, which uses it across four sites to help manage the activities of a about 150 vehicles.
Chairman Tony Richards says the system is excellent for recording the mass of information required for deliveries into RDCs for food manufacturers, including delivery times, demurrage, shortages and returns. It also forces everyone using it to follow procedure.
"We wanted something to drive the business and ensure people followed a particular process," Richards explains, "and its working very well. At each stage of the job it brings you to the next stage automatically. Once an item is delivered, for instance, it'll start talking to you about the POD; when the POD scan is in, it will automatically price up the job; when the pricing up is done, it moves on to generating the invoice."
The firm has used Orchestrator for at least 40,000 jobs so far and it has proved very robust, says Richards. The demurrage and pallet control voucher tracking functions are particularly useful, he adds, and the system has also proved relatively easy for staff to learn.
Having a web-based system does carry with it the risk of loss of connection, but on the one occasion this happened at one depot another depot was able to print out the relevant traffic sheet information and fax it over, while Richards himsetf went home and carried on working from there.
Paperwork and administration have both been reduced by scanning PODs in, he reports: "If a customer rings in about a POD anyone who picks up the phone can access it on the system. and some of our customers can even log on and get their PODs themselves.'' In fact there isn't much about Orchestrator that Richards doesn't like: "It's a massive system running a big company and we've never fallen down or failed in our service to customers because of it." "Currently, I'd give it nine out of 10," he says. "And if you ask me this time next year, I suspect it will be a 10 because we're looking at further implementation phases that may include integration of GPS tracking information and tying it in with our insurance in various ways, including incorporating an accident report facility.
"Frankly," he concludes, "I'd like to remain the only firm using it I've got a competitive advantage at the moment!"