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BP computes on distribution to save El million
Page 13
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• British Petroleum is piloting a computer system which it says will make its road tanker deliveries more efficient and save it £1 million a year.
The £2 million computer is fed information on local speed limits, roadworks and conditions.
It takes into account the size and location of each tanker and works out the best route and schedule for its driver.
Instead of phoning local terminals, customers are now able to contact four distribution centres in London, Bristol, Manchester and Glasgow, which transfer orders to the central computer terminal which is sited at Hemel Hempstead. Up to 2,000 calls a day can be processed in seconds, against the old system where everything was dealt with by hand, says BP Oil.
The computer also gives managers information on the state of the fleet.
"It helps us decide when we need new tankers, when to service them and provides a comprehensive fleet management system," says David Simons, head of BP customer services department.