Optrak Distribution Software Ltd today announced that it has been shortlisted for a prestigious industry award from the IFW.  Optrak’s vehicle routing implementation: ‘Optimised Haulage and Vehicle Route Planning for Forestry Transport Collaboration’ has been recognised in the Road Freight Project of the Year category.

Logistics in Forestry Transport (LIFT) is a unique collaboration in the South of Scotland timber industry that aims to pool and centralise the long term transport of supplies.  To support efficient transport planning for the resulting complex supply chain, it deployed a vehicle routing system from Optrak.

Gordon Dugan, Forestry Services Manager UPM Tilhill said, “We deployed a customised version of Optrak’s vehicle routing software to build optimised routes taking into account a highly complex set of variables over and above those normally present in the haulage industry.  The project demonstrated the potential to make a number of improvements for example to reduce empty running by 5% which translates into a significant fuel saving and environmental benefit.”

Documented KPIs include a 5% reduction in empty running, 10% transport cost savings for hauliers and a reduction in emissions.  The pilot study also revealed significant potential to:

• reduce overall supply chain costs
• minimise the environmental impact associated with timber haulage
• improve utilisation of vehicles
• reduce vehicle queuing at saw- and pulp-mills
• enforce greater compliance with the Agreed Route Map (ARM) initiative
• increase tonnage per mile carried

Tim Pigden, Managing Director of Optrak stated, “Industry collaboration is an important strategic initiative as companies look to reduce costs, improve efficiency and minimise their impact on the environment.  This project demonstrated how vehicle routing software can support these vital goals.  We have pushed the boundaries in terms of the complexity of haulage transport planning and I am delighted that the results have been recognised with this nomination.”

The shortlist represents the best of the best in the freighting and logistics industry.  The organisers commented that despite the tough market conditions, they were heartened to receive a record number of entries for the 2010 IFW Awards. The freight transport sector still clearly values quality and excellence – and the role of the IFW Awards in recognising and rewarding companies that make the extra effort.

Optrak Distribution Software Ltd today announced that it has partnered with the LANCS Initiative, an academic collaboration between Lancaster, Nottingham, Cardiff and Southampton universities.  Together Optrak and LANCS are running a two day workshop on Vehicle Routing and Scheduling to be held on September 23 and 24 at the Birmingham Conservatoire.

The workshop aims to bring together academics working in vehicle routing and scheduling and professionals working in the transport and logistics industry.  A keynote address will be provided by Daniele Vigo from the University of Bologna with contributions from other academics and practitioners including Tim Pigden, Managing Director of Optrak who will look at the variety and complexity of problems encountered in implementations of Optrak across different industries.

Workshop details:

• Date:  23-24 September, 2010
• Start time:  registration at 10.30 on Thursday 23^rd September
• End time:  the event will finish around 16.00 on Friday 24^th September
• Venue: Birmingham Conservatoire
• Pre-registration fee:  £30 (pre-registration is required)

There will be ample opportunity for discussion of key issues during the workshop, with a view to defining potential research projects and forming collaborative teams for tackling these projects.

Chris Potts, Professor of Operational Research at the University of Southampton and Joint Coordinator of the Transport and Logistics cluster of the LANCS Initiative, added: “The LANCS Initiative has as one of its main goals the building of theory for practice.  The UK has made significant contributions to the development of algorithms for classical vehicle and scheduling problems.  However, the impact of this work would be much greater if more aspects that are present in real-world applications were included in these algorithms.  The workshop will provide academics with increased awareness of the needs of industry with a view to refocusing their research into problems that better address these needs.”

Tim Pigden, Managing Director of Optrak stated, “Transport is one of the largest costs for many businesses. In order to drive efficiency, distribution companies are developing ever-more sophisticated logistics solutions. Like most commercial vehicle routing and scheduling solutions, our optimisation techniques have their origins in academic work. As we deal with the complexities of modern distribution practice across different industries we find we are frequently breaking new ground where there is little or no relevant research – but at the same time paying too little attention to what is going on in the universities. We see this workshop as an excellent opportunity to bring the communities closer together to address the real problems our industry is facing.”

To obtain a booking form visit http://www.lancs-initiative.ac.uk/index.php/Transport-and-Logistics-Events/.  You can also obtain more information on booking from Rosemary Hindley, R.Hindley@lancaster.ac.uk, or telephone +44 (0) 1524 592937.

To receive updates about this event, join the Optrak Linked In Group at  http://www.linkedin.com/groups?homeNewMember=&gid=3311659&trk=.

Optrak Distribution Software Ltd today announced that NOCO Energy Corp. the North American distributor of industrial and commercial lubricants and engine motor oils is now live on the Optrak vehicle routing software.  Optrak’s superior optimisation capabilities for the lubricants industry has enabled NOCO to slash the time spent planning, increase vehicle and compartment utilisation while improving customer service.

NOCO went live with Optrak to plan vehicle movements from a single warehouse in December 2009 and within weeks it had been extended to cover four other warehouses. NOCO now uses Optrak to plan centrally for 26 vehicles with plans to add a further 26 vehicles across the USA and Canada. Since going live, Paul Melanson, Operations Manager, NOCO Lubricants has already seen major improvements. He says:

“We will reduce the number of vehicles and drivers that are needed to meet our delivery commitments by running more efficient routes and increasing vehicle and compartment utilisation.  NOCO has slashed the total time spent planning by 7 hours per day.  Substantial cost savings will also be made by cutting fleet mileage and reducing our fuel requirements which also minimises our carbon footprint.  I anticipate achieving a rapid return on our investment in Optrak.  The project will enable us to improve customer service and generate sustainable competitive advantage.”

There are a number of areas where Optrak’s unique functionality for the lubricants industry has proven useful:

Loading

Included in Optrak’s specialised loading features is a loading chart for each vehicle.  Optrak automatically manages all product compatibility constraints and selects the optimum compartment for each product which reduces the potential risk of contamination and cleaning costs.

Analysing deliveries

NOCO use the Optrak software to carry out simulations to review how various elements of its distribution operation could be improved.  Paul Melanson comments, “We now have the tools to review and optimise our fleet based on accurate and precise data.  This gives us confidence that any changes are operationally sound and achievable.”

Cutting costs with external carriers

Optrak has a time saving UPS carrier feature that automatically analyses all orders that meet NOCO’s predefined criteria such as weight, volume and size.  Optrak then displays all orders that could potentially be delivered more cost effectively by a carrier.  This helps to minimise costs for what might otherwise be uneconomic deliveries.

Paul Melanson added, “The service that we have received from Optrak has been truly exceptional.  Their expertise in this industry is unmatched and right from the start the team made time to understand exactly what we wanted to achieve.  They know how to deploy Optrak in a complex lubricants environment to enable us to drive our business forward.  In many ways they understand our business better than we do!  I would have no hesitation in recommending Optrak to any company looking for routing software, particularly those with compartmented vehicles.”

Tim Pigden, Managing Director of Optrak, “Optrak’s routing software has been designed to manage the unique demands of the fuel and lubricants industry.  The project at NOCO demonstrates how companies that need to plan multi-compartmented vehicles or move away from milk rounds can make significant improvements to operational efficiency and cut distribution costs.”

Optrak Distribution Software Ltd today announced that Filshill, the Scottish convenience wholesale distributor, has selected Optrak’s vehicle routing software for daily optimisation of route planning.  The project will enable Filshill to make significant cost savings and it is anticipated that return on investment (ROI) will be achieved within weeks. 

Robin Spalding, Transport Manager at Filshill explained, “We estimate that we can potentially cut our vehicle fleet by as much as 10%.  The projected benefits from Optrak far exceed our original expectations of what a vehicle routing system could deliver.  In addition to a reduction in driver’s hours, we will make a large fuel saving contributing to a rapid return on our investment.  The service that we have received since we started the project has been superb and I would have no hesitation in recommending Optrak to other foodservice companies.”

Filshill operates a fleet of 30 vehicles that deliver to a range of convenience and retail outlets.  Routes were planned manually but Filshill recognised that investing in a modern vehicle routing system could help its planner do their job more effectively thus increasing operational efficiency.

As part of a detailed evaluation, Filshill gave prospective suppliers a real sample of their planning data.  Optrak was able to show how the same orders could be delivered using fewer vehicles and driver shifts by optimising the routes and the way in which the vehicles are loaded using Optrak’s unique “load builder” functionality.  This made the business case for proceeding with Optrak relatively straightforward.

Spalding said, “We looked at a number of suppliers but Optrak’s expertise and knowledge of the foodservice industry set them apart.  They proved how we could make significant savings on our distribution costs and gave us confidence that they would work closely with us to implement industry best practice in routing and scheduling.   We also felt that Optrak’s routing software could adapt to how we want to operate, not the other way around and overall we were convinced they were the right partner to take us forward.”

Every day, order and customer information will be downloaded from the Sanderson Swords system into Optrak.  The planner will use Optrak to optimise the routes to achieve the best customer service for all deliveries whilst minimising distribution costs for Filshill’s outbases and main depot.  Once the results are uploaded into Swords the pick lists can be generated.

Simon Hannah, Company Director said, “The vehicle routing project has involved hard work and close cooperation between our talented transport and IT departments.  With support from the Optrak implementation team, Filshill are implementing a modern and efficient transport and distribution planning system which will enable the company to provide it’s customers with an improved and sustainable service.”

Filshill will also use Optrak for strategic distribution planning.  This will enable them to analyse the potential impact of making any changes to their distribution such as changing the fleet mix, service level agreements or introducing different time windows.

Tim Pigden, Managing Director of Optrak concluded, “Foodservice companies operate in a highly competitive industry and a high level of customer service is a key differentiator.  By investing in a specialist vehicle routing system Filshill will benefit from faster, more accurate planning and the potential exists for substantial cost savings to be achieved.”

Steven Frazer, Managing Director of Lisburn Fuels commented, “We were attracted to Optrak’s vehicle routing software as it has unique functionality for dealing with compartments.  We gave Optrak two days of our operational data and the results clearly showed a strong business case for the investment even though we have a relatively small fleet.  After using the software for some months the results have been impressive with a 20% increase in our delivery capacity, whilst minimising our fleet running costs and the impact that we have on the environment, all of which are central to the company’s long term performance.”

Since going live, Lisburn Fuels has been using Optrak to plan daily routes and loading schedules.  It takes just minutes; even though it is taking into account weight and volume limits of each vehicle and compartment.  The time that is saved by routing with Optrak can now be spent on other customer service activity.

Once routes have been finalised, a customised trip manifest report is printed for each driver.  Optrak produces a loading report so that drivers have a clear visual summary of the products that need to be loaded into each compartment.  The transport office also uses an Optrak report showing volume utilisation per vehicle and this helps identify which drivers could potentially do urgent deliveries.

Steven Frazer explains, “Optrak gives us a more global view of deliveries for the next few days.  We can now see clearly what can-go orders can be added to the must-go deliveries.  It is more convenient and cost effective to fulfil can-go orders as early as possible as it offers greater flexibility, we are making maximum use of our resources and it is better from a customer service point of view.  It has enabled us to minimise how much additional fuel is carried but will not be delivered which in turn cuts our distribution costs and reduces the impact that we have on the environment.”

Other benefits for Lisburn Fuels include:

• Minimised paperwork in the transport office
• Improved efficiency and flexibility throughout the supply chain
• Better management information and reporting
• Easier access to important data to answer customer queries

Steven Frazer is enthusiastic about the investment in Optrak, adding, “Many routing systems were designed for larger fleets but Optrak was able to scale down to meet the needs of a smaller operation.  The software’s flexibility and design enable it to adapt to the specific requirements of the fuel industry and closely match our requirements.  It has delivered real benefits to us and has become integral to maintaining our service levels which is an important differentiator.  Additionally the investment has proven to be extremely cost effective when compared to the benefits that we have achieved, and we have seen a rapid return on our investment.”

Tim Pigden, Managing Director of Optrak commented, “Lisburn Fuels is a good example of a smaller fleet operator successfully using vehicle routing software to achieve benefits previously thought only to be accessible by larger companies.  By taking proactive steps to minimise its carbon footprint, Lisburn Fuels has reinforced its green credentials.”

Optrak Distribution Software Limited (www.optrak.co.uk) today announced that Deutsche Papier Vertriebs GmbH, part of the PaperlinX group of companies, has chosen Optrak’s vehicle routing software for an enterprise wide deployment across Germany.  The routing software will be used locally for daily planning at four depots.  Detailed simulation tests carried out by Deutsche Papier indicate that Optrak has the potential to help the company cut transport costs by up to 15%.

Deutsche Papier is a leading German paper wholesaler.  It operates fixed routes at each depot but this is not making good use of its fleet and without any optimisation of the routes it is becoming harder to maintain efficiency.  Accommodating customer service requests for deliveries within specific time windows is also a challenge.  Deutsche Papier began a review of available vehicle routing systems but quickly realised that it would not be easy to find a solution that matched their requirements.

“We looked at systems in Germany and the Netherlands before a recommendation from The DeliveryCo. another PaperlinX company, led us to Optrak, who were confident that they could meet our needs. They loaned us a copy of Optrak on a three month trial basis to conduct an exhaustive evaluation.  We became convinced that it had the potential to enable us to make savings of up to 15% on our transport costs by increasing vehicle utilisation and minimising fuel and running costs whilst reducing our CO2 emissions,” said Mr Dieter Mühlhoff, Manager Logistic, Deutsche Papier, “Once we go live, we anticipate that we will be able to minimise the number of vehicles that are required for deliveries whilst offering a more efficient and flexible service to our customers. Optrak superior routing software will also become a key part of our Value Based Management process.”

The wholesaler is currently implementing Optrak into its largest depot in Germany at Bensheim and will roll out the software across the remaining depots in 2010.  Careful management of costs is a key issue at Deutsche Papier and Optrak’s vehicle routing software will give them greater visibility and control over a number of different metrics and indicators, including cost per delivery or customer and customer profitability.  This will enable Deutsche Papier to analyse its delivery operations to understand where improvements can be made and the impact of these changes properly assessed in advance.

“Our analysis shows that by optimising our daily transport planning and scheduling with Optrak we can make significant savings in the current financial year, and anticipate achieving a return on investment (ROI) in just six to twelve months,” added Mr Frank Lischke, Project Manager, Deutsche Papier, “The major attractions of working with Optrak include their reputation for first class support allied to in-depth expertise and understanding of the challenges that we face, and how their software can be tailored to overcome these.  This gave us complete confidence that the Optrak route optimisation project will achieve our business goals.”

Tim Pigden, Managing Director of Optrak commented, “There are significant benefits to be gained in moving from fixed routes to dynamic daily planning.  By introducing Optrak’s sophisticated approach to routing and scheduling, Deutsche Papier has shown its commitment to improving efficiency, flexibility and enhancing service for its customers.”

The “Tell us when” project will develop a system to reduce the number of missed deliveries to home shopping customers and aims to benefit business, customers and the environment through improved efficiency. The “Tell us when” system will allow home shopping customers to express their delivery preferences, to be better informed of delivery times and to have more reliable delivery time estimates.

The system will use a combination of advanced vehicle routing and scheduling, real-time traffic information, mobile phone technology, on-truck computers and secure web-based systems to allow customers to tell companies when they want a delivery and companies ,through their logistics service providers, to let customers know when it is going to happen. The consortium is led by lead partner Optrak Distribution Sofware Ltd and includes Oakwood Fuels, Symsource Ltd and Imperial College Centre for Transport Studies. 

You can read the full press release below:

£8m to help find innovative solutions to UK’s transport and logistics challenges

The Government-backed Technology Strategy Board is investing £8m in projects designed to devise solutions to some of the UK’s biggest transport and logistics challenges, including the need to ease congestion and reduce carbon emissions. The 12 collaborative research and development projects aim to develop innovative and sustainable systems and services that will help move goods around the country more effectively.  

The ‘Informed Logistics’ competition is co-funded by the Department for Transport, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Highways Agency.

The long term aim of this activity is to support the UK logistics industry and help it to evolve by offering the opportunity to take part in collaborative research and development that helps to address some of the unsustainable practices that currently exist within the sector. There is a focus on devising solutions that improve efficiency and competitiveness, while reducing the environmental impact of road congestion. One of the ways in which this could be achieved is by coming up with new technology solutions that influence the choices that are made on a daily basis about the way that goods are moved around the country.

Explaining the background to the Technology Strategy Board’s decision to invest in this area, Stephen Hart, the Board’s Innovation Platform Leader for Intelligent Transport Systems and Services said:

 “There is a national commitment to address increasing levels of congestion and environmental issues.  Smarter and more sustainable logistics can help to achieve this.”

 “We want the industry to work together to increase efficiencies in the whole logistics network.  It’s our aim to accelerate developments in this area through real life demonstrations that act as a catalyst for marketable solutions.”

To gain funding, the projects were encouraged to demonstrate that the system or service that they develop will affect the entire supply chain or logistics activity across the whole transport network. They were encouraged to ‘think big’ and told to identify solutions that will influence the way people make decisions about moving goods,  increase the competiveness of the UK logistics industry and  reduce the congestion and environmental impact of goods movement.

Steve Agg, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Commenting said:

“This investment will have significant impact; it is a unique message which demonstrates that Government is investing in our industry.”

The successful projects will work towards solutions that help cut the environmental impact of road congestion by influencing customer choices towards more sustainable goods movement, or maximise intermodal freight solutions; or which demonstrate an integrated system approach to the movement of goods.

Companies and other organisations seeking further information about these and other funding competitions should visit the competitions page of the Technology Strategy Board website –www.innovateuk.org email competitions@tsb.gov.uk or phone the Competitions Helpline at 01355 272155

Media contact:

Until 5pm Thursday 1^st March Claire Cunningham Media Relations Manager Technology Strategy Board Tel: 01793 442901 Mob: 07554 115745 Email: claire.cunningham@tsb.gov.uk

 Additional contact: Paul Whittemore Tel: 01793 44 2769 Mobile: 07824599632

 From April 6^th: Nick Sheppard. Tel: 07824 599644 nick.sheppard@tsb.gov.uk

Optrak Distribution Software Limited (www.optrak.co.uk) today announced that DeeBee, the independent food wholesaler, has selected Optrak’s vehicle routing software to plan more efficient routes from its Grimsby-based depot. DeeBee will also implement Optrak Realisation, a tracking solution which is integrated with TomTom WORK for real-time control over its vehicle fleet.

Craig O’Connor, Managing Director of DeeBee commented, “We chose Optrak’s vehicle routing software after a detailed evaluation. Optrak demonstrated expertise in the food industry and showed a real willingness to understand our business requirements and the challenges we face. The Optrak team were then able to show how the vehicle routing software could deliver potentially dramatic improvements in transport planning, fleet utilisation and efficiency.”

DeeBee has expanded rapidly over the last four years. In order to cope with the resulting distribution challenges, DeeBee began a review of its operation, to explore cost reduction and customer service improvement strategies. Introducing greater optimisation via the use of vehicle routing software was identified as a key method of achieving these goals.

DeeBee supplied prospective vendors with two days of operational data to analyse and this is where Optrak began to excel. O’Connor noted, “Optrak asked us a series of detailed questions about our operation and from this built an accurate model of how our business carries out route planning. Their analysis was precise and accurate and the proposed changes to our routing were realistic and achievable. Optrak showed that we could reduce fleet mileage by up to 15%, and that by planning more efficiently we could achieve the same amount of work using fewer shifts which ultimately saves us money. I have complete confidence that Optrak will pay for itself within twelve months.”

DeeBee will also implement Optrak Realisation, a powerful add-on to Optrak’s routing software, which incorporates real-time tracking, reporting, telematics and business intelligence, and integrates with TomTom WORK. O’Connor is confident that together with Optrak’s routing software, this will drive customer service improvements by ensuring greater control and visibility over fleet movements, and added, ”Optrak Realisation will enable DeeBee to closely monitor service levels and the system will warn if any customers are at risk of a failed delivery. We can clearly see where any delays are impacting on our delivery promise and we can take proactive action to notify the customer or reschedule deliveries if required.”

Tim Pigden, Managing Director of Optrak said, “The most complex issue in modelling DeeBee’s requirements was to ensure proper treatment of the Thermotainers that allow mixed temperature distribution in a box vehicle. Just one item of frozen food requires the use of a thermotainer which takes up a whole pallet space – but 10 items to different customers still fit in that same container. Optrak’s load packing system deals with this and allows us to make full use of the vehicle space.”

Jeremy Gould, Sales Manager UK, TomTom WORK stated, “The integration of Optrak’s vehicle routing software and Optrak Realisation with TomTom WORK enables companies to take the predicted optimised routes and gain greater real-time control over fleet movements. It allows companies to improve service levels by giving customers more reliable delivery times and by reacting more quickly to unexpected events while keeping customers fully informed.”

DeeBee will implement the GO7000 TomTom WORK units which, in addition to providing real-time information on fleet movements, can provide traditional sat-nav route instructions which is especially useful for agency drivers who are not familiar with the local area.

Optrak Distribution Software Limited (www.optrak.co.uk) today announced that Oakwood Environmental Services has selected Optrak’s vehicle routing and scheduling software to plan its environmentally friendly waste collection and recycling service.  The software will help the waste specialist reduce CO2 emissions and its impact on the environment in line with its responsibilities as an ISO14001 certified company.

Oakwood Environmental Services offers a national ‘One Stop’ waste management package.  Amongst its vehicle fleet are unique trucks capable of collecting and transporting multiple waste streams.  In addition to the main bulk waste oil compartment, each truck has a specially designed platform on the rear to carry a large number of drums, a side mounted holder for car batteries, a specific anti-freeze tank and a front cage for plastics.  This poses significant additional challenges when it comes to load planning and vehicle routing.

Michael Sneath, Compliance Manager, Oakwood Environmental Services explains, “We have a highly complex transport requirement which is extremely time consuming due to the complexity and number of different factors that we need to consider.  We carried out a detailed market evaluation and were very impressed with Optrak’s ability to cater for a wide range of different waste collection types.  Optrak will enable us to plan more effectively and ensure our vehicles travel the least distance whilst delivering a high quality service.  As a result of using Optrak we will cut fuel and running costs and minimise our carbon footprint.”

Optrak’s specialised functionality for the waste industry include a powerful loader/loading facility which allows it to cope with collections and deliveries to the same customer, even when the order is made up of multiple parts that can only be transported in specific compartments or containers.

Optrak automatically manages the weight and volume limits on each vehicle throughout the planning process to ensure that even when delivering additional empty containers, the vehicle is never overloaded and all rules on hazardous waste collections are correctly observed.  Optrak will enable Oakwood Environmental Services to manage its responsibilities under ADR regulations. Optrak will also manage driver hours, and, based on the material carried, can use standard instead of certified drivers where the volumes of waste collected fall below ADR limits.

Sneath concluded, “Oakwood Environmental Services is committed to reducing its impact on the environment and Optrak’s routing software will help us meet our ISO14001 obligations.  Optrak demonstrated an in-depth understanding of the waste industry challenges and a key factor for us was that they had significant experience in implementing routing software for compartmented vehicles.  Optrak’s superior flexibility in managing the different products and compartment types and rules clearly set it aside from other systems.  An added benefit from Optrak is that we anticipate our planning time will be vastly reduced, thus freeing up staff for more productive activity.”

Tim Pigden, Managing Director Optrak commented, “The focus on environmentally friendly solutions has never been higher and Oakwood Environmental Services provides an extremely valuable service allowing companies to manage their hazardous waste collections effectively and efficiently.  Our vehicle routing solution for the waste management industry offers special functionality to cater for the specialised needs resulting from the waste industry.”

PDM used Optrak to analyse its customer base and to design a new set of fixed routes. Michael Pallant, Group Transport Manager, PDM explains, “We wanted to work with a single company that could integrate vehicle routing with tracking and handheld technology for signature capture, and that really understood the waste industry. Optrak’s sophisticated and flexible vehicle routing software combined with its capabilities for tracking and reporting, along with handheld devices from its partner Wire3, rose to every challenge. We saw the impact from day one, by operating more efficiently and minimising the number of vehicles that we use, Optrak has delivered significant savings in excess of £100,000.”

Pallant sums up the ongoing benefits from using Optrak into 3 key areas:

Cost savings: by running a more efficient operation, PDM have minimised the fleet size, and moved to a more effective fleet mix. It has provided a solid foundation to support our future business growth without having to invest in expanding the fleet. The use of smaller vehicles has also enabled us to minimise on-going running costs and our CO2 emissions.

Business agility: PDM can rapidly analyse the impact of new customers and more easily accommodate them into existing routes. Although the business has grown significantly, Optrak has helped us to develop more agility and flexibility in our collection service. Additionally we have greater visibility over the effect that changing the routes has on our cost base.

Elimination of paperwork: Real-time automation of the signature capture and ticket printing process has ensured that we no longer spend time producing manual paperwork either when a delivery is made or back at the depot. As all documents are stored electronically, it is easy for the customer service centre to answer client queries.

Pallant is enthusiastic about Optrak’s routing software and Optrak Realisation, a powerful add-on to the Optrak’s routing software, that incorporates real-time tracking, reporting, telematics and business intelligence, concluding, “The integrated routing software and real-time signature capture from Optrak has never let us down. It gives us full traceability of our collections whilst delivering real savings, improved efficiency and reduced impact on the environment. It has been a very worthwhile project and I would definitely recommend Optrak to other companies in the waste industry or those carrying out complex collections.”

Tim Pigden, Managing Director, Optrak Distribution Software Ltd said, “PDM is a leader in the field of waste management. By investing in technology to support its collection operations, it has been able to reduce its cost base whilst improving customer service. Using Optrak to manage delivery tracking has given many benefits to the company alongside those they have achieved on the routing side.”