CASE STUDY / QUADIENT - OFFICE TECHNOLOGIES
SUPERIOR SCHEDULING AND TOUR PLANNING
HELPS THE POST DELIVER
Quadient is Europe's leading (and the world's second largest) provider of mail processing systems and logistics solutions. Quadient is represented by 5,500 employees and supports 800,000 customers. In Germany and Austria, field service is undertaken by 120 technicians.
The results:
- Improved customer service
- Significant fuel and CO2 cost savings
- Significant less dispatching effort for customer service management
- Integration with existing CRM
How Quadient Germany and Austria has achieved success:
The challenges:
- Organisation of field technicians
- Process and efficiency improvements across the service organisation
- Significant less dispatching effort for customer service management
- Siebel CRM integration
THE PROJECT:
IMPROVED REACTIVE FIELD CALLS FOR ENHANCED CUSTOMER SERVICE
Quadient Germany and Austria selected FLS VISITOUR in 2008 for optimised and real-time scheduling of their technical field staff who perform installation appointments, planned maintenance, and rapid response (reactive) service calls for mailroom equipment. The project began in July 2008, integrated with Quadient's Siebel CRM system and successfully rolled out to 120 field staff in Germany and Austria just 6 weeks later.
Reliable appointments for service technicians are optimally scheduled and coordinated using FLS VISITOUR within seconds for Quadient to provide an efficient, professional, and customer-friendly service. Field service technicians receive jobs on their mobile devices, and send back status messages to report progress. The actual in-day schedule (versus plan) is dynamically updated. Emergency calls or other unscheduled events are taken into account in real-time, triggering re-optimisation of the entire schedule which is achieved within seconds.
Reliable appointments for service technicians are optimally scheduled and coordinated using FLS VISITOUR within seconds for Quadient to provide an efficient, professional, and customer-friendly service. Field service technicians receive jobs on their mobile devices, and send back status messages to report progress. The actual in-day schedule (versus plan) is dynamically updated. Emergency calls or other unscheduled events are taken into account in real-time, triggering re-optimisation of the entire schedule which is achieved within seconds.
The solution for route planning and dynamic optimisation in field service
Dynamic planning software FLS VISITOUR calculates the optimal planning for the day within seconds. You save an enormous amount of time and create error-free, highly efficient tours.
The difference: You can re-optimise tours at any time during the day at the push of a button if something changes. This means that even the most dynamic field service operation is no longer a problem. - Discover your potential now:
The difference: You can re-optimise tours at any time during the day at the push of a button if something changes. This means that even the most dynamic field service operation is no longer a problem. - Discover your potential now:
Realise your potential with FLS.
THE RESULTS:
Dispatchers are tasked with distributing planned service orders (timed appointments) optimally among the available field resources (skills and equipment) during planning, whether for the day or further into the future. The software handles orders and assignments in the most cost-efficient way, ensuring a high level of customer service and field service value for business continuity.
The software considers all constraints and organises orders with time-of-day routing to minimise idle time and actual driving. Over and above working hours, digitalised scheduling calculates the estimated time required to realistically complete an order. Embedded driving routes are meticulously planned based on road types, vehicle specifications, and varying driving speeds across the different times of the day: A critical component for both routine and new in-day orders.
Dynamic routing calculates multiple intermediate appointments within the shift. In such cases, the planning doesn't revolve around a single major destination but instead involves several customers and/or parts pickups.
This distinction becomes critical when considering route planning versus tour planning. Dynamic route planning groups orders into tours to determine the sequence in which they should be approached. The driver and/or vehicle returns to a starting position after completing the final order in the tour. In contrast, a route usually denotes travel from a starting point to a specific destination, representing transport from point A to point B with little consideration of knock-on effects.
The software considers all constraints and organises orders with time-of-day routing to minimise idle time and actual driving. Over and above working hours, digitalised scheduling calculates the estimated time required to realistically complete an order. Embedded driving routes are meticulously planned based on road types, vehicle specifications, and varying driving speeds across the different times of the day: A critical component for both routine and new in-day orders.
Dynamic routing calculates multiple intermediate appointments within the shift. In such cases, the planning doesn't revolve around a single major destination but instead involves several customers and/or parts pickups.
This distinction becomes critical when considering route planning versus tour planning. Dynamic route planning groups orders into tours to determine the sequence in which they should be approached. The driver and/or vehicle returns to a starting position after completing the final order in the tour. In contrast, a route usually denotes travel from a starting point to a specific destination, representing transport from point A to point B with little consideration of knock-on effects.
The results at a glance:
- Improved customer service
- Significant fuel and CO2 cost savings
- Significant less dispatching effort for customer service management
- Integration with existing CRM for single source of truth
"With quick and efficient scheduling provided by FLS VISITOUR, Quadient has achieved significant cost savings, improved customer support and established a more flexible service organisation. Following this successful deployment in Germany and Austria, the parent company has selected FLS VISITOUR for further rollout."
WHERE IS YOUR OPTIMISATION POTENTIAL?
DISCOVER IT WITH FLS – FAST LEAN SMART
You too can make your field service management more efficient with FLS. With our solutions, our customers achieve optimisation results such as an average reduction of 20% in field service costs.
Choose the best way for you to get to know us:
Choose the best way for you to get to know us:
DEMO
DISCOVER THE FULL POTENTIAL OF DYNAMIC SOFTWARE FOR YOUR BUSINESS
Arrange an appointment to get to know our software - as a demo version or, if you wish, with your data.
Experience the unsurpassed performance of our PowerOpt algorithm live. We will show you how to optimise your field force and services, and realise cost savings of up to 50% in a short time.
Experience the unsurpassed performance of our PowerOpt algorithm live. We will show you how to optimise your field force and services, and realise cost savings of up to 50% in a short time.