Optrak Delivers Real Savings for Shell

Optrak was introduced after a major review of distribution operations in 1994 as Shell Oils enhanced the delivery system for their wide base of industrial and automotive clients. Shell supplies a broad range of oils and lubricants using Optrak to schedule around 70-100 orders each day and utilises Optrak’s sophisticated optimiser and powerful mapping capabilities to route their single and multi-compartmented vehicles.

Optrak, the advanced load planning and vehicle routing package, has delivered reductions in distribution costs and tighter control over resources for bulk liquid distributors/manufacturers. Shell Oils uses Optrak operationally and strategically from their major distribution centre in Ellesmere Port, Wirral.

The Variable Delivery Quantity optimisation that Optrak supplied is a major development. This unique facility allows the efficient utilisation of multi-compartmented vehicles.

The system allows a variation of a small fixed percentage in the delivery quantity on loading. This flexibility allows the optimiser in Optrak to calculate the optimum vehicle loading pattern by varying the quantities loaded within the fixed percentage limits.

Each vehicle now carries a fuller load, giving an increase in the average number of orders delivered each trip. Shell’s Production Scheduling Co-ordinator, Martin McIver, estimates payback will be achieved within the first year of operation.

Shell Oils chose Optrak because of its ease of use, flexibility and the availability of the Variable Delivery Quantity operation. Additionally, Optrak has saved the scheduler time that is now spent on improvement projects to further increase distribution efficiency.