Ahead of the curve with ORTEC’s Inventory, Transport Management and Fleet Optimization Tools

Wincanton is the largest logistics firm in Britain. The company employs 17,700 people across more than 200 sites and has a 3,600-strong fleet of vehicles. Leading companies in the grocery, construction, energy and manufacturing space trust Wincanton’s transport and warehousing solutions to improve their service levels. But with supply chains becoming ever more sophisticated, Wincanton was compelled to look for an inventory and transport management system that would help them stay up-to-the-minute.

An ambitious digitization project

With data driving modern business, investing in connected, cloud-based systems is becoming more important. Wincanton was looking for a new Transport Management System to improve its ability to harness machine learning, artificial intelligence and sensory technology in order to dynamically manage all of its transport resources. The company has committed to a multi-million pound project to digitize its transport systems and support business growth. They chose ORTEC’s inventory and transport management solution to further this effort.

From legacy to state-of-the-art technology

“Moving away from the legacy AS/400TM system, which is still used by many logistics companies, sets us apart with a fleet that leads on safety, performance and efficiency.” - Chris Fenton, Managing Director of Industrial & Transport at Wincanton.

ORTEC’s inventory and transport management solution will be integrated with Wincanton’s GPS track and trace solution (Winsight), a system which provides customers with updated information on the movement of goods prior to delivery. It will also be linked to Wincanton’s in-cab telematics system (MiX Telematics), which is designed to improve driver safety and vehicle performance.

The new toolset will allow Wincanton to better plan and model delivery scenarios. Operational data can be used to simulate routes and loads in a virtual environment, informing real-world operations. The cloud-based software will be seamlessly integrated with customers’ and suppliers’ systems. Each customer will be able to access their own portal, which will contain delivery information and real-time updates while taking the utmost security standards into account.

Improved efficiency and service levels

“Adopting a state-of-the-art Transport Management System is a huge step forward for us,” adds Chris Fenton. “It will bring measurable benefits to our customers in the form of improved efficiencies and communication.”

On an operational level, ORTEC’s inventory and transport management solution will help Wincanton improve its planning and route optimization, ensuring timely and efficient deliveries. Load planning will also see improvements, helping the company reduce empty miles. The availability of information in real-time will enable Wincanton to improve customer service. The collection of fuel usage data will also lead to savings and lower CO2 emissions for the logistics giant.