Kastner can do it royally
The Austrian food wholesaler Kastner controls its own fleet with a route planning and telematics system telematics system from Wanko. The free optimization enables high savings and improved delivery service.
Notification desired, delivery only with lifting flap, goods receipt only between seven and ten Clock: Such and similar Customer requirements are in the Trade-logistics are the order of the day. The countless individual restrictions make the Tour planning a daily challenge. In addition, there is a Changed ordering behavior With high expectations of flexibilitythat can hardly be mapped with rigid frame tours.
Variety of restrictions
Against this backdrop, the Austrian Kastner Group introduced a route planning and telematics system at six locations in 2013, investing around EUR 500,000. The supplier of the integrated solution is Wanko Informationslogistik GmbH. In an intensive selection process, the southern German software provider prevailed over nine competitors. The PraCar tour planning system and the PraBord telematics solution impressed above all with their extensive functions, user-friendly interfaces and short response times. The ergonomics in particular were compared with other solutions in an extensive field test.
The terminal server architecture with clients in the eight Kastner locations in Amstetten, Eisenstadt, Krems, Jennersdorf, Vienna North, Vienna South, Wolfsberg and Zwettl enables a decentralized mode of operation with a central database. In addition, PraCar meets the special requirements of the two-tier grocery trade and can take a variety of restrictions into account during planning. Supplementing the master data was therefore one of the most important project steps.
The Kastner team has worked thoroughly: Exactly 4,945 delivery notes were revised or newly stored in the system. In addition, there were 5,106 delivery time windows and 5,075 other restrictions that had to be collected and recorded from customers. The geocoding of the more than 12,000 customer addresses was much easier, which could be done practically automatically with the help of PraCar. This saved Kastner nine weeks of manual search time, while significantly improving address quality.
The supreme discipline of disposition
The effort was worth it. The more than 90 tours that Kastner completes daily with 80 of its own trucks are now automatically formed and freely optimized by PraCar. The order data, together with the calculated freight volume, flows in advance via an interface from the merchandise management system. Free optimization is considered the supreme discipline in disposition. It does not use outline tours and instead creates the best possible tours based on the actual orders on hand and the restrictions mentioned. Each tour has an average of ten to twelve stops.
The new technology enables a dramatically improved delivery service for the 160 retail locations of the “Nah & Frisch” brand. Unlike in the past, mixed delivery tours can now be put together for this clientele with goods from the dry, fresh and frozen ranges. This means that in future Nah & Frisch stores will be supplied with the full range of products three times a week if required, which will make their purchasing much easier. In addition, the order volume per customer increases, which further optimizes the tours.
330 tons of CO2 saved
Speaking of which: Compared to the reference year 2010, Kastner already saved 93,000 liters of diesel and 236,000 kilometers driven in the first year after the rollout. This corresponds to a reduction of around 330 tons of CO2. Moreover, 2013 saw the lowest diesel consumption since records began in 2006.
Dispatchers can intervene in the process at any time and – if necessary – make changes. After releasing the tours, PraCar triggers the picking process. At Kastner, approximately 68,000 picks are produced daily, which corresponds to around 1,600 roll containers. Even before the packed containers are ready at the goods issue area, the dispatchers send the tour data directly from PraCar to the telematics terminals with PraBord software installed in the trucks via mobile communications. The on-board computers, which are equipped with a large display, enable end-to-end order management and also function as a navigation device. An additional telematics box installed in all 60 vehicles transmits the data from the FMS interface as well as the driving and rest times.
"TomTom mobile on-board computers now allow us to deploy our drivers much more flexibly, which helps us a lot with new tours and delivery areas or during the vacation season"
Herwig Gruber | Managing Partner, Kastner Group
Detailed cost accounting
Drivers and dispatchers alike benefit from this wealth of data: The drivers have significantly less stress, because they drive an optimally planned route and see all additional information on the display, such as delivery time windows, number of roll containers and pallets, loading zones or delivery gates. In addition, drivers can see the current scheduled arrival time on the truck navi, which helps them comply with rest periods. The automatically generated trip reports at the end of the tour further reduce the workload.
The dispatchers as well as the fleet management are also considerably relieved: “Thanks to the mobile on-board computers from TomTom, we can now deploy our drivers much more flexibly, which helps us a lot with new tours and delivery areas or during vacation periods,” reports Managing Director Herwig Gruber. Also the monthly tank reports are now generated automatically. To do this, drivers simply have to enter the filled quantity on the on-board computer when refueling, while the mileage is added automatically. “The consumption values and the kilometers driven per customer also enable detailed customer cost accounting and the evaluation of tour quality based on planned/actual data,” notes Jörg Grafeneder, who heads the “Central Logistics Control” department at the Kastner Group.
Many more options
And that’s not all: thanks to telematics, all tours and driving and rest times can be monitored online and arrival forecasts can be generated at any time. Short-term changes to the tour and new pickup addresses can be sent directly to the truck at the touch of a button and without transmission errors. Conversely, drivers can document information such as customer requests, special incidents or workshop visits at any time. Of course, the transparency gained with regard to driving style and consumption values also has a direct impact on costs. Outliers in diesel consumption or conspicuous brake wear can be specifically addressed and retrained with the drivers concerned.
Conclusion: With PraCar and PraBord, the Kastner Group has had a fast and sustainable management tool for controlling the entire logistics since 2013. The large-scale project ran so silently that the management did not have to be involved at any time. “We didn’t notice any of the changes during ongoing operations, which I consider a very good sign,” recalls managing partner Christof Kastner.
Last but not least, a trusting relationship between Kastner and Wanko has developed over the ten years of cooperation: “We are a very well-rehearsed team and because Wanko offers us everything from route planning to telematics from a single source, we only have one central contact. This makes cooperation much easier for us,” emphasizes Christian Pollak-Müllner, who is in charge of the Wanko software in the “Central Logistics Control” department.
"We didn't notice any of the changeovers during ongoing operations, which I take as a very good sign"
Christof Kastner | Managing Partner, Kastner Group
Conclusion:
With PraCar and PraBord, the Kastner Group has had a fast and sustainable management tool for controlling the entire logistics since 2013. The large-scale project ran so silently that the management did not have to be involved at any time. “We didn’t notice any of the changes during ongoing operations, which I consider a very good sign,” recalls managing partner Christof Kastner.
Last but not least, a trusting relationship between Kastner and Wanko has developed over the ten years of cooperation: “We are a very well-rehearsed team and because Wanko offers us everything from route planning to telematics from a single source, we only have one central contact. This makes cooperation much easier for us,” emphasizes Christian Pollak-Müllner, who is in charge of the Wanko software in the “Central Logistics Control” department.
Background: Kastner Group
The Kastner Group is an Austrian food wholesaler that focuses on the local supply of the food retailings, specialized in the catering industry and large-scale consumers. The convenience sector, which includes, for example, the supply of Tankshop rounds off the spectrum. The family business founded in 1828 stands for a strong service package with customized concepts and personal service for business customers. The company’s history began in the Lower Austrian Waldviertel with a general store in Rappottenstein.
Press contact Wanko
| WANKO Informationslogistik GmbH | KfdM – Kommunikation für den Mittelstand |
| Christian Schulz Gewerbestraße 1 D-83404 Ainring Tel: +49 8654 483-0 E-Mail: sales@wanko.de www.wanko.de | Marcus Walter Schulstraße 29 D-84183 Niederviehbach Tel: +49 8702 948 174 Mobil: +49 170 77 36 70 5 E-Mail: walter@kfdm.eu |
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