Canadian software company Descartes is helping UK-based Stop Start Transport, a provider of distribution, warehousing and logistics services, undertake a digital transformation.

By using Descartes’ last-kilometre delivery technology, Stop Start hopes to unlock distribution capacity, enhance customer communications and enable more effective management of logistics data.

Stop Start specialises in transporting bulky and high-value goods that need to be handled with extra care. It has replaced manual delivery management processes with the cloud-based Descartes last-kilometre option. Early results show that Stop Start has decreased its daily route planning time by over 75% and achieved more efficient customer communications and invoicing.

“Stop Start is experiencing high levels of customer demand,” said Chris Pullen, CEO of Stop Start. “However, our growth has been limited in part by our labour-intensive route planning and order processing capacity. It used to take roughly four hours for three colleagues to plan and optimise approximately 1000 deliveries daily across our 50-vehicle fleet. With Descartes, we can reduce this to one hour with one employee, allowing us to significantly increase productivity and redeploy staff to wider strategic initiatives. The level of automation and digitisation we have already achieved using this has fundamentally transformed our logistics operations. This, combined with robust track-my-order functionality, means that customer experience has significantly improved.”

Descartes’ last-kilometre delivery option helps distribution-intensive companies improve operational efficiency and the customer experience. It supports dynamic delivery requirements, including same-day delivery, by offering flexible, efficient and cost-effective time windows and delivery options. Descartes’ route planning and optimisation software also decreases costs.

Using optimisation technology, it takes committed delivery times and improves how routes are planned and executed, which generates additional delivery capacity and reduces costs. With an integrated GPS-based mobile application, it coordinates drivers, dispatchers and call centres to ensure routes are executed according to plan and exceptions are handled efficiently.

Self-service web and mobile tracking allows users to track their orders in real time. This improves sustainability through the elimination of paper and better route productivity.

“We’re pleased to help Stop Start improve its productivity to meet growing demand for high-value, high-touch delivery services,” said Peio Ribas, senior vice president at Descartes. “Descartes’ last-mile delivery is designed to automate and streamline delivery processes, allowing logistics services companies to be more efficient and effective, which is so important as many organisations face resource shortages and escalating costs.”

Stop Start is a delivery business specialising in B2B and B2C deliveries of large and difficult to handle fragile items. Its core business supports the kitchen and bathroom sector with a next-day delivery service with national coverage. The service is based on high levels of product care and customers service, filling the gap between the parcel network and pallet deliveries. Stop Start is a portfolio company of Storskogen, a Swedish listed international group of companies.

Descartes provides on-demand, software-as-a-service focused on improving the productivity, security and sustainability of logistics-intensive businesses. Its modular, software-as-a-service routes, tracks and helps improve the safety, performance and compliance of delivery resources; plans, allocates and executes shipments; rates, audits and pays transportation invoices; accesses global trade data; files customs and security documents for imports and exports; and completes numerous other logistics processes.

Descartes has its headquarters in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, and has offices and partners around the world.