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  • Canadian transporter delivers using Palm Treo Smartphones.

  • "Our previous tracking solution worked well in its day, but it became costly to maintain which impacted our bottom line. To remain competitive, we knew an all-in-one wireless solution would integrate more easily with our track and trace delivery system and allow us to meet increased deadlines while maintaining customer satisfaction."

    Bob Hall
    CIO
    Speedy Transport

    About Speedy
    Transport Located in Brampton, ON, Speedy Transport is one of central Canada's premier SME carriers offering sophisticated transport services throughout the Windsor-Quebec City corridor and to the Maritime Provinces.

    Challenge Snapshot
    To modernize its fleet and keep up with the booming transportation industry, Speedy Transport needed to update its mobile solution to maximize the fleets' delivery efficiency. As a major transporter for volume retail chains such as HBC, Wal-Mart and Costco, it was critical for Speedy Transport to focus on a wireless delivery tracking solution that minimized shipment errors while being easy to use and cost-effective to maintain. According to Bob Hall, CIO, Speedy Transport, in order to modernize, the company faced several issues when taking a closer look at costs, compliance and efficiency.

    Palm Game Plan
    Speedy selected the Palm Treo 700p smartphone running on the Bell Mobility high-speed mobile network.

    "We reviewed numerous options, but Palm stood out," says Hall. "We made a conscious decision based on company history and future outlook. Palm's current leadership and innovation combined with a first-to-market reputation made it an easy choice for us from a technology perspective."

    Compared to competitive solutions, Treo implementation was seamless and compatible with existing applications. Training and installation costs were minimal and deployment to drivers was simple and trouble-free. Batteries could also be fully charged using car adapters, resulting in zero downtime.

    "The implementation process took much less time than we expected. In only two days we loaded 225 Treo devices with our current software application," says Hall. "There was no downtime and no impact to our core business."

    To comply with strict industry regulations, Speedy drivers use the Treo to track daily service hours and submit virtual time cards. Real time reports then instantly flag dispatchers when maximum driving times approach improving accuracy when selecting drivers for new shipments.

    Drivers also benefit from other features such as email and text messaging to avoid verbal communication errors when receiving new orders and confirming deliveries. This is particularly important in cases where English is a second language. The Treo's integrated camera also provides an efficient method of documenting product damage so drivers can email details to dispatch for immediate resolution.

    "A key element in the transportation supply chain is accountability," explains Hall. "Our drivers can take ownership and quickly resolve shipment damage or missed deadlines using the Treos, which speeds up resolution times and gives us a competitive edge."

    Customers, especially large retailers, demand real-time online tracking as an industry-wide standard. Successful shipments at Speedy are wirelessly transmitted to an internal database allowing customers to access real-time updates online. The result is faster, more accurate deliveries and increased customer satisfaction.

    Speedy has implemented 225 Palm Treo 700p smartphones into its fleet and is aiming for a total of 400 over the next year. New applications such as GPS and location-based services are being considered to further improve the company's shipping process.

    Speedy has boosted compliance numbers almost 20 per cent by significantly improving delivery times and minimizing errors in shipments while also offering customers additional services to improve overall satisfaction.

    "Mobile computing has changed the landscape at Speedy bringing us closer to our customers," says Hall. "Competitively, we're ahead of the game with Palm where other companies struggle to find cost-effective solutions."

    Success Highlights

    • Boosted company compliance by 20% by eliminating costly shipping errors.
    • Improved customer satisfaction by offering new services such as online track and trace updated in real-time 24/7.
    • Easy to use mobile technology with no downtime for training or implementation.
    • Increased employee productivity as Palm Treo's reduce driver time spent on tracking service hours to meet strict Canadian legislation.
    • Enhanced communication between drivers and dispatch to report transportation errors/damage for an immediate fix, which in turn ensured more deliveries out the door, on time.