Overnite Express Delivers Competitive Advantage with Sprint Palm® Treo™ Smartphones Protected by OtterBox Cases

Case Overview

Overnite Express is a regional express carrier serving California, Arizona, Nevada and Mexico. Having grown to almost two million deliveries annually, the company sought an innovative and robust solution to replace its existing dispatch and delivery technology. The customized Palm® Treo™ smartphone solution gives Overnite Express the distinction of being the first express carrier to visually record the location of a delivery.

Using Palm smartphones powered by Windows Mobile® and enclosed in rugged OtterBox cases, drivers have an interactive, durable solution to scan bar codes, capture electronic signatures, and immediately transmit photos and other delivery information to the company's website right through the case. The time-saving solution gives Overnite Express a competitive advantage and a projected annual savings of $30,000 in equipment alone.

Challenge: Upgrade delivery solution with durable, cost-effective tools

Steep demand for its express delivery services has helped fuel the growth of Overnite Express. With deliveries at close to two million and growing, the company needed to reengineer its dispatch and delivery technology. Overnite Express sought to build a solution which would set it apart from its well-known competitors.

The company faced:
-- A scanner which took up to 6 seconds per scan and did not prevent drivers from loading the wrong packages onto their trucks.
-- A proof of delivery (POD) component which required drivers to manually key in recipient's name.
-- Paper manifests of recipient's signatures; retrieving POD's required employees to dig through file boxes.
-- Fragile delivery devices that were expensive to replace.

Solution: Innovative custom applications for dispatch & delivery

According to Shane Lougheed, Overnite Express' VP of Systems and Technology, "We were looking for a way to stand out in a competitive market, so we thought about how cool it would be to take a picture of deliveries that were left without a signature." Overnite Express chose Treo smartphones, combined with protective OtterBox cases and integrated Socket scanners. The smartphones, running Windows Mobile, directly connect to the company's Microsoft® Exchange Server.

The solution includes:
-- Treo smartphones with embedded cameras to photograph packages left on the doorstep when signature is not available.
-- Custom dispatch and delivery applications built using Microsoft ASP.NET.
-- Protective device covers from OtterBox built to survive the rugged delivery environment.
-- Socket scanners and a fool-proof interface speeds scanning time and prevents drivers from loading packages outside their delivery area.
-- Electronic signature capture, transmitted in near real-time to the dispatch system for customer access.

Benefits: Cost-effective solution provides competitive advantage

Overnite Express' innovative solution is improving efficiency, lowering costs, and increasing the quality of service. With over 200 drivers using the solution, shaving up to 5 seconds off of every scan represents a considerable labor savings. Furthermore, Overnite Express stands apart from their competitors as the only delivery company to provide visual evidence of a delivery when there's no signature verification.

Other benefits include:
-- Near real-time communication of delivery information, available via email or the company's website, provides customers with immediate updates.
-- Custom solution provides drivers with delivery instructions, significantly reducing delays.
-- Estimated annual device replacement savings of $30,000, based on industry standard 10-15% damage rate.
-- Devices connect to Exchange Server 2007 for more secure access to delivery information.

As an added benefit, drivers have eagerly embraced the new solution. "Drivers feel empowered by having the devices. If there's any discrepancy about whether a delivery was made, the Treo lets the drivers prove that they did their job. They have a photo of the package, placed neatly at the front door, right next to the recipient's potted plant on the front porch," said Lougheed.

Sprint and Agilis Improve Operations for Schnuck Markets

“This solution gave us capabilities above and beyond what had been previously sought … resulting in a significant return on investment for Schnucks.”
– Bob Drury, Senior Vice President of Logistics, Manufacturing, and Information Technology, Schnucks Markets, Inc.

BACKGROUND
Schnuck Markets, Inc., is one of the largest privately owned companies in the nation, with 103 supermarkets and pharmacies in seven states. Founded in 1939, Schnucks has remained a family-owned and -operated business for three generations.


CHALLENGE
Schnuck Markets, Inc., is a successful regional grocery chain and one of the largest privately owned companies in the country. Schnucks supplies 103 stores in seven states using a fleet of more than 100 delivery trucks, all carrying critical, highly perishable cargo. Prior to engaging with Agilis, Schnucks used GPS locators in its trucks to collect some tracking data, but dispatchers had to manually record deliveries and plan route changes using enormous sheets of paper. Even common questions or updates could require multiple phone calls to drivers. The lack of an integrated, automated system made it difficult to ensure timely and efficient delivery on a consistent basis. In addition, Schnucks faced strong cost pressures due to increasing fuel prices and other expenses.


SOLUTION
Agilis Systems, Inc. developed a customized fleet management solution for Schnucks using the Agilis’ Mobile Resource Management software . SmartLOCATE provides dispatchers with each driver’s real-time location using a truckmounted, GPS-enabled phone. Agilis’ software provides integrated web-based dispatching, work order management, routing and automated call ahead services in a single, affordable platform. Rather than dealing with distracting paperwork, drivers now download to their phone their scheduled stops and route information at the beginning of each shift. Dispatchers follow their progress on a Web map, easily capture delivery information and provide updates on-the-fly. If bad weather, traffic problems or urgent customer requests require route changes, it’s simple to make adjustments and automatically alert drivers. After each stop, the next Schnucks store on a driver’s route is notified to prepare for delivery, greatly reducing costly idle time. Drivers also enjoy the security and convenience of having a mobile phone for use in emergencies.

RESULTS
Agilis Systems enabled Schnucks to greatly increase efficiency, lower costs and improve customer service. Idle time for each delivery has declined by nearly 16 percent, reducing expensive fuel usage and allowing each driver to make an additional delivery during every shift. Real-time route management has decreased time previously lost to traffic and weather delays, and dispatchers can prioritize and respond to customer needs immediately via the nearest available driver. The new system is also completely paper-free, more reliable and responsive, safer and more satisfying for drivers, and less expensive to implement and maintain.

Roadhouse Coach Chooses Sprint and TopGlobal for High Speed Mobile Internet

Roadhouse Coach

Roadhouse Coach operates a fleet of 26 luxury coaches that are leased primarily to entertainers. The 30-year-old company is based in central Texas and has a host of high-profile clients including entertainers and rock stars.

OBJECTIVE
When Roadhouse leased out its first bus in 1976, celebrity ground transportation was in its infancy. Thirty years later, business has changed dramatically. Entertainers who once got to their shows by plane now eschew the hassles of flying and travel first-class on the highway. Luxury benefits like satellite TV are the norm, but mobile Internet access was one thing that Roadhouse didn’t offer. Wi-Fi coverage was only available while parked—generally when the artist was busy doing a show—which didn’t offer much benefit to the client. Roadhouse needed a solution that would work while they were driving. Since the Internet is now used for business as well as pleasure, it became critical for customers to be able to get online while in transit to handle their day-to-day personal and professional matters. Moreover, mobile Internet was an important way for the company to differentiate itself from the competition.

SOLUTION DESCRIPTION
In researching potential wireless Internet options, Roadhouse talked with Dave Lowder, founder of Wireless Highway, the major wireless services provider to the entertainment coach industry. Lowder recommended using a 3G-powered wireless router, which turned out to be a plug-and-play solution. The MobileBridge MB8000 gateway from Top Global interfaces externally with the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network. Inside the coach, the router broadcasts its connectivity to the outside world via a standard Wi-Fi signal, so multiple laptops can access the Internet simultaneously. "In essence, it turns a bus going 65 miles an hour into a wireless hot spot on wheels," says Blake Olson, operations manager for Roadhouse Coach. "You just turn on the Wi-Fi-enabled laptop, search for the MobileBridge SSID, click and connect. And it’s so simple we don’t need a dedicated staff person to support it and there is virtually no downtime. Usually all a driver has to do is unplug the router and plug it back in if there is a problem."

SYNOPSIS

www.roadhousecoach.com

COMPANY
• Roadhouse Coach operates a fleet of 26 luxury coaches that are leased primarily to entertainers. The 30-year-old company is based in central Texas and has a host of high-profile clients including entertainers and rock stars.

OBJECTIVE
• Satisfy customer demands for Internet access on the road
• Create a point of differentiation for the company

SOLUTION
• Sprint Mobile Broadband (EV-DO Rev. A)
• Top Global MobileBridge MB8000 wireless routers
• Wireless Highway wireless services provider

RESULTS
• Received strong returns on less than a $1,000 capital investment per coach
• Increased both repeat business and new client acquisition