Descartes Systems Group, the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, announces that UK-based Stop Start Transport Limited, a provider of distribution, warehousing, and logistics services, is undertaking a digital transformation of its business by using Descartes’ last-mile delivery solution to unlock distribution capacity, enhance customer communications and enable more effective management of logistics data. The Stop-Start business, which specializes in transporting bulky and high-value goods that need to be handled with extra care, has replaced manual delivery management processes with the cloud-based Descartes last mile solution. Early results show that Stop Start has decreased its daily route planning time by over 75% and achieved more efficient customer communications and invoicing.

“Stop Start is experiencing high levels of customer demand. However, our growth has been limited in part by our labor-intensive route planning and order processing capacity. It used to take roughly four hours for three colleagues to plan and optimize approximately 1,000 deliveries daily across our 50-vehicle fleet,” said Chris Pullen, CEO, Stop-Start. “With Descartes, we can reduce this to one hour with one employee, allowing us to significantly increase productivity and redeploy staff to wider strategic initiatives. The level of automation and digitization we have already achieved using the solution has fundamentally transformed our logistics operations. This, combined with robust track-my-order functionality, means that customer experience has significantly improved.”

Descartes’ last-mile delivery solution helps distribution-intensive companies improve operational efficiency and the customer experience. It supports dynamic delivery requirements, including same-day delivery, by offering flexible, efficient, and cost-effective time windows and delivery options. Descartes’ route planning and optimization solution also decreases costs. Using advanced optimization technology, the solution takes committed delivery times and improves how routes are planned and executed, which generates additional delivery capacity and reduces costs. With an integrated GPS-based mobile application, the solution coordinates drivers, dispatchers, and call centers to ensure that routes are executed according to plan and exceptions are handled efficiently. Customer self-service web and mobile tracking solutions allow customers to track their orders in real time. The solution improves sustainability through the elimination of paper and improved route productivity.

“We’re pleased to help Stop Start improve its productivity to meet the growing demand for high-value, high-touch delivery services,” said Peio Ribas, SVP of Sales EMENAR, Descartes. “Descartes’ last mile delivery solutions are designed to automate and streamline delivery processes, allowing logistics services companies to be more efficient and effective, which is so important as many organizations face resource shortages and escalating costs.”